Barbie's big wedding season

This is Barbie in a Reem Acra. Yes, that's right. Reem. Acra.

Wedding world is Barbie's world -- with the 50th anniversary of our favorite doll offering all kinds of amazing special editions, including a Barbie and Ken wedding set that I just have to have. Looking on eBay, I found a vintage Korean Barbie and Ken wedding doll set that just might kick off my new collection of all things Bridal Barbie.

I'd love for you to check out this site for links to what's new in Barbie's world, plus special Barbie editions of bridal-party perfect goodies from Dylan's Candy Bar and other hot places. I'm thinking the Barbie bridal shower --no matter what age the bride -- is quickly going to take over the bridal shower theme, since we all had such fun with our Barbie collections, the Barbie Dream House. I had the cabana, a convertible, a Winnebago, even an airplane. So we all have that Barbie DNA, making this an incredibly fun and special theme for showers and bridesmaid luncheons. The fact that it's the 50th anniversary special edition of these dolls -- a collector's item gift for the bride, too -- just makes it all the more fun.

Oh, and at that site, you can learn the new Barbie dance, performed to the 'Barbie Girl' song. Maybe after a few cocktails, the girls can give it a go...

Pretty Pink Freshwater Pearls

Look at these! Pretty pink freshwater pearls would make the perfect gift from groom to bride if she wants a delicate pop of color to match her wedding bouquet. Who says you have to wear diamonds? Or white pearls?

These babies are so lovely -- maybe too pricy for your bridesmaids' gifts unless you're so not on a budget, but wouldn't they be GORGEOUS gifts for the Moms? If the Moms are wearing any variation of pink, taupe or silver, these would look amazing!

I'm a huge fan of freshwater pearls, and I don't believe in the whole superstition related to pearls on the wedding day [supposedly, not the best luck in the world.] To see the pink freshwater pearls above, check out the Blue Nile page...

Signing up for Martha Stewart University

Martha's done it again! What a fabulous gift idea for the bride! Martha Stewart now offers video classes that you can upload -- most for just $12.95 per course...and some of these have 14 different segments! Check it out here. If you plan to DIY anything for your wedding, invest that $12.95 and get help from Martha and Darcy!

Write it, but don't send it

When someone really tweaks a nerve with you, saying something heinously insulting, or throwing a wrench into your plans, or questioning your taste in wedding plans...or your groom, you're probably going to boil up in anger and want to lash out. They do say it's better to get anger out than suppress it, right?

Well, reacting in anger isn't going to get you anywhere. You just sink to their level and make them very very happy. Because their goal was to pop your happiness bubble and make you miserable like they are.

So for now, write out the best tell-off letter you can -- by hand, so there's no file for anyone to see later -- and then toss it away. Or burn it. I just wrote out one of those babies today, and I feel a lot better. It helps so much to get that vitriol out of your mind, onto paper, and into the trash. For really bad offenders, you might find yourself scribbling out several notes over the course of some time.

Face it, anyone who's an adult is a finished project. You're not going to teach them anything by telling them a better way to handle their misery. You're not going to touch upon any sense of compassion in them, because there probably is none. So don't waste your time trying to teach a bottom feeder to become a benevolent soul. It's not going to happen.

Hang out with your benevolent soul friends, and absorb the good vibes of their input and their company. Leave your misery-soaked acquaintances to their own paths. This time is too short to let them have any effect on your fabulous life.

Following the fall foliage

Fall is almost fully here, and if your wedding takes place this fall, you're probably very interested in the colors of peak fall foliage. What a fabulous background, all of those vibrant reds, oranges, yellows and a gorgeous blue sky behind them all! I love this Weather Channel tool that shows you when and where peak fall foliage is arriving, and don't forget that this is a fabulous site to check if you'd like to plan a fall foliage pre-wedding getaway with your sweetie [think B&B, spiced cider, hayrides and apple picking!] or a fall spa getaway with your girls.

Getting out in nature is a great way to de-stress too, so maybe this map will -- in the coming weeks -- inspire you to hop in the car for a spontaneous road trip together. Just make your hotel reservations before you go, since 'leaf-peeping' is hugely popular and thus many of the more affordable hotels and B&Bs will be booked solid during peak weeks. Call ahead, book, and -- okay, so maybe it's not so spontaneous, but better to call ahead. :]

Create your color scheme with Dessy and Pantone!

In my book What's Your Bridal Style, I talk about where to find inspiration for the perfect color choices for your bridesmaid dresses, table linens, flowers, even the icing on the cake! I'm so thrilled to share with you the newest, fun tool from Dessy and Pantone that will make your color selections fabulous!

Here's the big announcement that JUST landed in my In-Box:

Brides want their big day to perfect, but we we’ve all heard the classic wedding horror stories about missing photographers, toppled cakes and color disasters. Wouldn’t it be nice to strike one potential nightmare from the list?

To help brides plan the color-coordinated wedding of their dreams, The Dessy Group, a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid’s dresses and bridal apparel, together with color authority Pantone have announced PANTONE WEDDING, exclusively from Dessy. PANTONE WEDDING is a collection of color tools that make it easy for brides to create perfectly color-coordinated weddings – from inspiration to “I do.”

PANTONE WEDDING features paper swatch cards that can be used on their own, or in combination with Dessy’s popular fabric swatches, to coordinate wedding colors – from bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, accessories and menswear to flowers, invitations and tabletop designs. The Dessy Web site now includes a special section dedicated to PANTONE WEDDING that features inspirational Style Boards to help brides choose their wedding colors and accompanying bridal apparel. Brides can browse over 200 PANTONE WEDDING Colors, select from all Dessy bridal apparel and accessories or import wedding and inspirational images from the Web, then save or share their styleboards with friends.

Congratulations to the Envirosax contest winner!

Congratulations to Rachel S. of Chicago, the winner of my green weddings contest! Rachel shared some terrific ways that she plans to incorporate eco-friendly elements in her big day, and she has won 8 gorgeous eco-friendly bags from Envirosax. Rachel like the Mikado styles. Which are your favorites?

My novel is a hit on Kindle! Reviewed as 'laugh out loud' and 'fun, fun, fun!'

I have to agree with the reviewers! My novel It's My Wedding Too *is* laugh out loud and fun, fun, fun! I had such a blast creating these characters -- my uptight, upper-crust romance novelist Delilah and her attempts to take over her daughter's wedding. My Earth-mother Carmela who is having a really hard time accepting that her son has cut the apron strings. And we have a male dancer named The Hawk [pronounced 'Da Hawk in true Bostonian pitch] and a feng shui-obsessed, heartbroken bridesmaid who finds love at the end of the novel...only it's not with a man. Nor a pair of shoes. You're going to LOVE how her love story evolves. Throw in a fake, cheesy bridal shower just to stun Delilah and an unforgettable backstory for Carmela (heart-wrenching!!), and you know you're so going to read this novel now, right?

Check out It's My Wedding Too here on Kindle.

Or get your paperback copy here at Amazon.

Get ready to laugh out loud, and please do leave me a great review on Amazon!