Give a Bed and Breakfast gift card!

With the holidays speeding toward you, and all of your wedding plans speeding up as well, there might be some holiday shopping you've yet to do. So make it easy -- and give your guests something amazing to look forward to -- with a BnBFinder.com gift card that allows THEM to pick out WHERE they want to go, and maybe finance some extra treats while they're there! I love this gift for parents, letting them get away for a weekend, and how awesome is it to surprise your groom with a pre-honeymoon or a romantic weekend away, minus wedding talk! Here's your website to check out: www.BnBFinder.com! Happy shopping!

It's in the bag!

Right now, I'm working with Australian company Envirosax to create a giveaway of their fabulous, eco-friendly graphic tote bags, and I *love* these as your budget-friendly bridesmaids' gifts, as shower favors, and as the stylish, eye-catching guest welcome bags to hold their water bottles and organic snacks during their stay in the hotel.

Shop now, shop smarter. Several of Envirosax's collections are on sale for 25% off right now, so stock up!

Personalize your wedding with Caribbean 'Shells of the Month'

While my husband and I were on our second honeymoon on St. John, we visited a lovely jewelry shop in Mongoose Junction and discovered this fun chart about the 'Shells of the Month,' which works a lot like birthstones and the flowers of the month. The jeweler casts actual shells using precious metals in his work, but you can incorporate the real deal in your decor. Check it out to see if your island destination wedding or honeymoon could use a fun shell theme with meaning:

Attributes of Shells, from http://www.pattongold.com/shell_attributes.htm

In the 1970s R&I PATTON collected local* shells and made molds of them in order to cast them in solid 18k, 14k and sterling. They are beautiful, lasting tokens of remembrance for an amazing island and a significant event.

Seashells and what they have come to represent:

January:
Starfish: orderliness, charisma, honesty, persistence, regeneration, originality

February:
Limpet: intensity, stability, determination, durability, steadfastness

March:
Scallop:truth, faithfulness, trustworthiness, precision, balance, dependability

April:
Tulip:sweetness, compassion, loveliness, kindness, tranquility, love

May:
Murex: poise, beauty, intricacy, intelligence - very feminine shell

June:
Sanddollar:loyalty, encouragement, reliability, certainty, predictability

July:
Coral:warmth, charm, openness, complexity, enthusiasm, zeal

August:
Urchin: boldness, confidence, creativity, decisiveness, certainty, bravery

September:
Cowry: prosperity, worth, generosity, directness, ambition, versatility

October:
Flamingo Tongue: strength, simplicity, potency, courage - a very masculine shell

November:
Triton: expansiveness, loquaciousness, wildness, energy, passion

December:
Conch: power, leadership, devotion, optimism, cooperation, harmony

* Since it is now illegal to remove any shells from the beaches and waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands, these precious metal replicas are great and lasting mementos.

These shells make wonderful wedding party gifts. Our staff would be happy to help you decide about which shells would be appropriate for individuals in your group.



For more on personalizing your wedding, visit my site!

Check out Presents For Purpose

When you're looking for gifts for your bridesmaids, the moms, and any other special person in your life, it's always a great feeling to buy an item that 'gives back' to charity. I'm especially excited to recommend this website, for its great work and high-fashion angle, organic items and 'go pink' selections that help a cause and might just fit with your wedding's color scheme ;)

Presents for Purpose (PFP)— www.presentsforpurpose.com —was founded in 2002 by Alayna Kassan and Cynthia W. Dressel, two Lymphoma survivors who, along with PFP co-owner Leslie Weissman, wanted to give back to the community that had been there for them during their struggles. The women originally designed and began selling crystal watches, their first retail collection which quickly sold out, resulting in a $20,000 donation to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Since that time, the site has grown exponentially and now offers hundreds of high-fashion, high-quality and in many cases, designer gift ideas for women, men and children. Items range from fashionable apparel and jewelry to hand bags, baby gifts, organic/green items, “go pink” items, stationary and even personalized gifts in all price ranges. PFP has teamed up with and/or has been supported by a number of celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Teri Hatcher, Lisa Rinna, Jessica Biel, Marisol Thomas and Ethan Zohn.

In many cases, PFP works with the individual charities and designers to create a gift that represents the core of that particular charities work, an example of which can be found in their latest piece of jewelry, added to the site. The “beauty within” butterfly necklace (shown above) supports children with a vascular anomaly.

A top, trendy gift for junior bridesmaids

Junior bridesmaids LOVE getting Teen Vogue subscriptions as their 'thank you for being in the wedding' gift. It's the gift that keeps on giving, a regular reminder of what a cool aunt or sister you are...and the magazine often gives out free totes and other fun swag just for subscribing.

Looking at this mag: were WE this stylish and phenomenal when we were their ages? ;)

Money-saving DIY ideas

I LOVE Amy Palanjian's column 'Things We Make' for the terrific DIY projects and inspiration. Check it out!

I also saw on the Hallmark Magazine website a fantastic photo feature on 'recycling' the lace from your wedding gown or bouquet fabric. They're talking making a shadow box or frame to feature one carefully-cut lace design, and I think this would make an AMAZING gift to give to your mom, grandmom, daughter, the bridesmaids. Since the bouquet toss tradition started out originally, long ago, as wedding guests tearing at the bride's dress to get a little scrap of fabric and thus a bit of her luck (and sometimes it got brutal!), giving out snippets of your gown or veil lace or that from your bouquet handle is a precious gift!

Fabulous bridal party gifts

Forget the little silver frame, the flask and all of the other Usuals when it comes to bridal party gifts. Now, the big goal is to get your bridal party members something they'll love (which means personalized) that doesn't cost a lot (under $30 each is ideal, down from a national average of $70 just a year ago). Get 'em a sports team logo shirt, or hat, or plush throw or blanket at ESPN Shops. Whether it's their fave college or pro team, men's or women's styles, even items for kids, your bridal party gifts will thrill your group because they'll actually use them. And you can't beat the sales going on right now at ESPN -- some tees are available 2 for $19.99.

Best Bridal Party Gifts

Find fantastic bridal party gifts at Things Remembered. If you're looking at bracelets, though, be extra-careful about the circumference when it comes to your child attendants. I bought two bracelets for my flowergirls and they were WAY too big. Ths silver lining of today's shaky economy is that you'll find really nice sales at a lot of the retail stores for essential wedding purchases. Plus, we're headed for a holiday weekend, so that means more sales out there! Shop wisely, but know that you can get far better gift items for all of your bridal party members for far less than you might expect!

$9.99 bridesmaids' gifts!!

Since the average amount spent on a bridesmaid gift is in the range of $40 to $70 nationwide, I *had* to let you know about the limited-time-offer at ThingsRemembered.com. Check out these very cute bridesmaid and junior bridesmaid gifts for just $9.99! Engraving is extra, of course, but this is a great start!