"Colin Cowie Wedding Trends" to air on WE TV this Fall





Wedding Accents. Photo by Roger Kirby

Colin Cowie, known around the world as one of the premiere wedding and event planners, will be bringing his signature style to WE TV (Women's Entertainment) this coming fall with "Colin Cowie Wedding Trends."  Starting this September, 2012, Colin and his team will be helping brides to stay abreast of the current trends in wedding planning.

Each of the 30-minute shows will air on WE TV on Saturday mornings as part of their "tbi...for women" series ("the best information for women").  Each show will provide brides with information about fashion, makeup, jewelry, honeymoon destinations and most importantly, tips from Colin Cowie himself.  The shows will give viewers a behind the scenes look at what makes a Colin Cowie wedding so special and magical.

For more information on when the shows will air, how to participate in the shows and giveaways, as well as tips and advice from Colin on planning your own wedding, please visit www.colincowieweddings.com. 

Mother's Day Gift Idea - Sun Jar

Is your mom the sunshine of your life?  Why not give her a little piece of the sun in Convenient Gadgets and Gifts Sun Jar for Mother's Day this year?

Mother's Day is rapidly approaching.  Don't wait until the last minute to buy mom a gift this year!  Yes, it is the thought that counts, but show mom that you put a little more thought into her gift this Mother's Day, rather than stopping on the side of the road to purchase a bunch of overpriced flowers on your way to see her.

The Sun Jar is a large mason jar, made of frosted glass with a traditional clamp lid.  It works with a rechargeable battery, a solar cell and LED lights.  Inside the jar, are two switches, one to charge the battery, and the auto on/off switch.  The Sun Jar works by soaking up sunlight during the day.  When it gets dark, the Sun Jar automatically switches on and gives off a beautiful, warm glow.  The Sun Jar also has a waterproof seal, so you can leave it outside all the time if you wish, without the weather harming it.  These are so much better than candles for outside use on your deck or patio.  Candles burn down and need replacing frequently, and can be affected by wind and weather.  Sun Jars stay lit no matter what.

The literature inside the box said The Sun Jar should stay lit approximately 5 hours after letting it charge in direct sunlight.  I tried my Sun Jar out last night and it stayed lit from 8:45pm until the sun rose this morning when it switched off - way more than 5 hours!

Not only would this make a wonderful gift for mom, they would be the perfect addition to a shabby chic or rustic wedding.  I've seen so many pictures of mason jars with candles inside, lining outdoor pathways, or gathered together on tables. Sun Jars would eliminate the need to keep checking on the candles - and prevent the fire hazards presented by candles. (Many historical venues won't even allow candles.)  Sun Jars would also make beautiful centerpieces and table accents.  Visit Convenient Gadgets & Gifts' website for more information about the Sun Jar and other great Mother's Day gift ideas.

Disclosure:  I received the Sun Jar at no cost for this review.

Hairstyles and accessories for the mother of the bride

Photo by Frox of Falkirk

As the mother of the bride, helping to plan your daughter’s wedding is no doubt a joyful, if not bittersweet time in both your lives.  With all the preparations, it’s probably also very stressful.  You should have already purchased your mother of the bride outfit.  As the big day draws closer, it’s time now to focus on your hairstyle and accessories for this momentous event.  Here are a few tips to help you find the perfect look for the big day.

Color and cut

Decide well in advance if you’re going to change the color of your hair for your daughter’s wedding.  A special occasion such as this is not the time to make a major change at the last minute.  If you are definitely set on changing the color of your hair before the wedding, try it out about 6-8 weeks before the big day.  That way if you choose a color and really don’t like it, you have time to change it back.  If you love the new color, you’ll need to get a touch-up about a week or two before the big day to make sure the color looks fresh.

Have your hair trimmed in its usual style about a week before the wedding as well.  Again, this isn’t the time for any major changes.  A week should give you enough time to get used to styling your hair in the new cut.  If by some stroke of bad luck your hair is cut too short, this will give it enough time to grow back in a bit.

Style

Photo by Frox of Falkirk

Just as your mother of the bride outfit shouldn’t overshadow your daughter on the big day, neither should your hairstyle.  Most moms will go to a salon and have a professional style their hair in their usual style on the day of the wedding, for a classy, polished look.  If it is going to be an especially warm or humid day and you have longer hair, you may want to consider an updo.  Many older churches are not air-conditioned.  There is no hairstyle, no matter how much hairspray is used, that will hold up after an hour or two of heat and humidity inside a stifling hot church.  You don’t want to have flat, damp, stringy hair stuck to your face for the rest of the day.  Worse still, you don’t that kind of hair disaster memorialized in all the wedding photos.

Accessories

After the world sat mesmerized last year watching as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, married Catherine Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, never before have hats, fascinators and hair accessories been more popular all around the world.  As the mother of the bride, it’s so important to make sure you let your daughter be the one who “shines” on the big the day, so your outfit should be more understated, classic and elegant.  But wearing a beautiful hat or hair accessory is a great way to add your own touch of style and whimsy to your mother of the bride of the outfit.  Beautiful feathers, rhinestones or beaded clips can add a beautiful touch to your mother of the bride outfit.

Photo by Frox of Falkirk

Keep these tips in mind when finishing the preparations for your look for your daughter’s wedding day.  You’ll not only look polished, classy and elegant, but you’ll feel fabulous as well! 

Special thanks to Frox of Falkirk for these beautiful photos.  Be sure to visit them for mother of the bride and mother of the groom outfits and accessories.

An introduction.

For my first post, I just wanted to introduce myself, and explain a litte about how EventSpiration came to be.  For years now, I've worked in the marketing and sales fields, and in turn have planned many events, on-site promtions, trade shows and parties.  I realized that I really enjoyed the party planning aspect of my job, and I took a position as the Event Coordinator for a historic (and haunted!) inn here in Pittsburgh.  I worked with many different people and organizations, planning all sorts of events - weddings, surprise engagements, soroity parties and corporate events. I enjoyed every minute of working with my clients and meeting with their vendors.  After several years at the inn, I had to leave my position due to health reasons, but I never lost my love for event planning and entertaining.  My daily reading still consisted of wedding and party planning blogs, even though my two rescued dogs weren't planning a wedding anytime in the near future.

While searching through the internet, I came across Examiner.com and found out they were looking for an event planning writer for Pittsburgh.  I've always enjoyed writing, and since I had all this event planning experience, I submitted my application and thankfully I was hired.  Writing for Examiner has been amazing.  I truly enjoy every minute of it, and I've met some wonderful people because of my articles.  However, because I am the "Pittsburgh" Event Planning Examiner, I am limited to only writing about local events, people and things.  While Pittsburgh is a wonderful city full of vibrant and talented people, there are national trends and celebrities I would love to write about but can't.  So, the idea for EventSpiration was born.  This blog will give me the opportunity to spread my wings and be a little more creative.

I have also been given the title of "Pittsburgh Animal Advocacy Examiner."  From time to time you may see animal and animal-advocacy related posts here.  Animals, animal adoption and preventing abuse and cruelty are my true passions in life.  As I write this, my two dogs are laying curled against me.  I honestly don't believe that I'd be here and be able to do anything, had it not been for my two dogs after the last year and a half of my life.  I feel very strongly about giving back to them after the uncondtional love they provide me with every single day.  If you're an animal lover, I know you'll understand.  If you're not, I hope you'll bear with me and hopefully find the rest of the information I provide useful enough that you can indulge me a bit when I write about my "boys" or animal advocacy issues.