That afternoon, I started shopping for engagement rings for her. I had an idea of what she wanted in a ring but I was unsure of exactly where to start looking for it. I have read several articles about how to buy the best engagement ring and what to avoid when buying one, so I kind of knew what I had to do to get perfection.

I started shopping around the jewelers in Dublin and found a few rings that I really liked. There were so many to choose from that I was taken back for a few minutes. I finally folded and decided to ask for help. I called my fiance’s best friend and asked her to meet me at the jewelers. It only took her about fifteen minutes to make her way to the store. I knew that if anyone would know exactly what my fiance would want that it would be her best friend. I had a feeling that the two of them had been looking at rings for at least the last two years and I was right.

Her friend told me that she had just looked at an engagement ring at another store the week before and that it would probably still be there. We hopped in the car and took off to the other jewelry shop. Dublin has so many jewelers to choose from and I was not exactly sure which one had the ring that my fiance would want, so I am so glad that her friend was nice enough to help me out.

Once we had the ring, I began planning how I was going to ask her to marry me. I knew that I had to do it right. I wanted to make it as special of a day as I possibly could since she had been so patient in waiting for me to be ready to ask her to marry me. I ended up getting a limo, making dinner reservations at her favorite restaurant and making arrangement for a string quartet to be at the place in the park where she and I first met many years ago.

The day that I planned to ask her came much quicker than I expected. I got all dressed up, got in the limo and headed to meet her. She opened her door and I was no longer nervous. She looked stunning. The rest of the night was absolutely perfect and she said yes as soon as she saw the engagement ring that I presented her with.

Happy Friday!
It’s been quite a whirlwind week for me, from traveling back home from Jamaica to celebrating the 4th with friends.
Mail Bombs never stop, so let’s take a crack at a few!
First up, Melody writes, “I saw this beautiful maxi dress Michelle Williams wore to the BET awards festivities…”

“I was wondering where I can get it, or something similar. Thanks! ”
According to several sources, Michelle Williams attended the pre-BET awards festivities in a dress by BCBG Max Azria (which is no surprise, as she’s been know to wear both BCBG and Herve Leger to multiple red carpet events). Unfortunately her dress isn’t available (and I haven’t found anything similar). Keep an eye peeled at www.bcbg.com for her exact option.

In another Pre-BET Awards Mail Bomb, Desiree says, “Can you please tell me who makes Melanie’s dress?”


” I love it and would like to purchase it or something similar to it for an event I am attending later this month.”

According to our sources, Melanie was styled in a blue $1,495 Donna Karan knot dress, similar to this.

Her style is no longer available, but you can get a similar look with these:

Chris Brown superfan Videl from the UK writes, “I reaallyy neeed I mean reallyy need those jeans or something similar with the same style, but slim.”

“I’ve been lookin literally everywhere HELPP!! pleasee.”

Okayyy. These look like regular acid washed jeans to me, no? Get something similar to Chris’s pair here:

Tosca writes, “HEY LADY!! I must have this dress.”

“…Even something similar in a solid. I like the old style feel of the top part. Thanks so much in ADVANCE honey!!”
So now people want to dress like Joseline (or Hosseline as Funky Dineva would say)?
Well, according to RealityTVFashion, the young lady wore a Summer 2011 Urban Outfitter’s Day and Night Space Cut Out Aztec Print Black and White Dress. Her dress is from last year, so sold out, but you can get a similar silhouette with this Sparkle & Fade Side Print Cut-Out Dress Ivory from UrbanOutfitters.co.uk…

Or any of these below:

Kimberly says, “Please help me find these midriffs that everyone is wearing.”

You can find mock crops in skin clinging spandex at any American Apparel store.


Pick a color, any color, here.

Zoneesha says, “I love love love LOVE this dress Shaniece H is wearing!”

” Do you have any idea who the designer is?”
9 times out of 10, when you see a dress with a wrap silhouette, it’s by Diane von Furstenberg. I wasn’t able to find Shaniece’s exact dress online, though you can get a similar silhouette with these DVF pieces:

Lisah writes, “Everyone on Instagram thinks if anyone can find this shoe you all can.”

” PLEASE HELP me find the shoes Big Ang wore on the View!”

From the platform front to the high gold stiletto heel, the shoes look like they’re by Gianmarco Lorenzi (similar to these):

Unfortunately Gianmarco’s site is hard to navigate and their E-Boutique isn’t up, so it’s hard to confirm. If anyone else has leads, let us know! Which brings us to a slew of unsolved Mail Bombs…!
Nikki writes, “Who is the designer of Tina Knowles’s pants?”

Hmm..I looked everywhere, even on Ms. Tina’s fashion site, and couldn’t find ‘em. If you know, holla!

Santyara writes, “ I seen a photo of Aubrey O’Day on MTO this morning I wanted to know who’s the designer of her sunglasses and where to purchase if possible.”

” And also if you have any website recommendations for hot sunglasses. Thanks.”
Not sure with this one, but you can find hot sunglasses at Net-a-Porter, FarFetch.com, Karmaloop, Linda Farrow, and Opening Ceremony. Opening Ceremony will certainly have items to help you stand out from a crowd. I’d go there first.
And lastly, Avanelle writes, “Since I’ve seen this video, I’ve been searching all over for the designer of this jumpsuit.”

“Help!”

No idea, but hopefully one of you out there can help Avanelle out.
That’s about all I have time for today, folks!
Gotta upload today’s Bombshell and scour for more fantastic content for your reading enjoyment.
Have amazing and restful weekends.
Until next time…
Smootches!

From Brooke Schultz Photography… The concept for this shoot was a combination of rustic, natural elements and a bright, fun color palette. We wanted to marry the beauty of nature with the sass of corals, fuchsias, and pinky-reds. Brunch gives a laid-back vibe, with nothing too perfectly coiffed. The bride’s flower crown combines modern style with a dash of flower-child, and the brunch menu of donut and fruit kabobs, strawberry pancakes and ginger-almond granola favors makes the wedding cozy without being fussy. An intimate setting completes the effortless feel with elegant yet earthy picnic table seating and the backdrop of Utah fields and mountains, but this bold and timeless look can be recreated by brides everywhere.

Wedding Photography: Brooke Schultz Photography / Floral Design: Calie Rose / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: Leah Aldous / Food, Wedding Cake + Food Styling: Claire Ford / Table, Dishes, Flatware, Linens + Glassware: Diamond Rental / Wedding Dress: Avenia Bridal / Hair: Cara Marie / Makeup: Averie DelGrosso (averiemichelley@gmail.com) / Bow Ties: Countess Mara

MIA was one of the many front row attendees to attend Versace’s Fall 2012 Couture show (which we reviewed here). For her Paris Fashion Week foray, the singer was decked out in Vintage Gianni Versace:

The gorgeous singer completed her look with bamboo earrings and a red lip. Way to keep it funky!

This is a busy look, but I’m loving it–and what a great choice to wear to the show, no?
What do you think?

Marcel writes, “Can you tell me what Ciara is wearing in this picture?

Ciara opted for cool yet rugged at Epic Records’s LA Party, sporting shorts and sneakers with a $1,330 Givenchy Red Leather Tee. The top has a crew neckline, back zip, and a shirttail hem:

An interesting look for a seemingly hot day, but I’m kinda feeling her athletic vibe. What do you think, would you rock it?

If so, recreate her look with these items:

More Nike…

Images: Johnny Nunez/WireImage

When is the right time to start dating again? Only you can answer that. Your separation may have been traumatic. You and your children need time to recover from that. Getting your lives back on track and establishing a new routine is essential. You need to come to terms with what has happened. Then you’ll be truly ready to move on.

How do I find a new partner – I’ve no money, no time, & no way to meet new people? There are far too many “no’s” in that question. It’s easy to think of reasons why you can’t do something. Let’s try and turn this around.

No money? You don’t need pots of money to go out on a date. That old cliché – the best things in life are (almost) free is still true. What’s wrong with a walk in the park? A pint in a pub? A coffee in a café? The most important thing about a first date is time to talk and get to know one another in a relaxed atmosphere.

No spare time? You need to make time. If you spend 4 hours a week cleaning your house – give it a miss one week (no-one will notice except you)!

No way of meeting new people? The obvious place most people think of going to meet other singles is clubs & pubs. Great for a night out to let your hair down. But you have no guarantee that the people you are meeting are really single – or will not run a mile when they find out you have a family! And these places are always difficult to go to alone if you don’t have a friend to go with.

So what’s the solution then? How can I find other people who are single and truly value family life? Kids No Object Dating can help! We’ve provided a successful UK dating service for single parents since 1986. Everyone who joins us is happy to meet someone who has a ready-made family! Try us out for free!

What have you got to lose? Only your single status!

From the Bride… With my family living in North Carolina and Anthony’s across the pond in Ireland, our families have never been able to meet given the distance. So we figured there was nothing like a wedding to bring everyone together! When we looked at our options, we thought it made sense to for everyone to meet somewhere in the middle. Sadly Atlantis was unavailable (we heard it sunk, bummer) so we decided on Chicago — convenient because that is where we live! We knew we wanted to have a wedding in the traditional sense to bring everyone together, but we also wanted our own non-traditional and quirky touches. We were looking for something eclectic, yet elegant … eclectegant, if you will.

We were lucky enough to be able to have our ceremony at the beautiful Bond Chapel on the University of Chicago campus. (That business school degree finally paid off!) Bond Chapel is nondenominational and really embraces a variety of viewpoints, so we were able to craft a ceremony that was truly the most honest version of who we are. Working on our ceremony was project number one, and whenever I got stressed out about wedding logistics, I would read our vows and refocus on the big picture. When we first visited our reception venue, the more-than-a-little-quirky Salvage One, we knew we had found our spot to celebrate. We figured if our friends and families were having a hard time understanding each other with the variety of Southern and Irish accents, at least there would be a lot of interesting scenery!

Once we picked our venues, we spent the better part of 18 months putting together my dream wedding. Much to Anthony’s chagrin, the DIY train left the station at 100 mph, and the months were a blur of thrift store shopping and craft projects. He may need a lobotomy to rid himself of all of his newfound knowledge of Pinterest and Etsy. It was such a wonderful experience tackling the wedding planning as a team, and some of my favorite memories are of my manly, 6’5” husband hand stamping delicate invitation hankies on our dining room table and getting excited about the dessert bar menu he designed. In the end, all the effort was worth it. Looking around at all of our favorite people in the entire world (literally, our farthest guest flew in from Singapore) was one the most overwhelming, wonderful, exhilarating moments of my life, and I know we will cherish the memories forever.

Wedding Photography: JPP Studios / Ceremony: University of Chicago Bond Chapel in Chicago, Illinois / Reception: Salvage One in Chicago, Illinois / Event Planning: Get Hitched Weddings (Formerly Samantha Hamilton Weddings) / Floral Design: Asrai Garden / Wedding Cinematography: Leap Weddings / Vases, Dessert Stands, Birdcage Veil, Flower Girl Wands, Hand-Stamped Handkerchiefs, Paper Goods, Welcome Bags + Bridesmaids’ Jewelry: DIY by the Bride & Groom / Table Runnners: DIY by the Bride’s Mother & Sister / Cake Table Cloth: DIY by the Bride’s Grandmother / Wedding Dress: Cymbeline “Ebru” (Discontinued) / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka

From John Shim Photography… It’s hard to put into so many words the day that defined the marriage of Clayton and Ashley. Located in the scenic Chattanooga Valley, the Barn at High Point Farms provided the beautiful backdrop for this joyous day. It was fun spending the day with Ashley and Clay following them around as they prepared for their meticulously planned wedding. All the decorations were handmade and flowers hand arranged by a friend. The ceremony was outside on the most perfect spring day of the year. Guests were greeted by goats and the smell of hay. The small number of guests made this an intimate affair of close friends and family. Food with contemporary southern flair was served in the evening by Events with Taste. Their beautiful spread of braised pork shoulder, cornish game hen, roasted potatoes, and collard green risotto made the delicious meal an ideal way to fuel up before the dancing began. The evening was spent dancing the night away to the bluegrass tunes of Bluebilly Grit and enjoying a bonfire on the cool spring night. It was an honor to be a part of their wedding day and one that I won’t forget.

Wedding Photography: John Shim Photography / Wedding Venue: The Barn at High Point Farms in Flintstone, Georgia  / Floral Design: Rebecca Shelt (A Friend of the Bride) / Decor: DIY / Catering: Events with Taste / Wedding Cake: Couture Cakes & Confections / Band: Bluebilly Grit / Wedding Dress: Vintage via Etsy / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: ModCloth / Flower Girls’ Dresses: DIY

From the Bride… When my husband and I became engaged, we set out to plan our wedding day with one main goal: to create a friendly, warm setting for a fabulous dinner party. We settled on a venue in Central California (right in between our families in the north and us down south) that allowed us a great deal of freedom to create just this. We then found a caterer who offered a family-style service with the menu based on what was in season and available locally, and we were off!

In the beginning stages, we pulled inspiration heavily from Style Me Pretty and learned early on that Pinterest would be a lifesaver. We decided that it was okay that we couldn’t decide on set colors and instead tried to make each decision cohesive with the previous ones. We were fortunate enough to be surrounded by gifted friends and family, so we utilized their talents wherever possible. My matron of honor shot our engagement photos, my brother made the table numbers, my husband’s cousin drew the caricature for our guest book, a DJ/college friend handled music, another friend did hair, the best man’s mom officiated, my dad (a farmer) saved almonds from harvest for guests to snack on, and so forth. It was very important to us that we made decisions that felt natural and not forced so that the day was truly a reflection of us and the family and friends who surrounded us.

From working at Bella Bridesmaid, I picked up many tips from brides long before it was time to plan our own wedding, and a couple stuck with me. First, choose three options in each category, select, move on, and don’t look back (really!). We still had some late nights of indecision, but for the most part this reminder was a great part of our planning success and in turn, we couldn’t have been happier with the choices we made and the team of talented vendors who helped create our day. Another tip would be to keep a positive, can-do attitude as much as possible, as this will infiltrate through your wedding party and vendors to create a very rewarding experience on the big day. We had to keep this in mind down to the last minute, as potential rain was threatening our outdoor ceremony. It would have been easy to lose it, but we insisted on the “keep calm and carry on” motto, and when the skies stayed clear we hadn’t wasted any energy on worry. Instead, we were able to focus on what we had accomplished with the help of our friends, family and vendors — a colorful, food-filled bash that we’ll never forget.

Wedding Photography: Mi Belle Photography / Wedding Venue: Santa Margarita Ranch in Santa Margarita, California / Floral Design + Fabric Treatment: April Flowers / Wedding Day Coordination: Events Redefined / Officiant: Judge Deborah Ryan (A Friend of the Couple) / Wedding Cinematography: Ryan Southwell Films / Catering: Pacific Harvest Catering / Wedding Cakes: Madonna Inn / Wedding Stationery: Bella Figura via Urbanic Paper Boutique / Entertainment: DJ Bernie Baggarsly (A Friend of the Couple) / Rentals: Unlimited Events / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet for Priscilla of Boston (Now Closed) / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Jacket: Carol Hannah / Bride’s Veil: Tessa Kim / Bride’s Hair Flowers: Mignonne Handmade / Hair: Vanessa Gadow (A Friend of the Bride) / Makeup: The Queens’ Bees / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Carol Hannah + Joanna August via Bella Bridesmaid /  Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Groomsmen’s Suits: Men’s Wearhouse / Rings: 23rd Street Jewelers