Kerrie Hess Illustration

The fashion set look no further than Australian artist Kerrie Hess for their fine art needs. Brides, might I humbly suggest a print or two as a memorable gift to your bridesmaids?

Images via Kerrie Hess.

Sweet Monday

Thinking of carefree warm summer days at the fair with nothing on my mind except pink cotton candy.

Image via Tumblr.

Tea Time

Polish up the silver and ready the big day baubles - tea time just got a whole lot fancier!

Wouldn't you just love to put all your vintage treasures and antique finds to good use? Your most beloved necklaces, earrings, bracelets are sure to find a happy home in a truly unforgettable decadent display such as this!


Image via The Coveteur.

Wedding Wish Wednesday: Exclusive Q+A with Monique Lhuillier

Having a bit of a Monique Lhuillier love affair {wouldn't you be too?} and what better way to celebrate than an exclusive Q+A with the expert team at Monique Lhuillier!

Q: What are some general tips and advice you have for brides when they first try on wedding dresses?

A: The most important thing to remember is not to get overwhelmed! Try on 6-8 gowns to get an overall feel for the fit and design.

Also, Be true to yourself. If you have never been comfortable in a strapless dress your wedding day isn’t the day to wear one! If you know you have to wear a bra- don’t fall in love with a backless dress!

Don't forget to have an open mind. You may not be able to visualize how a 2 piece wedding gown fits on the body by looking at it on the hanger or just because you envisioned yourself in satin doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick a lace gown that you love!

And trust the experts! Consultants are experts on their product! They have seen brides of all shapes and sizes! Listen to their advice and know that they want you to look the best you possibly can on your wedding day.

Q: What do you see todays' bride trending towards?

A: The reception short cocktail dress has made a major comeback! Stars such as Carrie Underwood have set the tone by changing into a sexy short cocktail dress to dance the night away! At Monique Lhuillier you will see embellished corset bodices with textured short skirts!

Q: You've probably seen this before: a bride loves one gown, but her friends/family think she should wear something else. As the expert, what would you advise on this dilemma.

A: This happens all the time! As the bride is shopping for her wedding gown she is bogged down with opinions from all of her family and friends. What our bride needs to remember that only she will be wearing the dress she selects!! If you feel confident and beautiful in your dress that is the only thing that matters. Listen to yourself and you can’t go wrong!

I think to avoid any negative energy it is best to bring your friends or family after you have already found the dress of your dreams and purchased it! This way you can announce confidently here is my dress- not giving room for any opinions to sway your decision or make you second guess!


Q: Any bride would love to be surrounded by all the beautiful gowns at the salon on Melrose Place. How do you help her narrow down her choices of finding the dream dress?

A: The thought of choosing just ONE dress out of the sea of beautiful gowns we have at the salon is no easy task! It is so important to try on several different styles and shapes to narrow in on the silhouette that you want to wear. After the silhouette is selected then you can easily navigate through the details to decide what it is that you like best- embroideries, beading, lace or textured layering!

B* Mine: Dallas Shaw + Kate Spade

Won't you B* Mine, Valentine? Aren't you just in L.O.V.E. with Kate Spade's e-Valentines, a collection of whimsical, cute, and clever designs that is sure to put a smile on your sweetie or BFF's face.

My favorite? This oh-so-chic illustration from Dallas Shaw that is leaving me seriously smitten! Oh, and did I just find my perfect Valentine's Day outfit? Sweet red dress, check. High heels, check. Top knot, check.

Thank you, Kate! Thank you, Dallas! My answer is yes!

Image via Dilly Dallas.

Tuesday Shoesday: Those Little Blue Soles

... and what better to go with that little blue box than blue soled shoes?

Image via Tumblr.

Dedicated Post: Williams-Sonoma $150 Giveaway!

Step into a Williams-Sonoma and you are bound to get lost in a wonderful world of culinary bliss. If you're like me, you've undoubtedly spent many an afternoon perusing the amazing collection and lusting after the quintessential must haves like a KitchenAid mixer or All Clad pans.

Well readers - today is your lucky day! the cinderella project + Williams-Sonoma have teamed up to give one lucky reader a $150 gift card to help kick start your registry and future life as a domestic goddess!!

A few things more things I've got my eyes and tummy on . . .

Breville Smart Grill and Griddle & Breville Juice Extractor

Sprinkles Cupcake Mix, Silicups Anniversary Bundt Pan, Message-in-a-Cookie Cutter

Chef'n Citrus Juicer & Glass Prep Bowls

Here's all you need to know about snagging this prize:

Register with Williams-Sonoma to enter the giveaway. If you are already registered with W-S, add another item to your registry to enter and include this item in your comment below.

Leave a comment stating that you've registered and what's your favorite W-S registered item(s).

Double your chances of winning by including your public registry link in the comment.

The winner will be announced on September 7th.

{ Update } This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Ali! Please email the.cinderella.project.blog@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Project Registry? Check!

Images via Williams-Sonoma.

Thread Social Summer Sample Sale!

If you didn't get a chance to peruse all the pretties at the Thread Social sale one Gilt, you're in luck because next week is Thread Social's Summer Sample Sale!

What can you expect at a Thread Social sale? Rows of highly coveted dresses seen in the glossies like Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar, just to name a few. This staple of the fashion set is sure to fulfill all your wardrobe needs for every summer wedding, shindig, fête, first date, picnic in the park, rehearsal dinner, and everything in between. And did I mention you can probably coordinate an entire fashion forward bridal party look with said dresses?

So get to the sale and let your creativity blossom! For all you ladies unable to take that trip to Thread Social's New York City studios, the lovely ladies will be taking orders via email, web, and phone!

Methinks it's a yes to the dress! and that dress, and that dress, and that dress . . . ;).


Image via Thread Social.

Fashion Illustrations by Dallas Shaw

Garish bridesmaid dresses for your girls as "gifts?" Um, no thank you. For you lovely brides and readers, finding the perfect thank you gift for your girls can be as exhausting as finding the perfect dress.

Which is why I am absolutely delighted to share with you the work of my favorite fashion artist Dallas Shaw. This ultra talented artist is the go to illustrator for the fashion world's most style savvy insiders like DKNY's PR Girl, The Bag Snob Ladies, and Rent the Runway, just to name a few. Take a look at just a small sampling of her work - a breath of fresh air, I say!

Think about it ladies - your besties forever captured in a gift as unique as their own personal style. I definitely think they will absolutely love the gesture and thought!

Plus, the entire process is easy as a piece of red velvet cake! Here's the scoop on how you can get your custom illustration: each artwork is done on Bristol and in a mix of prismacolor, watercolor and pen & ink. When you first place your order, you'll be in contact with Dallas throughout the process. You will receive a rough sketch, and also a finished sketch before the drawing goes into color. Have a change of heart? Any changes made after the drawing is in color will be charged an additional hourly rate.

Also, any brides looking for a piece of artwork to commemorate her special day can commission a custom bridal illustration as well! Brides may send photos of dress, themselves shoes, etc. before or after the wedding.

Don't forget to follow Dallas on Twitter for the scoop on more of her amazing work like these darling gals, which pretty much won me over to get myself a Dallas Shaw original! For inquiries, please email Dallas at DallasShawDesign@gmail.com.

Images via Dallas Shaw.

The Big Picture

Is the stress of wedding planning driving you mad?

A dear friend of mine recently got engaged and asked for some advice on wedding planning. Working in the wedding industry, there was plenty of advice I thought to give her - invitations, locations, wedding gowns, cakes, decor, reception, shoes, hair, beauty - you get the idea.

I thought about it for a minute and in the sea of knowledge I had about all things wedding, the best advice I could think of was "You only get married once. Enjoy it. Have fun. And don't stress about the little things."

I know many brides want their significant other to be a part of the wedding. But if he doesn't have an input on what grosgrain ribbon you use to tie your favors, in no way does his indifference to said ribbon suggest any indifference towards you. Yes the devil's in the details, but don't lose sight of the big picture.

Given his way, he would take you down to City Hall and tie the knot right then and there. No, it wouldn't be the romantic ideal you had in mind, but happily married you two would be.

So brides, you only get married once. Enjoy it. Have fun. And don't stress about the little things.

Some advice for life & love.

Image via Fashion Gone Rogue.

The Girl with the Pearl Headband

We gals all share the same dream of feeling like a princess for a day on our wedding. Today's princess has retired her tiara and opted for some more fashionable headgear.

What will sit atop your regal tresses come wedding day? Perhaps lovely adornments such as headbands, pins, clips, brooches. Or for the more statement making bride, how about this magnificent draped pearl headpiece?

DIY brides - who will take challenge to make something equally as dream worthy!

Image by Rayan Ayash via Fashion Gone Rogue. Styling by Nadia Pizzimenti. Model – Irina Funtikova.

A Real Cinderella Story: Wish Upon a Wedding

I am so thrilled to announce the launch of the Southern California chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding this April 22!

Wish Upon a Wedding,a brand new nonprofit organization dedicated to granting weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States to couples facing life-threatening illnesses, will celebrate the launch of their Southern California Chapter on April 22, 2010 at [Seven-Degrees] Laguna Beach from 6:30-10:30pm. To RSVP, please email laevents@wishuponawedding.org.

Founded by wedding planner, Liz Guthrie of San Jose Wedding Consultants, with the belief that no couple should ever be denied the chance to marry the one they love,Wish Upon a Wedding is the only organization of its kind in existence today.

For more information visit the Southern California Chapter Fan Page, the official Wish Upon aWedding Website, or follow Wish Upon a Wedding on Twitter.

Let's Give Them Something to Gawk About

Get ready to feast eyes on this! From the minds behind the beloved foodie website food gawker, wedding gawker is a fabulous online scrapbook featuring dazzling inspiration from sites such as yours truly, Merci New York, Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Once Wed and more.

Take a peek - you are just one click away from hours of wedding enjoyment!

Image via wedding gawker.

If Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

The reality of wedding planning is that there will be issues you and your fiancee will disagree on. But if those moments get heated and apologies are in order, say it with a card!

Suddenly saying sorry doesn't seem so hard anymore! To get yours, click here.

Image via Swiss Miss.

The Tastemakers

Have you seen this amazing event from Tres LA's Tastemake's dinner?

This event brought together brilliant minds such as Kristin Banta (design and coordination), JL Designs (florals and decor elements), Fete Accompli (mirrored tables and white Louis chairs), Wildflower Linens (ultra luxe faux suede runners), Mimio Papers (silver boxed menus) and Victor Sizemore (photography).

How can you not be inspired by this tastefully done mod Baroque and fuschia and white color scheme event? For all the details and a few great ideas on how you can incorporate elements of this event into your wedding, click here!

Images by Victor Sizemore via JL Designs Blog.

Flowers Need Love Too

There is something so romantic about receiving a fresh arrangements of flowers from your loved one - especially on Valentine's Day! As Vera Wang notes "Flowers represent our inner emotions and transform the everyday into a special occasion. When receiving fresh flowers, it is important to know about basic maintenance and care in order to enjoy your gift to its fullest potential."

Indeed! Myself? I like an arrangement of roses much like the ones in the above image. To keep your flowers as long lasting as your love, keep these helpful tips in mind:

1. Remove the outside guard petals. These petals were left on to protect the bloom during shipment.
2. Cut 1 inch off the bottom of each stem with a sharp knife or floral scissors and remove any leaves that will come in contact with the water in the vase.
3. Fill the vase with tepid water and add 1 packet of flower food.
4. Be sure to keep your bouquet away from direct sunlight, drafty areas or high heat to insure a long life.
5. To keep your bouquet fresh, re-cut the stems every few days and replace the water with fresh water.

After all flowers like any relationship take a bit of love and nurturing to last. To read more on how to take care of your best buds, click here.

Image via Vera Wang.

Food for Thought

Having a few comfort foods at your reception and want to know how to dress them up? Check out this McFancy Feast from the creative minds at the Access Agency.

Makeover these delicious goodies the high fashion way by personalizing individual portions with an easily made monogrammed sticker or colored containers that fit into your overall design scheme.

By blending your favorite eats with a little ingenuity, you can have it your way!


Images via The Cool Hunter.

Weathering the Storm

It's been a little rainy and cloudy here in our City of Angels, so here's something to help you and yours weather any storm.

If you love the whimsy of the balloon for your engagement photos but want something a little different, then maybe an umbrella is just the prop for you.

So rainy clouds, do your worst because every storm has a rainbow at the end!

Image by Michael Thompson for Allure via Fashion Gone Rogue.

Beauty Sleep

Reader, it's been a few days since the whirl of the holidays and if you are still feeling a little weary from all the excitement, you are not alone.

For those of you that are recently engaged, I have one piece of advice for you: during this time, simply enjoy being engaged. You and your fiance have taken a big step forward, symbolically committing yourselves to a life together.

As you start planning your wedding, remember to take care of one another. The process of planning a wedding should be a joyous one and not cause undue stress in your relationship.

So take a few moments to relax, because with a sound mind, there's nothing you can't do!


Image via Morning Beauty by Steve Miett via Fashion Gone Rogue.

Everything Old is New Again

Congratulations to all you beautiful brides to be who are starting the New Year with the most wonderful present of all! As you embark on this stage in your life, it may seem the same things you experienced just a few months ago suddenly seem new again. The sky looks a little bluer, the flowers smell a little sweeter, I become a little cheesier.

As such, vintage inspired weddings continues to be a trend in 2010. But don't worry - these re-imagined touches hit all the right style notes.

From Style Unveiled, romantic lace gives new meaning to something old.

Image via Style Unveiled.