Frugal Friday

1) The Ann Taylor Spring Style Event

Save 25% on 2 full priced-items or 40$ on 3 or more full-priced items

This is my first purchase from Ann Taylor! I know, weird. We don't have Ann Taylor here in Canada so I don't have many opportunities to peruse her stuff. Luckily for me, I have a computer and the BF's mailing address! Check out my purchases, all 40% off!

Chiffon Trim Tank - $38

cami -$36; panty -$18

2) Don't forget the 30% off J.Crew dresses sale ends today!

3) Did you use your Give & Get 30% off coupon at Banana Republic, Gap or Old Navy yet?

Click here for the US version.
Click here for the Canadian version.

4) Endless.com 30% off flats + free shipping - Today only!!





5) Contests!!

Make sure you enter the following giveaways hosted by my fellow bloggers:

The Alternative Wife's Mario Badescu Skin care Giveaway

The Bowie Bride's Camera Renter Giveaway

Chic 'n Cheap Living Bumble and Bumble Fancy Hair Products Giveaway



Have a fabulous weekend!

A Hot Pink Petticoat Giveaway - Winner

And the Winner is.....Colleen from Forty Something Bride!

Thank you to everyone who entered and spread the word. A big thank you to Alison for sponsoring this awesome giveaway! To find out more about A Hot Pink Petticoat's event planning services, click here. For those of you not familiar with A Hot Pink Petticoat, be sure to check out its blogger bride-in-residence, Bi-Coastal Bride, who's planning a wedding in Toronto from LA with the help of A Hot Pink Petticoat.

Psst....

did you enter A Hot Pink Petticoat Giveaway yet??!!

Hope you are all having a great Sunday.

A Hot Pink Petticoat Giveaway - Extended!

Good news everyone! Alison and I have decided to extend the giveaway for another week! Also, we're opening up the giveaway to those outside of the Greater Toronto Area as Alison will provide the consultation via phone or Skype if need be! So to all my friends to the south of the border, enter now!

*Updated rules below.

What better way to get through the winter blahs than have a 2 hour consultation with Alison Kelly, Founder/Party Director of Toronto-based A Hot Pink Petticoat. This contest is open to anyone in the Greater Toronto Area who is in the midst of planning a killer party who would love someone to bounce their ideas off of. No strings attached!

So for those of you planning an event (does not have to be a wedding) in the GTA, or know of a friend who is, do not miss out on entering into this giveaway!

Here are the deets:

1) Leave a comment here telling me why you should win the free consultation session.

2) For an additional entry, follow A Hot Pink Petticoat on Twitter (http://twitter.com/HotPinkPetti) or leave a comment on Alison's blog at ahotpinkpetticoat.blogspot.com. Be sure to leave me a comment here that you've done so.

3) Maximum 2 entries per person. Contest ends Monday, March 8th at 11:59PM EST.

4) I'll announce the Winner on the following Wednesday.

5) Open to those who reside/planning an event (e.g. wedding, anniversary party, elopement). If the winner is within the GTA, the consultation will be in person. If the winner is outside the GTA, the consultation will be via phone or Skype.

To learn more about A Hot Pink Petticoat, who recently won a 2010 Bride's Choice Award, check out my interview last year with Alison.

Good Luck!!

And the Winners Are........

CONGRATULATIONS to......

EbonStarr
"My favourite project so far was the veil,
which I made with pink satin edging to match the dress.

Kim
"We are getting married in June 2010 and the whole wedding is pretty much DIY. Our invitations were all handmade by myself and mother in law to be. Our center pieces are all handmade, right down to the embossed labels wrapped around the candles for the center pieces. We are even having the bridesmaids dresses handmade by my mother in law to be...she's pretty amazing. I tell people that the day I got engaged I gained a fiance, a beautiful ring and a wedding planner LOL"

BEL (And Stanley Makes Three)
"We're going to do a lot of DIY - I hope! Invites, programs, menus, wine labels, purses for my girls, gifts for our parents, etc.!"

If the winners could email me, theprofessionalbridesmaid@gmail.com, then I can put you in touch with JessReads who will mail your prizes. A huge thank you to Jess for sponsoring this contest! Be sure to follow Jess on Twitter.


If you're interested in purchasing The DIY Bride: The Crafty Countdown for yourself or for a friend, you can purchase it from my favourite bookstores/sites:

For those are you heading to Chapters.Indigo, click here for a 25% off coupon!

And the Winner is...........

CHOCOLATE LOVER!!!!

who said "Ashley" is her favourite style.


(the proof the draw was random)

Congratulations Chocolate Lover! I've passed along your email to Barbara and she will be contacting you shortly.

Thank you to everyone who entered contest, blogged/tweeted/facebooked about it. Both Barbara and I were overwhelmed by the number of entries (73 in total). You guys rock! A big thank you to Barbara for sponsoring the contest.

For those of you who didn't win, remember you can purchase a personalized calligraphy rubber stamp from Barbara.

Rubber Stamps (like the one pictured above) are $39.00
Self-Inking Stamps are $49.00

I myself bought the rubber stamp one as I wanted to play with different coloured ink pads but for those of you who will be using your stamp a lot (like to stamp 200 response envelopes), you might want to consider the self-inking stamp. And don't forget, Barbara is currently offering 10% discount for those who place their stamp order by or on November 30 . Just mention my blog or the Stamp Yourself Happy Giveaway when you place your order. A stamp would make a perfect gift for any occasion!

Barbara 's 10% discount offer also applies to her services. Please visit Barbara Kua Calligraphy to learn more about Barbara's calligraphy services.

2010 Wedding Gown Trends

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend. I know I'm a tad late on posting this but here are my favourites from NYC Bridal Market. I've grouped them by 'trends.' Let me know what you think!

All photos are from Brides.com.

Colour Infusion

Black seems to be the "colour du jour." Even black ribbon sashes adorned Vera Wang's dresses (see below). I am loving the red dress below. Bold, bright and elegant - perfect for a bride paying respects to her Asian heritage.

Both gowns Romona Keveza

(l) Romona Keveza (r) Christos

Showing Off the Shoulders

Off the shoulder, one shoulder, 2010 seems to be about showing them off!

(l) Carolina Herrera (r) Maggie Sottero


(l) Oscar de la Renta (r) Christos

Fabric Mix-it-Up

I'm loving this 'woven in ribbon' (sorry, I have no idea what the proper term is!) look in both the Carlina Herrara and Anne Barge dresses below.

(l) Carolina Herrera (r) Anne Barge

Feathers and lace are still popular.

(l) Wtoo (r) Jim Hjelm

Flowing Chiffon

(l) Reva Mivasgar (r) Jenny Packham

Flattering Necklines


(l) Legends by Romona Keveza (r) Amsale

Layers, Pleats and Tulle - Oh my!


(l) Oscar de la Renta (r) Vera Wang


Reem Acra

Short is Still Sweet

Reverie by Melissa Sweet

Shrug it off

Rivini

What were you favourite trends from NYC Bridal Market?

Tune in tomorrow when I announce the winner of the Stamp Yourself Happy Giveaway!!!

I love Sunday Mornings.

I made poached eggs for the first time this morning....not bad! Next time, I'll try making the Hollandaise sauce! Hope you're all having a lovely weekend. Don't forget, the Stamp Yourself Happy Giveaway ENDS TONIGHT at 11:59EST!!!

Psssst....

Did you enter the Stamp Yourself Happy Giveaway yet?

via Barbara Kua Calligraphy

A Hot Pink Petticoat Giveaway!

My favourite Toronto-based event planner, A Hot Pink Petticoat, is giving away a Princess Lasertron headband. Isn't it pretty? What are you waiting for? Go on and enter!!