Need a break from all the wedding planning and activities? 

Win a 4-day/3-night honeymoon to Jamaica from Couples Resorts and Brides.com.  Prize package includes 4-day/3-night accommodation for two, round-trip ground transfers, unlimited meals, snacks, gourmet dining, and alcoholic beverages, unlimited use of sporting equipment including instruction and more.  Click here to enter now.  Sweepstakes ends September 11, 2008.

Not so good. I just got the iPhone yesterday and shortly after, I realized I got a lemon. According to an iPhone representative at AT&T, my phone has a proximity issue. Everytime I am on a call, the screen goes blank (it’s supposed to). But when I take it away from my ear to press a number, the screen never comes back. The only way I could get the screen back is to press the sleep/wake button which of course cuts my call.

By the way, here’s a big NEGATIVE for AT&T:
When I went to iTunes, somebody else’s account was already set up. The phone I got wasn’t brand new! I am not paying full-price for a returned item. It’s not even refurbished coz it wasn’t working right.

Here are some Cons I noticed while playing with the iPhone for less than 24 hours (I will be posting a longer review with pros when I get a replacement):

3G
The 3G signal on my phone is crappy in my area. Believe it or not, the EDGE was better.

Battery
There’s no removable battery, so you cannot really replace it yourself. If you’re a heavy phone user, you’ll find the battery insufficient (even at full charge). A spare battery would have been nice, but that’s not possible.

SMS Texting
Texts are grouped in conversations (chat-like layout). I think this makes it easy to read texts, but the iPhone doesn’t have the option to delete a particular message. You can only delete the whole conversation.

Keyboard
The keyboard has no landscape option when texting.

Email
When editing my Yahoo! email (delete, move, etc), I have no way of knowing which emails are unread, or I’m just not seeing it.

Software
Like Windows, it hangs up too. It hanged up when I was trying to save a photo for a contact. It also hanged up when I was in YouTube.

Here are some basic features the iPhone doesn’t have, but I don’t really mind:

• There’s no mirror on the back so it’s hard to know whether you’re in the frame or not when taking a self-portrait.
• There’s no video recording.
• There’s no MMS messaging.

I first heard of Cascada’s Everytime We Touch at a wedding.  It was the original upbeat version and I thought it was fun and appropriate.  It’s definitely a good song for the dance floor.  Then I learned about the slow version which I fell more in-love with.

Click here for the upbeat version.

Snippet:
     Can’t you feel my heart beat fast,
     I want this to last.
     I need you by my side.

Click here for the full playlist at my Wedding Resources page.

Feel free to contact me or leave a comment with your suggestions.

Spending some time doing your own favors can save you money.  Below is a popular monogram candy jar favor.  The cheapest I found was $1.25 each jar (contents not included) with purchase of at least 96.

If you do it yourself, you only spend about $0.83 each jar or maybe less, plus cost of candy.  In addition, you get full control over the design of the label.  You can customize it anyway you want.

Materials:
Jar $2.99/4
2″ round labels $0.46/20 + $5.10 shipping  (you can try your local office or paper store to save on shipping)
Label template – for 2″ round labels from www.labelsbythesheet.com

Where you can buy bulk candy:
www.bulkfoods.com
www.ilovesweettreats.com
www.bulkcandystore.com
www.economycandy.com
www.candywarehouse.com
www.metrocandy.com

Click here for the complete list of Wedding Resources.

Under the terms of a class action settlement, eligible shoppers can receive free cosmetics valued from $18 to $25. Several department stores will be giving away $175 million worth of cosmetics to shoppers who purchased cosmetics (makeup, fragrance, moisturizers) at their stores from May 29, 1994 to July 16, 2003. Giveaways are on a first-come, first served basis and are subject to the cap of $175 million.  Shoppers won’t need receipts but they will be asked to sign a form stating that they purchased cosmetics within the specified dates.

Department stores that are giving away free cosmetics include Bloomingdale’s, Filene’s Basement, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The free cosmetics must be manufactured by the manufacturers named in the lawsuit including Chanel No. 5, CK One, CK Be, Clinique, M.A.C., and Prescriptives. For a complete list or more information, visit the class action website at www.cosmeticssettlement.com. You can add your email address on the website or call 1-877-604-5776 to receive email alerts on when the stores start giving out free cosmetics.

(Source: Boston.com)

Swimming is my favorite Olympic event to watch.  The strength, endurance, and discipline of every Olympic swimmer is just admirable.  And Michael Phelps had proven that a million times over.  Eight for eight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps made history by winning eight gold medals in a single event.

I watched every single event he swam with my heart pounding, probably more nervous than he was.  It was incredible just watching him.  I still watch the unbelievable Men’s 4x100m free relay and astounding Men’s 100m fly.  I was shaking in both events.

Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones, Lezak pulled off a shocking comeback in the 4x100m free relay

I am very proud of all the US swimmers, their commitment and great accomplishments.  Congratulations to my favorite swimmers along with Phelps: Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin, Jason Lezak and Aaron Peirsol.

Get an extra 30% off final sale at J.Crew by entering code EXTRA30 at checkout.  Available now through Monday, August 18.

J.Crew has entered the wedding industry by storm.  The bridal collection is not extensive, but the bridesmaid collection is very popular among brides and their bridesmaids.  J.Crew also has a beautiful collection of shoes usually available in different colors, enabling brides to match their shoes with their color motif.

Below are some dresses and shoes on sale:

  
  
  

I’ve never really talked about my mom and how lucky I am to have her.

Even though my mom has been very strict and moody, she has always been there for us, my brother and me.  She always puts us first with everything she does.  She stays by my side when I’m sick.  She stays up so late to be by my side when I’m having trouble breathing and couldn’t sleep.  She is very nurturing to a point that she treats us like babies.  She realized this when we were kids, and reluctantly decided to send us away to school… not only college, but high school too.  But she still found a way to be there for us no matter how far we were.  Being away has taught us to be strong and independent.  All my years of being away and dealing with different people without my parents’ presence, has made me more open-minded, patient, and receptive to people around me.

Thank you Mom.  I love you.

Wedding planning can be very complicated especially if you don’t have a wedding planner. Being organized can help make the process easier. Getting your own wedding organizer where you can put all documents, receipts, and such in one place is a start.

I. MATERIALS

Binder
I suggest getting a regular 3-ring binder so you can add most documents sized 8.5×11.  You can buy them at any office or paper store.  Below are some fun binders.

Click images to shop

Dividers
To separate different planning sections (i.e. Attire, Beauty, Reception).  Tabbed pocket dividers are best.

Click images to shop
 

Pockets / Pouches
You need these to put in documents of different sizes that are hard to hole punch.

3-Hole Puncher
Helps in filing documents you receive right when you receive them. I suggest buying a portable puncher that has holes on the side so it can be inserted in the binder.

Click images to shop
 

Calculator
Very important when dealing with budget and vendors, but you don’t have to have this with your organizer.  Most cellphones have calculators anyway.

II. TEMPLATES

Russell + Hazel Templates
RealSimple Checklists
Pash Weddings Planner
MS Wedding Workbook

Click here for my Wedding Resources page which also includes printable Vendor Guides: Questions to ask vendors.

I just saw a post from one of my new readers in a forum directing people to my posts with templates:

I soughted through most of the crap and found a page dedicated to wedding templates.

Apparently all the other posts in my blog that do not feature templates are crap.  This doesn’t really bother me, she liked my templates .  But I just want everyone to know that this is my personal blog, hence the title.  So I should warn you that most of my posts will be about me and my interests.

But since most of my readers are brides-to-be who like to DIY (do-it-yourself), I decided to add Popular Wedding Links on the side/sidebar for easy access/navigation.