Love and Literature

A wedding should reflect the tastes and passion of the bride and groom. For some, that means reflecting their love for literature in a subtle but clever way, without necessarily making it a themed wedding (think: Great Gatsby, Alice In Wonderland, Gone With the Wind, etc.) As big readers ourselves, we've thought long and hard about different ways to incorporate works of literature at your wedding. Here are some suggestions:

Before Kindle came around, borrowing library books was a pretty common activity. Bring back the borrowed book love with library card style invitations. We love how you can create a "title" for your wedding and make it look authentic with yellowed paper and crooked typeface. 

If you're having a small wedding, create your old "vintage book" as a wedding program! This will create a unique keepsake and add a lot of charm to your wedding, but it will definitely be a significant project!

The most common way to incorporate literature in your wedding is through your wedding vows / reading. Choose a passage that particularly inspires you or makes you and your loved one laugh. You can go for something sweet and simple, such as e.e. cumming's i carry your heart, romantic and traditional such as Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, or light and quirky such as Ron Weasley's ball of light speech from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Keeping with the library theme, have guests find their seats by sifting through a card catalogue! This a fun throwback to grade school, when we spent hours learning the Dewey Decimal System. It's fun, quirky, and cost efficient, but your younger guests might not quite get it.

We really love the idea of naming your tables after famous writers or novels. Have fun with it by placing your work friends at Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, your girlfriends at Jane Austen's Emma, and your creepy uncle at Vladmir Nabokov's Lolita.

Or, if you want to stick with numbers, do it in a way that is true to your theme. We like these because they serve double duty! Vintage books function as both a centerpiece and way to display the table numbers in a way that is charming and unique.

You can also carve out old books to create unique centerpieces or decor at your wedding. While we're a little reluctant to demolish old books this way, perhaps you could find books that are otherwise damaged and use them.  Either way, it creates a very rustic and creative centerpiece.

Instead of using satin ribbon to add some flair to your wedding cakes, wrap it in some (sanitized) newspaper or vintage print. We also like how the cake toppers are similarly wrapped in print to create a coherent look. Just be sure to use romantic text... no old pages of Play Boy for you!



And they lived happily ever after!



XOXO,



Jen & Saira

S. S. Thalia Fantasy Cruise

Throughout my life, I have been blessed with some of the most amazing friends. One in particular is a gentleman by the name of Ray Kennedy! Ray has the biggest heart, he is incredibly talented, and has been a loyal and dear friend in many ways over the years. Ray and I met through a mutual friend and I immediately loved his personality and spunk! He is witty, caring, and simply brilliant…especially when is comes to the performing arts! A native of NC, Ray was offered an opportunity to move to NYC and work for the U.S.O. in 2010. His love for the Tarheel state will never fade, nor will his love and dedication for the performing arts center in beautiful Wilmington, NC. I was incredibly honored when Ray invited me to be a part of the S.S. Thalia Fantasy Cruise, a benefit for Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.

My amazing and talented friend, Ray Kennedy

Ray and his team of experts had transformed Thalian Hall into a luxury cruise ship for an evening of world-class fun & entertainment to benefit the ongoing operation of the Performing Arts in Wilmington, where Thalian Hall is an historic gem!

I was treated like royalty the entire weekend. As Mrs. International, I greeted supporters of the performing arts center as they purchased their ticket to board the SS Thalia Fantasy Cruise. I also helped with the live auction and played the role of “celebrity bingo caller”. My bingo jokes definitely kept the game exciting. The crowd enjoyed a laughing Bingo playing time. I assume they enjoyed the Bingo jokes? Maybe they were laughing at my attempt? Either way, it was a fun time for all! For those of you who know me best, you know that I love to have a good time and laugh a lot, it’s just my personality…so if they were laughing at my attempt, that’s OK. I’m a good sport! The event raised a lot of money to keep the performing arts alive and that was the purpose for my visit! Mission Accomplished!

I enjoyed meeting Mary Katherine (far left) and seeing my long-time friend, Michelle Braxton. If only I could sing like Michelle. She is a natural performer; she always captivates audiences with her voice and charisma and is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met! The weekend was super special catching up with Michelle.

Each event that I attend, I always enjoy the great food and the glamour, but when it’s all said and done, the most memorable and special is meeting new people! You never know who’s in the same building unless you’re willing to mingle and introduce yourself! I was shocked to see the star of Mel’s diner!!! “Alice” is a regular supporter of Thalian Hall. If Flow would have been in attendance, I would have thrown a “kiss my grits” in the Bingo game for sure!

The evening featured a Captain's reception, the most fabulous gourmet buffet, and other 'ship-board' activities including casino style gaming in the ballroom, bingo, raffles and a live auction featuring David Yurman Jewelry, luxury vacations, and original art pieces created especially for the event by child prodigy & acclaimed artist Georgie Pocheptsov.

A world-renowned artist, Pocheptsov, created two pieces specifically for the night to give away for auction. His work is quite unique! He was compared to Picasso when he was a child and started painting before the age of two! His artwork has sold for more than $100,000 to people like Celine Dion, Colin Powell and Michael Jordan. Well, obviously, I didn’t come home with any of his artwork, however, the memories I have are PRICELESS!

The entire evening was spectacular to say the least! The evening concluded with a tribute to the honorary Executive Director of the USS North Carolina, followed by my favorite part of the entire event, the ever so fabulous International USO entertainers, the Liberty Bells as they presented their 'Andrews Sisters' style musical review directed by Ray Kennedy.

USO Liberty Bells…AMAZING PERFORMERS!

A special thank you to the Clinton family for opening your beautiful mansion on the waterfront!  What an amazing place, I could definitely tolerate living in a mansion…I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, being Mrs. International is the best job of service!

Ray, thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a part of this first class event! Your talent continues to amaze me and your friendship means the world to me.

Until next post, remain blessed,

Shannon

Miss Magic's Surgery

Miss Magic adds another chapter to the Greatest Love Story of all time!

Thank you Mrs. Mandy! You took amazing care of Halle-Grace on surgery day. Mandy made sure HG had a special surgical hat (pink polka dots & lady bugs.

Miss Magic is always in style, even in the hospital!

Many of you know that Halle-Grace had surgery recently. I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank the many individuals who sent cards, messages, etc. Miss Magic is loved by so many! I am ecstatic to report that she is doing fantastic, has recovered like a champ, and her biopsy results came back crystal clear!!! Thank the good Lord! My dear friend, Jamye Shaw told me, (in the days I worried myself sick just waiting and waiting for the results) “Shannon, Halle-Grace is so beautiful and such a special blessing, God had no other choice, he had to put some beauty marks inside her skin as well.” She was right! The surgery was completely successful and she never lost an ounce of her magical personality!

Halle-Grace continues to amaze me each and every day as I watch her grow. Before her surgery, just like any parent would be, I was incredibly anxious. That morning, I found myself replaying our journey to one another. I was immediately reminded of a very important fact! This amazing little girl, my daughter, spent the first 9 months of her life in an orphanage filled with love by the nannies that cared for and loved the children; however, the conditions of an orphanage in a 3rd world country are heartbreaking. I never imagined the conditions until I found myself inside her orphanage on September 1, 2008.

As Mandy carried Halle-Grace into the operating room, I suddenly had a sense of peace! I knew without a doubt that God had watched over her the first 9 months of her precious life…through sickness, hospitalization, and even controlling her fever when Tylenol was not available! Halle-Grace is a fighter! Anyone who meets her immediately sees her amazing spirit, her zest for life, her determination, and her magical personality.

Through her procedure, she was so brave! She never cried, she never complained (just a little curious). And yes, she sprinkled her magic dust throughout the hospital! She had the physicians, nurses, and staff wrapped immediately!

I was truly overwhelmed and touched by the love and concern from so many of you! Thank you for your prayers and Miss Magic is ready to see you all at Mrs. International Pageant in July!

Until next post, remain blessed,

Shannon

Popular Tattoo Designs - Top 5 Most Popular Tattoos

Tattoos are the ultimate in self expression. They make a statement about who you are and what you are about. Different tattoo designs have different meanings. Adaptations of various designs can add your own stamp to the body art so you can make your own statement. If you are trying to decide what sort of tat design you want, here are the most popular ones last year with an overview of what they mean.

1. Tribal Tattoos

Symbolizes belonging. The Tribal designs were by far the most popular, coming in with approximately one third of requests. In the past, tribal body art identified different tribes and were very important to the identity of the tribe and the individual. Today, tribal body art is an appealing fashion statement, that allow people to show off their individuality combined with a bit of mystery. These tats use aggressive dark lines in jagged symmetrical shapes and are most common in black and skin tones but can also be infused with color to brighten the overall look.

2. Stars

A symbol of protection and guidance. They are popular because they can go anywhere on the body and can be any size you want. They are also popular because they are timeless. Compass and nautical stars were very popular amongst sailors as they relied on stars to guide them on their journeys, so they used the tattoos as luck. These days, the meaning of stars depends on the number of points it has. The most popular places for the star designs are around the shoulder, ankles and navel.

3. Angels

Symbol of devotion, spirituality and faith. Angels are popular because they are very symbolic, representing many values such as peace, spirituality, and protection. Some of the more popular tattoo designs relate to Religion and Spirituality (due to angels being seen as the link between heaven and earth), Love, and the Struggle between good and evil.

4. Crosses

Strong religious symbolism. Popular as a symbol of faith, belief and hope. Crosses are popular because they can be effectively combined with other designs. The cross tattoo is very versatile because they look good most places on the body and small or big.

5. Wings

Symbol of spirituality and freedom. Wings are associated with angels, representing protection and guidance from above. Wings are also associated with butterflies, birds, dragons, fairies and a host of other animals. Wings represent freedom for many people and rising above problems. Some wing designs spread right across the back, which look very impressive. A popular place for women to get a wing tattoo design is on the lower back.

Where to get good designs

So, these were the most popular tattoo designs last year. The next step is to look at some pictures or flash to get ideas to work from. The easiest, cheapest source to start is the internet. Get ideas here, but remember that most of these are low quality and lots of people also have access to these pictures, so they are not very unique. You don't want to see someone else with the same tat design as yours!

A cost effective option is to download a package of thousands of popular designs off the internet which are good quality and relatively unique. Then add your own touches to your favorite one for the artist to incorporate. That way you get top quality body art that is totally original for a fraction of the price it would cost for a tattoo design to be drawn up from scratch.