Life has a way of changing our plans sometimes.  I should be in full swing with a week’s worth of The Stylish Planner birthday contest giveaways.  Instead, I’m nursing either the flu or some sort of virus that has me struggling to hold my head up.  I’m trying hard to pace myself for a couple of reasons.  First, my husband and I host Thanksgiving dinner for his family.  Tomorrow will begin a marathon of grocery shopping, baking and house cleaning in preparation for Thursday.  Secondly, I have a wedding on Saturday that I am also doing flowers for.  Those of you that provide floral services know how labor intensive the work is, and that hours are spent prepping the flowers in addition to the arranging and design.  I’m concerned that I won’t be strong enough to do both our family dinner and the wedding as well as usual, and with real joy in my heart.  I don’t ask for prayer often, but I would really appreciate your thoughts and prayers right now.

All that aside, I am so very thankful for you – each and every one.  Thank you for your support of The Stylish Planner and for reading faithfully and sharing the resource with others.  We will return to our normal posting schedule on Monday, November 29.  I look forward getting back on track with the awesome birthday giveaways that I hand selected for Stylish Planner readers.

I am so pleased to welcome a new monthly feature to The Stylish Planner for the Wellness Wednesday format.  Metabolic Meals is a  Diet Delivery Company located in St. Louis, Missouri.  By addressing health first, Metabolic Meals makes it easier for clients to lose fat and perform better.  In an industry dominated by companies that use sub par ingredients and focus solely on portion control, Metabolic Meals is certainly different!  They maintain relationships with several local farmers who share their passion for sustainable agriculture. This gives their chef’s access to the freshest, healthiest foods available.  Then, they take it a step further and include “super foods” in every meal that is created.  The end result is a meal plan that burns fat, boosts the immune system and tastes delicious!  Metabolic Meals also has a team of experts available to answer any questions you may have regarding health and wellness.  Offering a superior quality and broad range of products, Metabolic Meals is far from the Average Diet Delivery Company!

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CLA: A New Healthy Fat

You have probably heard the term CLA in the news recently, but you may not know exactly what it is. CLA or Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a newly discovered healthy fat that may also be a potent cancer fighter!  In recent studies, very small amounts of CLA have been shown to block all three stages of cancer: 1) Initiation, 2) Promotion & 3) Metastasis. Most anti-cancer agents block only one of these stages. What’s more, CLA has slowed the growth of an unusually wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin, breast, prostate, and colon.
Aside from its link to cancer fighting, CLA also plays a pivotal role in many body functions. Here are just a few ways the body uses CLA:

· Increases metabolic rate

· Decreases abdominal fat

· Enhances muscle growth

· Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides

· Lowers insulin resistance

· Reduces food-induced allergic reactions

· Enhances immune system

You may be asking yourself, “Where can I find CLA? Does it come in a bottle?” The most abundant sources of natural CLA are grass-fed meats such as grass-fed beef, bison & lamb and dairy products like organic milk, yogurts & cheeses. Research conducted since 1999 shows that grazing animals have from 3-5 times more CLA than animals fattened on grain in a feedlot. Simply switching from grain-fed to grass-fed products can greatly increase your intake of CLA.

For more information about the importance of CLA and all things health, nutrition or fitness, visit Metabolic Meals on facebook or the Metabolic Meals Blog.

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the first annual Social Media Atlanta conference.  Social Media Atlanta was a week long series, of events, celebrating the technology and social media marketing achievements of Atlanta.  Atlanta City Hall officially declared last week to be Social Media week – and no wonder, considering the conference consisted of over 50 events all over the city. 

The event I spoke at on Wednesday was called Confessions of a Social Media Event Organizer.  My segment was called “Becoming Big Brother – Monitoring your reputation on Social Media.”  I really enjoyed meeting and interacting with the great group of people that participated.

Without the commentary, I’m not sure the content will hold the same meaning, but here’s a link to my slideshow presentation.  I think this is a topic that we will begin to see and hear more about as Social Media continues to grow.  I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks to Denise Quashie of Canvas for coordinating the event and for asking me to speak.  I am really honored to have been a part of this first annual event and can’t wait to see what the next event will include!

I thought I would share with you my new favorite app for iPhone today.  I’m a long time fan of Allure’s Best of Beauty lists.  Busy ladies love this magazine’s annual editorial listing of the best beauty products on the market.  I’ve only had the app for a week and my shopping cart is full. *sigh!*

Download it here free:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/allure-best-beauty-ishopper/id391835406?mt=8

Hey ya’ll! I can’t believe it has been almost one year since I started The Stylish Planner. November 18th marks the blog launch and the very first post.  I can vividly remember telling my husband that if I had 80 dedicated readers per month, I would consider the blog an incredible success.  Almost one year later, over 2000 unique visitors come to the site every month and there are over 14,000 page views per month. I still can’t believe how many of you enjoy the blog, but I am so grateful that you do!

This feels bittersweet – I’m so proud of what the blog has become, yet I know it can be so much more. From the beginning, I wanted this to be a resource for planners, but I’ve received amazing feedback from others in the wedding and event industry as well.  I always wanted the content to be reader driven, not determined by me, so I hope you’ll help by taking part in a brief, 10 question survey: Click here to take survey to help determine the future content of the blog.

Just so you will know what is going through my head, I started The Stylish Planner at a time when my wedding business was very slow. That is no longer true, and in fact, I have missed several posts here and there due to working on what pays the bills. So, I’m wondering if daily posts are even necessary? By taking the survey, you can help me zero in on what content is most important to you.

Instead of two Style Profiles – one for planners, and one for all other vendors, I will be combining the two and streamlining the photo requests to make it easier for you submit your profiles.  Remember, this weekly feature is FREE and open to everyone!  More details coming soon!

I also intended to offer advertising on the blog, but admittedly, that is something that I just never got off the ground. My new goal is to launch a very exclusive advertising platform in early 2011. Affordable but exclusive advertising from retailers and service providers that will provide a very real benefit to the readers. I’m getting excited about what this will bring to the blog.

I’d like to have more giveaways, and that will directly tie into the advertising campaign. Speaking of giveaways, it’s the blog’s birthday, but you will receive the gifts! Beginning on the birthday of the blog, November 18, The Stylish Planner readers will enjoy 5 days of giveaways! I will be giving away some great products as follows:

• 4 Giveaways of the Seth Godin book – Linchpin and the accompanying pamphlet, Ship It
• A $25 gift card to Charming Charlie’s – one of the hottest new retailers of the year
• A beauty package giveaway of some of my favorite beauty finds – this package keeps growing every time I shop!
• Sex & The City 2 on DVD and the SATC Behind the Scenes Fashion Book – celebrating our favorite fashion icons
• Last but not least, an item from the new Tiffany & Co. leather goods line

To win, all you need to do is comment on the blog below or send an email with your feedback for the blog to info@thestylishplanner.com.  Comments can be kudos to the blog, or suggestions on what you would like to see included in the content such as topic ideas.  All comments received via the blog or email between now and noon EST on Wednesday, November 17 will be eligible for one of the giveaways listed above.  Giveaways will be announced on the blog and on Twitter daily starting on our birthday, Thursday, November 18.  Please note:  Comments on Twitter will not count as a contest entry!

Your feedback to the survey (above) and in the comments here or via email will be used to improve the blog and make the content more relevant to the readers.

You can also ask me questions anonymously on Formspring: http://formspring.me/StylishPlanner.  These comments are not eligible for the giveaways (because they are anonymous) but will be taken into consideration for future planning for the blog.

Thank you so much for your support of the blog – I’m excited to implement some changes to make this an even better resource for our readers.

Warmly,

Jeannine Kennedy

Editor,

info@thestylishplanner.com

Twitter: @StylishPlanner

Name: Dr. Katasha S. Butler

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Company Name: K Sherrie+Company Plsnning Atelier

Number of years in business: 3

Website: www.ksherrieco.com; www.eventologyconference.com

Blog: www.theweddingworkroom.com

How would you describe your personal style?

I am very classic with a few of the trends sprinkled in for good measure. I really dig the “preppy” look—think pink and green, thick, cable-knit sweaters, Breton-striped shirts, Polos and topsiders. I always like to look well put together. I try to dress in what’s best for my body type (small waist, wide hips). There’s no use in trying to keep up with the latest trends if you end up looking like a fool in it. I keep a mean shoe on deck as well as a fly handbag.

What is your “go-to” meeting attire?

Definitely a dress—it’s one piece and you look very well put together. A dress that is in my closet always flatters my figure and accentuates my curves. Add a good shoe and great accessories: either a belt or collection of brooches or bracelets (or some combination of the above) and voila! You are all set! Etsy is one of my BFFs n fashion. I can get the most interesting pieces to add to my wardrobe and I don’t worry about “seeing” myself.

What is your “go-to” evening industry event attire? (i.e., associational meeting, vendor or venue open house, etc.)

Ha! It’s usually whatever I wore to work that day! I tend to dress up for work, so it always works. I add un accessories like the turquoise raw silk collar or agate slice ring that I purchased from Etsy.

What is your attire for wedding/event day set-up?

Always black. Usually a sweater set and pencil skirt of some type. And my K Sherrie name tag.

What is your attire for actual wedding/event?

Same—I don’t change clothes. I MIGHT change my shoes. . .

What style and brand of shoes do you wear on wedding/event days?

It depends on the day and time of the wedding, what type of wedding it is and how extensive the set up was. I wear Tory Burch flats to some; Cole Haan/Nike flats to others. I just scored some Sam Edelman leopard print flats to wear with my all black everything! I pick my outfit based on the type of wedding and my choice of shoes reflect the outfit. I have a pair of croc-embossed Mary Jane heels that I bought from Precis back in 1995. I still put those shoes into rotation. They are 3 inch heels but I can work and run in them like nobody’s business! (Who remembers Precis?!?)

What are your favorite jeans and why?

I own more pairs of Calvin Klein jeans, so I guess they are my faves. They are flatteringly for the curvy girl and I will always be a curvy girl. I don’t get to wear jeans a lot in my daily life. I love a wide leg, trouser-style pair of jeans. They look good dressed up or down. I want the low-rise trend to die! They are not made for ethnic bodies! Ladies—quit buying them if this applies to you!!!! The smashed-square-booty-with-a-muffin-top is not a good look! I’m loving the skinnies for women (not men!) but you must wear the right top for it to look flattering.

What are a few of your favorite cosmetic products?

My dailies: L’Oreal Voluminous mascara in Rich Black, Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeliner pot, Mark by Avon Blush/Bronzer in Good Glowing and Clinique lipgloss in Kissyfit. I have a whole gaggle of other products, but there are my workhorses.

What products are in your current skincare regimen?

Well—I compound my own facial moisturizer and I have been doing so for years. It just became a thought of mine on how I may be able to offer it to the masses since I get so many compliments on my skin. I wash daily with an AHA facial cleanser and I follow with my moisturizer. I haven’t graduated to eye creams and night creams and all that jazz. I hope that I don’t have to for a few more years. Using this regimen has kept me from having to wear foundation and loads of heavy makeup.

Who is your favorite celebrity style icon and why?

The FLOTUS!! I absolutely love Michelle Obama’s style!! She dresses so well for her body type. She’s fun and trendy without looking ridiculous and she’s always so well put together. I love, love, love her!

Please share with us (in 50 words or less) your favorite beauty or style tip:

Never leave your house without eye make-up: eyeliner and mascara. . .at the bare minimum: mascara. Add a swipe of color to your lips and it’s an instant face lift. We should put forth just a little effort everyday.

Linnyette Richardson Hall is the Owner and Creative Director of Premiere Event Management, a Baltimore-based firm that specializes in creating unique, elegant, fun and personality-oriented events.  She is the Special Contributing Editor of the two book series Going to the Chapel (Penguin Putnam 1998) which was created for couples who are in the wonderful process of planning their nuptials. Formerly, Linnyette was Contributing Editor for Signature Bride Magazine and Columnist for WeddingChannel.com. American television audiences are able to see her work her "wedding magic" as one of the featured consultants on the hit reality television series, “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" which airs weekly on The Style Network. Linnyette has been in the wedding industry since 1993 and has planned hundreds of weddings for brides & grooms locally and on a nationwide basis. Linnyette’s expertise has been featured in many local and national publications such as Glamour, Essence & Black Enterprise magazines, The Washington Post as well as appearing on CNN, FOX News, CBS and a host of other media outlets.

The Stylish Planner is so pleased to have Linnyette as a contributing guest blogger!  I feel her “tell it like it is” personality combined with her years of wedding and event planning experience make her feature a “must read”.  The feature is aptly titled “DIVA Day”, and will be posted on the first Wednesday of every month!

Holidays And The A.R.T. Of Getting Hitched

The holidays are staring us straight in the face (it’s downhill after Halloween!) and for many of us in the industry, we’ll have clients who’ve decided that saying "I DO" during this time of year is just the ticket for them!!

As a planner, I sit on the fence with this simply for one reason:  We have lives too.  That’s it -  pure and simple.  I recently did an interview where I cautioned the soon-to-be weds to think carefully BEFORE deciding to host their nuptials on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years.  For as much as their wedding is important to them, it may not hold the same amount of fervor for their guests.  The holidays are a stressful time of the year, even for the most savviest of hosts.  When you add the maelstrom of things that go into the production of a wedding celebration, you are indeed, creating a brew of epic proportions!

How can you (the planner) stay sane during this time period? You can:

1) Decide early on if you’ll be willing to work during that time period.  If you host large family gatherings each year, you already know where I’m going with this one.

2) Will you be able to have adequate staffing for events held during the holidays?  Remember, you can’t work a wedding or party alone and in many cases, your assistants have families & prior holiday commitments also!!

3) It’s ok to have limitations.  For instance, you may say yes to an event during Thanksgiving, but no to anything that falls over Christmas.

4) Charge accordingly.  Now is NOT the time to discount your fees.  In the corporate world, working on holidays is considered overtime and in some case, double time and a half.   Make sure your pricing reflects this.

5) If you decide to work, make sure you plan ahead for how this will affect your personal life.  Put the lists and wheels into motion so that you’re not burning the candle on both ends.  .

The holidays can be a great time of rejuvenation AND a chance to earn a few extra dollars for the winter.  Be smart and concise when you choose – money is great, but regret as to how you didn’t enjoy the "reason for the season" can be worse.

Amy Lynn Larwig is a professional Make Up Artist out of Nashville, Tennessee.  She is a very savvy and approachable professional and I am so pleased she will be contributing bi-monthly posts on all things beauty.  Enjoy her contributions to the blog, check out her crazy good website at www.amylynnlarwig.com  and follow her on Twitter:  @amylynnlarwig.

Photo by: Kristyn Hogan 

Fall 2010 is bringing with it a metallic eye trend. Think copper, gold, and bronze all over the lid. The shinier, the better! Make sure you apply primer first to hold your eye color all day. Place a bit of shadow in the inner corner to really bring light to that area. Try MAC Eye Shadow in Amber Lights, Bobbi Brown Metallic Shadow in Black Cocoa, or Makeup Forever Star Powder #957.

Bronze

Copper

Gold