Today I’m really excited to share with you a product that I have often wished existed: Hem Gems .

www.hemgems.com

Hem Gems will help you get over the “blues”.  You know, the denim dilemma of needing multiple pairs of jeans in varying lengths.  Longer jeans to wear with heels, shorter lengths to wear with flats. These savvy studs (like tie tacks) are available in four styles that will allow you to shorten any pair of pants – easy peasy.

Check out the Hem Gems website for the 4 different styles that are offered.  At just $20 for an eight-pack, this solution is much more economical than going to a tailor or keeping jeans in more than one length.

What do you think?  Like them or not impressed?

Last month I had the great pleasure of speaking to a group of wedding and event professionals at an annual conference called WeWed in Southwest Florida. The conference producer, Kelly McWilliams of Weddings by Socialites is a great friend of The Stylish Planner, in fact, she was the FIRST planner to be featured on the blog. (Read her feature here: Kelly McWilliams Style Profile.) You can follow her on Twitter @weddingtidbits. In addition to enjoying a great conference and meeting some wonderfully talented and kind vendors in the area, I was thrilled to be in the company of two very talented ladies.

To say that I am very excited about upcoming Fall fashion trends is a gross understatement. Of course I love fashion all year long, but Fall colors and textures really make me swoon. Some of the Fall trends have surprised me, and others are classics that I love to see brought to the forefront by the industry. Here is an item that surprised me: The Pantsuit.

Suits shown above by Armani.

Some other items that may surprise you this fall are the types of outerwear you will see. Capes, vests and ponchos, oh my!

Vest by Bagatelle.

Poncho by Elizabeth & James.

Cape by Burberry.

Tomorrow, The Stylish Planner will bring you Part 2 of the Fall Trend Report and it is all about the “details”.

Don’t forget to comment on the blog all week long for your chance to win a $50 gift card from Neiman Marcus!

What Fall trends are you seeing that you really like? Let us know!

Congrats to Janice Carnevale of Bellwether Events for her funny wardrobe malfunction story/comment after our recent post on the wonders of Hollywood Fashion Tape.

Janice said, “The sole of a groomsman’s rented tuxedo shoe (the color gray, not traditional black) peeled almost all the way off minutes before the start of the ceremony. We used black electrical tape around the heel and the leg of the pant covered the tape.”

I love this one because it shows how innovative wedding planners can be in a crunch.  It also makes me think of my sweet husband who believes that there is no problem on earth that duct tape cannot fix.  God, I love that man, but I digress…

Congrats Janice!  Please send an email to info@thestylishplanner.com with your mailing address and I will get these little goodies off to you asap!

Thanks for sharing everyone – I really love hearing your stories!

Be sure not to miss The Stylish Planner tomorrow – I’m thrilled to welcome a guest contributor that you all know and love with a Wellness Wednesday topic that we all need to hear.

Blessings,

Jeannine

Note from Jeannine:  Today’s post is from our wonderful guest contributor, NaShara Mitchell.  NaShara is the Owner & Creative Director of Ready to Blush, Your Wellness & Beauty Concierge.  Based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, NaShara is our Beauty & Wellness expert, contributing twice monthly on topics written with wedding and event planners in mind.  NaShara founded Ready to Blush in 2002 as a personal aesthetics company.  Services offered by Blush are a starting point to enhance, empower, and educate women, focusing on both inner and outer health, wellness, and beauty.  NaShara is a wonderful asset to The Stylish Planner and is such a pleasure to work with.  If you are attending Eventology, you undoubtedly enjoyed NaShara’s session on legal issues yesterday.  Please enjoy this installment from NaShara – live from Eventology 2010!

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Your personal and business brands should tell the same story.  When you are meeting with a client, they are looking at YOU.  Yes, they will glance at the inspiration board and other documents you are showing them but they are going to look at you, your eyes, your smile.  Are you sharing the same message that you presented on your website and marketing materials?  If your business speaks to the fun and quirky bride, is your personal style fun and quirky or are you presenting a prim and proper librarian?  Is your ideal client one that loves a clean and minimalistic look but your personal style is one that is would put a theatre makeup loving diva to shame?

A full face of makeup or a few touches of lip-gloss, mascara or blush along with your signature glasses may not only help you to look and feel better, but may also translate into increased trust with your client.  It’s a subtle investment in yourself that gives a nod to your consistency and attention to detail as a wedding professional.

Photos courtesy of Emilie Duncan and Opulent Couturier

Today The Stylish Planner is bringing you another great post from our Health & Fitness Expert, Kiana Lewis.  Kiana is a contributor on The Stylish Planner twice monthly, reporting on easy ways to stay healthy and fit on a busy schedule.

Kiana, a skilled fitness professional, has been working in the health and fitness industry for over 9 years. She holds various certifications, including W.I.T.S (World Instructors Training School) and ACE (American Council on Exercise). Kiana’s expertise lies in fitness training, as well as weight management. She has experience with various populations including, pre/post-natal and athletes, among many others. She loves plyometric training, sports, photography, and traveling.

Kiana’s philosophy about fitness is, “Exercise, your body will appreciate it."

*photo courtesy of kearj 

My previous post (March 13, 2010), “Aspiring Runners: Determine Your Foot Type,” was all about finding the correct shoe type. Now that you have went out and purchased your running shoes, I have created 2 beginner/intermediate cardio workouts to put them to good use. The first is a 35-minute workout and the second is a 45-minute workout.

35 minute Cardio Blast—Workout 1

Duration Description Intensity

(minutes) (**speed can be adjusted to your specific

fitness level; you should be breathing

hard, but able to hold a slight

conversation, not totally “winded.”)

5 warmup 3.5 mph

4 run 6.0 mph

3 recovery 3.5 mph

2 run 6.0 mph

3 recovery 3.5 mph

2 run 6.5 mph

3 recovery 3.5 mph

2 run 6.5 mph

3 recovery 3.5 mph

3 run 6.5 mph

5 recovery 3.2 mph

45 minute Hill Walk—Workout 2

Set treadmill incline to 7.5. Set treadmill speed btw 3.5-4.0. The uphill walk should be a brisk, fast walk (you should be slightly out of breath, but still be able to hold a conversation. Walk for 35 minutes straight, pumping your arms back and forth. Cool down for 10 minutes (return the incline to 0 and lower speed to 2.5.)

Make time to try both routines and determine which best fits your schedule. Remember, adjust the speeds as needed and have fun! Come back and share your experience with us. If you have any questions and/or concerns, contact me at bewellandmarry@gmail.com

It’s a beautiful 86 degrees here in Atlanta today, and everything is in bloom.  I have a wonderful weekend planned that starts with planting flowers in my yard tomorrow – something I really enjoy.  Then, I’ll do a little baking and preparation for brunch, which my family and I will thoroughly enjoy after church on Sunday.  I am most looking forward to an Easter egg hunt for my son and spending time with my family in the afternoon.

I’d love to know what you have planned for this beautiful Easter weekend…tell me here!

Whatever you may have planned for the weekend, I hope it is filled with joy and laughter!

I’m really excited to announce a new feature for The Stylish Planner.  In addition to sharing a profile of stylish wedding and event planners every Thursday, I will soon begin featuring other industry professionals as well.  This will be a wonderful way to network within the industry and for vendors to showcase their talents.  Remember, personal style ties directly into business branding – we can all learn a little something from one another.

Stay tuned for submission guidelines and interview questions created specifically for vendors other than planners.  In the meantime, help me share the news and encourage your vendor friends to participate.

Thank you all so much for your support of The Stylish Planner!

Photo credits:  left – On Occasions of Atlanta, middle and right: 6 of Four

Question:  Do you have any other feature ideas you’d like to see on The Stylish Planner?  Tell us here or e-mail us at info@thestylishplanner.com.

I am so pleased to share that there are still a limited number of spaces available for The Academy for Planners & Designers being held in beautiful San Francisco on March 14 – 16, 2010.  Jubilee Lau and Jean Marks, the founders of Wedding 360 LLC are diligently working to prepare for the upcoming Academy, a very in-depth seminar created especially for established wedding planners, designers, and floral designers.  Classes are being taught by nationally recognized leaders in the wedding industry, such as:

(Listed from left to right and top to bottom above)

Todd Fiscus of Todd Events, Sean Low of The Business of Being Creative, David Beahm of David Beahm Design, Grace Ormonde of Wedding Style Magazine, Gene Higa of Gene Higa Photography, Catherine Hall of Catherine Hall Photography, Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts, Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty, Nancy Liu Chin of Nancy Liu Chin Designs, Youngsong Martin of Wildflower Linens, Tara Guerard of Soiree by Tara Guerard, and Siri and Rosalind of Two Bright Lights.

Other speakers/contributors not shown above are:  Jon and Linnae of Asiel Designs, Grant Rector of Grant & Co., and Ethan Mantle of Componere Fine Catering.  And, prepare your self for the amazing designs of Gloria Wong at the new St. Regis San Francisco!

Also attending will be Wedding 360’s Very Inspirational Bloggers (VIBs):  Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee, and Leila Khalil of Inspired By This.

Topics will include:  newest design trends, the relationship between photography, design, and publication, operational strategies to make your business profitable, creative spatial planning, the art of designing lifestyle weddings, branding, and social marketing for the next decade.

The host hotel for the Academy is the beautiful St. Regis San Francisco.  Reduced hotel room rates are available at the St. Regis ($280 per night) and the Palace Hotel ($175 per night).  For room block information, click here: Room Blocks

The full Academy registration investment of $975 includes all meals, classes, design showcase, internet lounge, and social events from Sunday, March 14, 2010 through Tuesday, March 16, 2010.  Some other noteworthy inclusions are:

-Attendance at two full days of seminars, with opportunities to interact directly with our Professors.

-Continental Breakfast and Lunch provided outside The Academy classroom on Monday and Tuesday, with book signings by speakers.

-Attendance at our “Emerald Underworld” Welcome Cocktail Party on Sunday evening inside the terrace tent at the St. Regis, featuring Asian-inspired gourmet food presentations, and the newest design trends.

-Attendance at our “Museum of Petals” in honor of Grace Ormonde dinner party in the St. Regis ballroom with a California-inspired menu and an amazing design concept by our prestigious design team.

-Full access to the Design Showcase featuring four distinctive designs. Each design will include dining tabletop, dessert/cake, and escort card displays. The designers, Nancy Liu Chin of Nancy Liu Chin Designs, Tara Guerard of Soiree by Tara Guerard, Grant Rector of Grant & Co., and Linnae Asiel of Asiel Designs, will participate in a panel discussing their unique designs in detail, from inspiration to conceptualization to production.

For more specific agenda information, click here:  Academy for Planners & Designers Agenda

You can register here, or email info@wedding360llc.com to ask about a 2 part payment plan.

I am heartbroken that I will not be able to attend, but have already made a personal commitment to attend in 2011.  Someone PLEASE take good notes and lots of pictures for me, ok?

There will be no post on The Stylish Planner today so that I may observe the President’s Day holiday with my family.

Check back tomorrow when I resume the regular schedule with a Tuesday Beauty post.

Enjoy the holiday!