Free Love at RecycledBride.com!

Win custom his-and-hers wedding bands in our biggest giveaway ever!

We’ve teamed up with premier wedding jeweler Whiteflash.com to give one lucky couple their own custom-designed his-and-hers wedding rings! Show us your most creative, beautiful, unique wedding ring design, and you might win your very own dream wedding bands!

Here’s how to enter to win:

1. Design a pair of wedding bands to be made of any combination of white or yellow gold, titanium, diamonds, precious and semi-precious gemstones. Be creative! You can visit Whiteflash.com and check out their collection of his and hers wedding bands to get inspired, and you can create and submit up to three (3) designs (Added for clarification: That’s three sets of his-and-hers rings!).

2. Show us your design and tell us all about it! In the comments section below, you can upload text, images, and/or video. So post your sketches and drawings, written ideas, or a video recording that shows us how you envision your ring. (*Note – If two entries are very similar, we’ll only consider the one that was posted first.)

3. You must be a Recycled Bride member to win. If you’re not already, sign up now – it’s free and takes less than one minute.

4. The contest ends on July 20th, 2010. (*EXTENDED UNTIL JULY 29th!*) A team of jewelry experts will then choose a winner based on overall beauty, creativity, and originality of design.

5. The winner will get both of their custom rings from Whiteflash.com, and the chosen designs will be added to the Whiteflash catalog and named after the winner!

See the Official Rules for more details. Questions? Email us at info {at} recycledbride.com.

We can’t wait to see your designs! Upload your entries in the comments below, and good luck to all!

For my wedding, I knew I wanted my best friends to be my bridesmaids.  Unfortunately, everyone was scattered across the globe, but I was determined not to let distance get in the way of shopping for bridesmaid dresses together.  A plan was quickly established over email: we’d each surf the web for potential dresses for the group.  Then, we’d discuss all the dresses and pick the best one to order.

Simple enough, right?  However, we soon found ourselves buried in our email inboxes.  Everyone in my bridal party spent hours writing countless emails about cute dresses they found and wasted even more time piecing the mish-mash of communications together.  As a busy professional, I was very quickly getting overwhelmed and simply could not afford to spend so much time deciding on dresses!  So, in the midst of all the confusion, I scrapped the plan. I quickly went to a bridesmaid dress retailer website and bought everyone the first nice dress I found.  (It was an Alfred Angelo bridesmaid dress, because the website was sorted alphabetically by designer).  Luckily, it was a cute dress, and my bridesmaids looked fabulous.

After my wedding, I kept thinking there had to be a better way for bridal parties to browse and shop together for wedding apparel.  Furthermore, I knew I was not the only bride out there with a scattered bridal party.  So, last year, one of my bridesmaids and I left our jobs to build a website called Shiny Orb, a comparison shopping website for bridesmaid dresses and other wedding apparel.  With over ten thousand dresses from more than three hundred designers, Shiny Orb has a huge selection that covers all styles, including many non-traditional and trendy wear-again bridesmaid dresses.

I’m excited to announce that today we’re opening up Shiny Orb Dressing Rooms, a social shopping platform to make it easy and enjoyable for brides and bridesmaids to browse and shop together.  With a Shiny Orb Dressing Room, a bridal party can add any of the thousands of dresses on the site to the room, and everyone in the party can comment and chat about these dresses at their convenience. We’ve already heard some great things about this feature from our group of beta testers, so we really think it’s going to be something brides will love!

About

Elizabeth Yin is a co-founder of Shiny Orb, a comparison social shopping site for bridesmaid dresses and wedding apparel.  She previously worked at Google as a product marketing manager and has been building websites since high school.  Elizabeth hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, where her friend and bestselling 3-book Anti-Bride co-author Carolyn started this all.

Beyond the western omelette, Nombe does brunch like a samurai.

Ready to go the  distance beyond the traditional 2 over easy with hash browns? Willing to wow your palate with a shot of Asian comfort food that’s just a hop, skip and a jump from your crib in the Mish? Do you have issues with an icy Sapporo or warm sake for breakfast instead of coffee? Want to be dining alongside of the Missions hipster crowd: culture vultures always in search of the next cool thing? Looking for a brunch experience that promises to delight your senses (and your wallet)  look no further than Nombe, the Japanese comfort food Mecca on Mission Street.

Chef Nicolaus Balla creates magic, featuring the Japanese breakfast above. This is a feast consisting of broiled black cod, steamed Koshihikari rice with wild nori seaweed, miso soup, house made pickles, onsen tomago (slow cooked egg), a salad with ume dressing, and sliced fruit. The accompaniments change weekly pending on seasonal availability but it has been quite a crowd pleaser so far. The brunch menu also features ramen with a pint of Sapporo for 13.00, grilled wagyu bavette steak and eggs, donburi dishes (rice bowls), an insane plate of French toast (with almond syrup, creme fraiche, shaved chocolate and berries), salads, their famous wings and even sashimi. The bloody mary is divine, but there are also  – unique non alcoholic beverages such as matcha and milk iced tea.

So if you’ve decided that one more western omelette will send you to the  rubber room, or you and your sweetie would like to wake up to something a bit more  sublime, run, do not walk to Nombe, and be a part of the alternative brunch coalition.

Address
2491 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415.681.7150
Hours: Sun – Thu: 6:00pm-11:00pm/Fri, Sat: 6:00pm-2:00am
(Fri & Sat 11:00pm-2:00am Late night menu only)
Sat, Sun (Brunch): 11:00am-2:00pm
Tue: CLOSED

About

Nombe (pronounced “nom – bay”) refers to someone who likes to drink heartily. They are bringing Japan’s most popular eating and drinking establishments, IZAKAYA, to the heart of Mission.

They offer Northern California’s seasonal, sustainable, and locally sourced tapas food along with over 75 brands of premium sake, organic Shochu cocktails, as well as eight Japanese and local beers on tap.

They offer our late night menu as well as Japanese Street Food on weekends from 11 – 2 AM  to satisfy the hungry soul of the hip Mission crowd. They also offer weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11 – 2 PM.  Enjoy fresh baked muffins, pastries and breads, or indulge in the great Japanese Breakfast. Along with some Equator Coffee and a Blood Orange Mimosa, their brunch is guaranteed to jumpstart your day after a long night of drinking at Nombe!

Hey Anti-Brides, tired of returning that vase you’ll never use, or the gravy boat that will wallow in obscurity? Want to make sure that those wedding presents actually go to work for you? Here is a fantastic wedding registry that gets you closer to what you really want, a house (not just stuff to put in it. Read on!
From Erin-Marie MacEwen, Founder

Beep. Click. Beep. Click. Click. Scannnnn. Beep. Click. Click. Scannnnnn. Beep. Click. Oh, the sounds of a traditional retail wedding registry. I remember it like yesterday. Walking into Macy’s in downtown San Francisco, it felt like we were embarking on a shopping spree. Who can argue with the fun that comes with that? I can tell you, it was fun. But, was it practical? Was it fun for the moment and frustrating to deal with afterward? Was it confusing and completly overwhelming? Absolutely.

My now-husband and I registered at a few places for our wedding. Being part of a large, traditional family it was important that we registered in the traditional way – at a retail store. Some guests simply prefer to give a physical gift, so for the few things we really needed – a duvet cover – it was great. For the things we didn’t necessarily need, well … it was confusing. Do we register for china and crystal  because we’re ‘supposed’ to? Do we register for things just for fun, for things that we don’t need? Can we return gifts later if we decide they don’t work in our home?

Luckily, out of this confusion came a bit of clarity. When we really thought about it, what would be helpful for us was money towards down payment on a home. It’s been a lifelong dream of ours to have a home of our own, so any help towards that dream was a dream in and of itself. The problem was that it wasn’t very fun to tell guests we wanted cash towards a home. In fact, it was a little awkward and felt a little rude. To help alleviate this problem, we asked ourselves, how could we make this fun? After brainstorming a bit, we came up with Hatch My House– an online, interactive registry to help us – and other couples – save towards a home.

Map out your future dream home.

Hatch My House enables couples to create a visual representation – a picture – of their future home. Using this picture, wedding guests donate towards the couples’ house fund by purchasing a part of that house, such as a window, the front door or even a set of wineglasses. Guests get to have fun while donating and couples get to design, visualize – and hopefully realize – their ‘dream’ home.

Hatch My House ended up being the perfect solution to our wedding registry dilemma. By using it as our wedding registry, we were able to save a few thousand dollars towards our future home. We’re hopeful that you’ll be able to save as we did, so please check out the details – How It Works and Benefits – as outlined below.

HOW IT WORKS
•To set up a registry on Hatch My House, couples first write a welcome note to their guests describing the goal of the house fund in Step 1.
•In step 2, they customize their ‘dream’ house, selecting their desired setting, style – craftsman or brownstone (with more on the way) – and color.
•Couples finalize their registry in step 3 by linking their new or existing PayPal account to HMH. By completing a simple form verifying their PayPal email, they’re ready for step 4 – to publish their registry.
•In step 4 couples pay a one-time sign up fee of $24.95 to publish their registry and get directed to their personalized URL link.
•By copying this link, in step 5, they direct family members and friends to their registry – and start saving towards a home immediately!

BENEFITS
By using Hatch My House, couples take advantage of PayPal, reaping the benefits of being aligned with a 10-year money transfer service business and a built-in security infrastructure, which includes data encryption and fraud prevention tools.

They also benefit from lower transaction fees in comparison to other online gift and down payment registries. Hatch My House is one of the few online registries that offers a 0% to 3% transaction fee.

Not only that, but by using Hatch My House, couples get to benefit from an easy-to-use, convenient online registry without any hassles!

•    No shipping charges!
•    No sales tax!
•    No parking fees!
•    No long hours spent scanning items at the store!
•    No returns!
•    No hassles!

As a special thanks to Antibride, we’re offering anyone who signs up this week a 20% discount. Sign up HERE and use the coupon code:  ANTIBRIDE.

About Hatch My House

Erin-Marie recently discovered Antibride.com. She wished she had known about Carolyn’s awesome site and books when she was a bride as it would have helped her navigate through the confusion of the ‘traditional registry’. Luckily, she and her now-husband got clarity when they developed Hatch My House, an online wedding registry where anyone can save towards a home in a fun and interactive way. Using Hatch My House for their wedding registry, they were able to save a few thousand dollars towards their future home. Now, they hope to give others the same opportunity by launching Hatch My House for public use (as of Dec. 2010).

The East Bay Rocks! What’s not to love about the Oakland A’s, Lois the Pie Queen and urban wineries? Thank you East Bay Vintner’s Alliance and my buddy Rena Ramirez, at 6th Gen Media for getting me wise to what happens on the other side (of the Bay). As much as we adore Crushpad, we also heart the excellent urban wineries in the East Bay – maybe a little more under the radar but every bit as yummy. For a pittance you can get a PhD in East Bay vinology. I have always loved Rosenblum Cellars (and written about them in Here Comes the Guide), and Dashe Cellars, but I can’t wait to meet the rest of the crew at this hip urban collective.

To do list Saturday:

Get up, go to the gym/yoga/Peet’s Coffee
Grocery Shop
Liquid Lunch at East Bay Vintners Alliance!

Saturday, April 10th, 12 Noon

East Bay Vintner’s Alliance Presented by the East Bay Vintner’s Alliance (EBVA), this year’s “Passport to the East Bay Wine Trail” promises to enlighten the senses as twenty urban wineries- many that are not usually open to the public- will pour their wares at seven distinct tasting rooms located in Emeryville, Oakland and Alameda. This years participating wineries include Adams Point, Andrew Lane, Aubin Cellars, Blacksmith Cellars, Ceruitti Cellars, Dashe Cellars, Ehernberg Cellars, Eno Wines, Irish Monkey, JC Cellars, Periscope Cellars, Prospect 772, R&B Cellars, Rock Wall Wine Company, Rosenblum Cellars, Stage Left Cellars, Tayerle Wines, Two Mile, Urban Legend Cellars, and Urbano Cellars.

Tickets can be purchased for $30.00 in advance through www.eastbayvintners.com, or for $45.00 at the door on April 10, 2010. ($10 for designated drivers.)

Each ticket purchased ensures a wristband, which guarantees free access to each of the seven tasting rooms from 12:00pm to 5:00pm, an assortment of appetizers, and also a souvenir Reidel glass. ??Come one, come all and experience the undiscovered urban wine country right in your own back yard with the East Bay Vintner’s Alliance.

Excerpted from the East Bay Vintners Alliance Press Release.

Contact Rena Ramirez at 6th Generation Media: rramirez@6thgenmedia.com

The vixenry and aristry of Darkgarden.com

Dollys and Dandys, how much do I love living in the Bay Area, a treasure trove of creative swirly heads who put up their tent pole to create  a sublime subculture out  of history, a little steel, a bit of steam, a little lace and quite  possibly, a snifter of absinthe. This, my kumquats is where myself and the mister are spending our weekend: in a sliver of history that might have been. Make sure you check out the launch of Dark Gardens haunting and haute new Dollymop line at the fab fashion show on Saturday night: Alterna-bridal (and boudoir) looks to be displayed. Mon Dieu! See you there!

Event of the Season

The Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition returns to the San Francisco Bay Area March 12-14, 2010 presenting a world of polished mahogany, leather and brass, where steam power, airships and clockwork are the cutting edge of technology; a neo-Victorian experience, spanning from the 1830s to the early 1900s and from cultivated London to the rugged coast of San Francisco. The Exhibition has moved to the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville, CA for 2010, preparing to host an estimated 1000+ attendees. It will offer a huge Traders’ Concourse and over 25 programs in three tracks including academic presentations, panel discussions and hands-on “Maker” workshops. Our Guests of Honor are: James Blaylock (Author of Homunculus, The Digging Leviathan, Land of Dreams), Phil and Kaja Foglio (Artists of Girl Genius), and Jon Sarriugarte (Maker of The Golden Mean, Electrobite and much more). Appearances also include “Steampunk Scholar” Mike Perschon, Tor Books Editor Liz Gorinsky and acclaimed new Steampunk author Gail Carriger (Soulless, Orbit Books).

New for 2010 is an amazing outdoor Exploratory Steam and Kinetics Enclosure, featuring The Golden Mean snail art car, Tom Sepe’s “Whirlygig Emoto” hybrid steam motorcycle, and steam vehicles, boilers, Pandemonium and Caliope from the Crew of the Neverwas Haul!

For evening entertainment, Exhibition guests can trip the gaslight fantastic at the Steampunk Ball, don their Steamy best to compete in the Costume Competition and gather for the illustrious Party-at the Center of the Earth. Special $99 room rates are available at the hotel for Nova Albion guests on a first-come, firstserved basis and can be booked at: www.steampunkexhibition.com/hotel-reservations/.

The Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition is a celebration of all things Steampunk, from Gaslamp fantasy to clockwork mechanicals, and everything in-between. The event is a chance for fans, authors, makers, tinkerers, adventurers and folks of all stripes to gather, converge, discuss and experience the excitement and the possibilities of an alternate History-That-Might-Have-Been.
$60 Early Bird tickets are on sale now at: http://www.steampunkexhibition.com/tickets – prices will increase to $75 at the door.

Photography: Russ Young
Excerpted from www.steampunkexhibition.com

Blink and you're fabulous!

If the eyes are the mirror of the soul, your eyebrows are the frame of the face. Shaped, tinted and defined, a good set of brows is about as important as a good haircut.

That said, the brow mistresses of the trade are generally booked til Memorial Day and usually in hot demand.

A certain brow impresario in SF has opened up her little black book and is accepting new clients with a stellar team of brow architects, at the ready to make you look runway fabulous.

It’s my pleasure and privilege to introduce you to the best in SF, my personal friend and brow magician, Anna Lee of Blink Eyebrows and Cosmetics. Anna is to brows as Michelangelo was to the Sistine Chapel: a devotee of the art, the brush and the effect, an expert, with spectacular results.

One session with Anna and your face gets a little more definition (the way a nice BW shot looks a little more  polished with a sleek frame). The eyes sparkle a bit more, the entire visage looks a little more pulled together.

And this Valentine’s Day from now until March 1st, Blink wants to show you how much they care:

Come in with a friend and get 25% off both brow treatments!
Plus a free lip gloss!
Use Promo Code: BlinkValentine

Who loves ya, baby? Call and book your appointment by March 1, 2010 to take advantage of the fabulous beauty promo.

http://www.blinksf.com/
415-399-0789

415Tel. 415.399.0789

Cute, flirty, sexy and fiscally savvy: Affinitas...

Affinitas Intimates Sexy or sweet?  Take your pick with fun, flirty and affordable lingerie, sleep & lounge wear perfect for brides this Spring/Summer.

Producing high quality lingerie at refreshingly accessible prices, the Affinitas Intimates label is comprised of bras, panties, camisoles, babydolls, chemises, and bustiers, each item designed by the Affinitas team to be stylish, comfortable, well-made and most importantly well-fitting.  Currently retailing at specialty, boutique and online stores in the U.S. and Canada, bras retail for $23-$35, panties from $8 – $18, camisoles $25-$58, and babydolls, chemises and bustiers for $25-$45.  The collection utilizes high-quality, soft materials sourced from all over the world to provide maximum comfort, such as cotton, microfiber, satin, French embroidered laces and even technologically advanced seamless materials that are stitch free, seam free and label free. Affinitas offers consumers a wide range of basic, everyday styles as well as special occasion pieces, targeting young, fashionable women aged 20 – 35 years old with an annual income level of $25,000 and up who want stylish, comfortable, high-quality lingerie at prices that won’t break the bank. Affinitas Intimates’ bras and bustiers span a size range of 30-38 A-DD, with all other items sized XS-XL.

Pieces retail from $8 – $58 in numerous boutiques throughout the United States as well as online at HerRoom.com and LaurenSilva.com.  Please visit www.affinitasintimates.com for the full store locator.

Calorie Free Brulee this Valentines Day

Go ahead, indulge this Valentine’s Day at Brulee lingerie.

Beautiful lingerie and lounge wear comprised of luxurious and comfortable pieces that are sexy, versatile and travel brilliantly.  From bi-coastal designer Kristian Giambi, each piece is handcrafted in New York City utilizing the finest silk, cotton and jersey materials, featuring delicate details and intricate workmanship using hand cast gold and crystal hardware. Brulee targets powerful, sophisticated women with a feminine yet sexy edge. The line’s camisoles, bodysuits, rompers, bralettes, boy shorts, lounge pants, leggings, nightshirts and more are luxurious and uncomplicated, and anything but sweet. Available in sizes XS-XL, the collection encompasses a rich color palette of deep plums and blacks as well as soft ivories, offset by hand-cast gold and crystal hardware.

To view the full collection please visit www.brulee.net. Pieces retail from $36 to $178, available through www.brulee.net as well as Journelle, Petticoat Lane and Brooklyn Fox in New York City, Oh Baby! Lingerie and Lille Boutique in Portland, and Underwear in Austin.