Voluptuous vixenry at Dark Garden Corsetry

In an exclusive steam-powered Fashion Show at Nova Albion’s Party at the Center of the Earth, Dark Garden Unique Corsetry will officially launch their fantastic new line: Dollymop for Dark Garden – a Steampunk Collection! The Dollymop Collection is a hot, neo-Victorian and steam culture-inspired collaboration between Dark Garden founder and fashion designer Autumn Adamme and accessories designer Kalico Delafay. A few of the concepts for this line were previewed at the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco and some amazing new pieces are being made exclusively for presentation at Nova Albion. The new Dollymop Collection will be on sale in the Traders’ Concourse beginning 3:00 pm on Friday March 12th, alongside a wonderful selection of Dark Garden’s world-acclaimed corsetry, couture and accessories. And of course, their beautiful models will be showing off the goods all weekend long!

The Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition (March 12-14 in Emeryville) takes the best elements of traditional science fiction and fantasy conventions, combines them with the passion, ingenuity, and hands-on workshops of Maker events, and places it all in a steam-powered, neo-Victorian setting that spans the 1830s through the early 1910s, from the cultured salons of gaslit London to the rugged coast of San Francisco.

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

And now for our next party trick....

One awesome way is to use a saber to open your preferred bottle of champagne in front of your guests right before the ritual wedding toasts. Sabering is exciting and can easily be learned. Napoleon is rumored to have had his men use their swords to saber French bottles of champagne as a way to secure good luck as they entered battle during his reign in Europe. You can also consider it as a way to secure good luck upon your newly minted marriage.

Most wine shops sell sabers and I would suggest learning from an experienced wine sommelier or winemaker in order to secure your safety.

For more on the art of sabering click here for a step-by-step demonstration.

Design invite inspiration from our Two Brides!

Stacy and I sent out the invitations the week before Valentine’s Day. We decided to send them out earlier than normally recommended because our wedding is on a holiday weekend (Memorial Day). We wanted to make sure we got to people before they started planning other things for that weekend.

So, of course we started stalking the mail carrier on Monday, February 15^th like the dorks we are. Naturally, there were no RSVPS for the first few days, but now we get a couple every other day. I am a full-time unemployed person so I am usually the one to get the mail first. It’s almost the favorite part of my day! It sounds silly, but you know the excitement you feel when you decide to throw a party and people slowly, one by one, respond to let you know they’re coming or not! It is very exciting especially since this isn’t any ordinary party.

Each day, I sort through the mail eagerly looking for the little envelopes we sent everyone for their RSVPs. Each day, I use every ounce of will power I have to set them aside and wait for Stacy to get home when we open them together. While I’m waiting, I examine each one for clues as to who it’s from. If it’s marked “California”, I know it’s someone Stacy invited. If it’s somewhere in Central Illinois, it’s my family. If it’s from here in Chicago, it drives me crazy to wait because it could be anyone we know!

Some people write notes on them. Stacy’s parents wrote a whole, touching note about how they love us, respect our relationship and that they wouldn’t miss our wedding for anything. My mom wrote “Eh, I’m planning to be in town for the Cubs vs. Cards game anyway.” That’s our family’s sense of humor.

We do get disappointed when we see that some people can’t come. Those people usually write a note as to why they are missing the wedding. We understand that some people won’t be able to come. That’s the nature of throwing a party, right? We’ve been talking about webcasting our wedding for those who can’t attend. We’ll let you know!

About the Authors/Queerlywed.com

Melissa Johns

Melissa is the co-founder of Queerly Wed, a new website dedicated to helping LGBTQ couples plan their big day. She is an activist within the LGBTQ Community and has volunteered her services at many grassroots organizations over the years. Melissa is also an avid cyclist and won two silver medals at Gay Games VII, which was held in Chicago in 2006. She is also a lifelong student and enjoys studying Latin-American culture, photography and languages.

Stacy Jill Jacobs

Stacy is the co-founder of Queerly Wed, a new website dedicated to helping LGBTQ couples plan their big day.  Stacy is a writer, marketing nerd, and web geek grrl all wrapped up into one package.  Stacy has worked in the interactive field for many years including roles at eToys (US & UK) and Ticketmaster. Stacy became a professional queer when in 2005, she served as the Ticketing Manager for Gay Games VII. You can catch Stacy on her website at www.stacyjilljacobs.com or on Twitter at @StacyJill

Evening W-day makeup calls for drama

An evening destination bride always loves a glamxurious makeup look. An evening wedding allows for more of a dramatic makeup application. Brides with or without flawless skin can get away with a heavier foundation. Evening brides can indulge in bold eye shadow colors, eye lash extensions, shimmer, and high shine lip gloss.

When selecting an eye shadow for an evening dramatic eye, I like to use 3-4 different eye shadow colors. I always make sure to use a flat or matte color at the bottom of the eye to help make the shimmer colors stand out in pictures. (On the bride; MAC pigment in Vanilla, IMAN eye shadow in Nutmeg, MAC Pearlized Solar Bits Pigment Cluster in Black Ore, L’OREAL HIP Cream eyeliner in Black)

Brandy shows gets her ready for the catwalk.

Eyelashes (strips or individual lashes) are an absolutely infallible feature adding definition to help bring out the eye. Strips are great if you want the lashes for the evening and individuals are great if you want them to make it through the honeymoon. (On the bride; ARDELL flare individual lashes)

Shimmer on the cheekbones is great for many reasons. I love how it photographs in pictures. Shimmer is also pretty on the skin giving it a glow as the bride walks down the aisle and as the candlelight in the room hits the skin. (On the bride; Illamasqua Bronzing Duo in Glint & Burnish)

Lastly, high defined glossy lips. An evening bride can wear both a dark eye with a color lip. I like to use a lip pencil, lipstick, and lip gloss when creating a sexy glossy lip. (On the bride; IMAN lip pencil in expresso, L’OREAL colour riche lipstick in Peach Fuzz, L’OREAL HIP lip gloss in COY)So brides don’t be afraid to get a little daring with makeup for your evening wedding. Your pictures will be stunning, your friends envious, and your husband happy.

Photos: Beebe Tran with Studio Tran
Makeup: Brandy Gomez-Duplessis with BGD Makeup Artistry

So cute you could eat it with a spoon...

You wouldn’t naturally think that monkeys and weddings go together, but we think this offbeat and playful approach is just aces.  We got an exclusive opportunity to feature this brand new product from Bon Moment.

Things we heart about this:
· It has a sense of humor
· It’s colorful
· It gives couples an opportunity to really show off their personalities

We also love the home-made style with exposed stitching, funny little monkeys and hatched background that smacks of a wide-woven linen.  The color options, ruby & beige, teal and beige and hot pink and red,  provide enough options to appeal to a wide color palette.  Whether they’re holding hands (like the save the date) or there’s no sign of the monkeys at all (program) there is a distinct charm in the simplicity of its construction.You’ll sve the date, and save these cards…

You'll save the date, and save these cards...

Another thing which we thought really stood out was the homage to toy nostalgia.  Most offbeat couples can appreciate the throw-back sentiment that Bon Moment captures.  We hope to see more of this sort of aesthetic in the future!

We’ve been told that a matching Thank You card is in the works as well as a Do-it-Yourself wedding template PDF will be released soon.  Also, all of their products are printed on bright white card stock and are purchased in sets of 25.

About Bon Moment

They specialize in Wedding invitations, DIY Wedding Invitation Templates, Save the Dates, Wedding RSVPs, Menu Cards, Programs, and Thanks You Cards. Their tag line “Wedding Stationery for the Rest of Us” really rings true as you browse their wedding invitation suites. The off-the-wall wedding invitations like a Mexico-inspired Sugar Skull wedding invitation suite, as well as a cute and geeky Retro Robots in Love invitation suite really strays from the more traditional wedding concepts.  They really cater to the alternative and offbeat bride.  Currently they’re working on developing their own website and creating new designs to add to their store.

Etsy store:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/BonMoment

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BonMoment

Facebook:  http://bit.ly/70OSJx

Luscious + Libations

Got cake? The traditional cake cutting and toast is meant to signify that this party (or reception) is ready to get started. DJ pump the music, groomsmen get on the dance floor and refill your glass before you kick of those heels to do the electric slide.

However, before you do the funky chicken consider learning a little more about cake and wine pairing. This will allow you to be more confident with your purchasing decisions and look like a wine rock star.

Note: The goal of cake and wine pairing (As with any wine and food pairing) is striking a balance between the best of both flavors. We want the natural characteristics of both to counterbalance and complement each other. A perfectly paired wine will render the cake more pleasurable, and vice versa.

Wine and Cake Pairing Tips

Chocolate and champagne or sparkling wines are a no-no together. For a rich chocolate cake, consider a red wine or a port. Cabernet sauvignon pairs perfectly with chocolate and makes for an equally uplifting toast. One of my favorite cabs at the moment is Vineyard 29.

Brut sparkling wine or champagne does not pair well with sweet cakes. The toastyness of the brut turns tart-tasting when sipped with sweet foods. It’s better to have a touch of sweetness in your bubbles to balance the sweetened flavor of the cake.

Purchasing bubbles for the celebrated cake toast doesn’t have to be expensive. Go direct to a local winery that produces sparkling wine or champagne and ask for a discount on case purchases. Consider American sparkling wines (California and Oregon produce some reputable sparkling wine) or Italy’s sparkling wine known as Prosecco for an affordable yet luscious alternative.

The best bubble recommendations to pair with a wedding cake, or any decadent dessert, are a Demi-Sec, Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noir or a Rose. My personal favorite that has you thinking of berries and cream is Mumm Cuvee Red. 96 percent of this sparkling wine is a pinot noir grape and boasts a deep red color and fruit forward flavors of black berry and cherry. This sparkling, and all of the above varietals go seamlessly with fruit filled, vanilla or citrus infused wedding cakes.

About Autumn

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijing . A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called “Love Vines” published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.

Work sucks. So when it comes time for your wedding, you’ve probably been saving up vacation days like a squirrel saves up acorns. Your natural inclination will probably be to dart out of work as soon as you can and make a beeline for the airport for an evening flight out of town. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Stick with morning flights and you’ll be happier.

I realize that waking up at 0-dark-thirty and dragging yourself to the airport before the sun comes up is not your idea of fun, but you’ll thank me in the end. Morning flights tend to go on time more often than afternoon or evening flights. It’s worth waking up early if it means things go smoothly.

Think about how airplanes spend their days. The goal for an airline is to keep planes in the air as often as possible. When they’re in the air, they make money. When they’re on the ground, they don’t. Airlines would fly their planes 24 hours a day except for two problems.

1. Nobody is willing to pay for a 3am flight to Jackson, Mississippi.
2. They have to maintain those planes sometime, so the airlines do most of their maintenance at night when demand is lowest.

Simply put, most planes start the day fresh each morning. Then they fly like crazy until late at night when they go back to sleep for a few hours.

But what happens when there’s bad weather? Or there are 25 sets of new parents with strollers to be checked on that flight from Omaha? Planes get bogged down during the day as traffic increases and things conspire to really mess up schedules. By the end of the day, you’re paying for all the problems that happened earlier. But each night, the planes get to where they’re supposed to be going, sometimes very late, and the airline is able to reset for the next day.

Sometimes flights get canceled, planes break, etc and things don’t work out as planned. So when you’re running to the airport after work on a bad day, that plane is falling behind and your flight may end up being canceled. That’s not a big deal if there’s another flight five minutes later with an empty seat on it, but in an era of very high load factors, that’s a rarity. Sometimes, you can be out of luck for several days and your trip may be ruined.

So spend that last night in eager anticipation of what lies ahead and then wake up early and enjoy that on time departure. Oh, and on the way home? Who cares. You don’t want to go back to work anyway.

Here’s a little wake you upper before you walk down the aisle. After an all night party fest and before you become the new Mr. and Mrs., you will need something to calm down the puffiness. Garnier & L’OREAL Paris both came out with a fun little gadget that is geared towards under-eye puffiness and dark circles.

I have used both items on my clients for different events and I can say the cold ball feels really good on the skin and has actually calmed down the puffiness right away. I can’t speak for the fast results of the dark circles. Both items would need to at least be used for about 4 weeks day and  night to start seeing any results.
Because your worth it, you should definitely carry this little item with you for one last touch up before you stroll down that aisle.

Garnier Anti-Puff Eye Roller

Roll away under-eye puffiness and dark circles for brighter, more radiant eyes.?While you sleep circulation slows down and causes fluid to collect in your lower eye area. Dark circles and puffiness appear. Skin Renew anti-puff eye roller is right for you if you gently want to stimulate micro-circulation around skin’s delicate eye area to decongest excess fluid for diminished dark circles and puffiness. Gently roll Skin Renew anti-puff eye roller under the eye from the inner corner to the outer corner, one to two times. Apply Skin Renew anti-puff eye roller as your daily care, morning and night. Clinically tested and reviewed by dermatologists and nutritionists. Instantly: eyes look renewed and refreshed.

Men’s Expert Hydra-Energetic Ice Colds Eye Roller

For men who don’t want the world to know they were up late. Men’s Expert Hydra-Energetic Ice Colds Eye Roller is a refreshing wake-up call that dissolves signs of fatigue like dark under eyes circles and puffiness. Lightweight serum absorbs quickly and the hands-free application is fast and easy. Men’s Expert Ice Cold Eye Roller is made with Vitamin C and Caffeine to help reduce the look of dark circles and puffiness.

The art and the science by Autumn.

Want to learn more about wine? Have you ever tasted a wine and liked it but didn’t know what else to say to describe the character beyond saying ‘it tastes yummy’? Or not sure what questions to ask to help you understand more about the wine?

Below are some simple wine terms twisted in an amusingly romantic manner and intended to increase your wine knowledge and make you sound like a pro the next time you discuss and taste vino.

Start with these basic wine terms and you will be a pro in no time! Cheers…

Acidity – When in perfect balance, acidity is what gives wine its fresh, crisp character; but like all sensuous equilibriums, this is a delicate one to achieve. Acid levels that are too high will render wine sharp and bitter while too small an amount can leave a wine seeming “flat.”

Appellation – Sometimes, it is about where you are; this is the term used to describe the region where a particular grape was grown and ripened to perfection. Napa Valley itself has almost 15 sub-appellations.

Aroma – As in love, so in wine: when we talk about new love, we speak differently than we do about mature, time-tested love. In the same way, the terms used to describe a wine’s scent depend upon its ripeness. “Aroma” refers to younger wines, while the more sophisticated “bouquet” is reserved for mature wines.

Body – Beauty comes in every shape and size imaginable. Since we are highly sensi­tive and sensuous beings, the tiniest difference in weight imparted by a wine to our mouths will be noticeable, and called light, medium, or full-bodied.

Decanting – This is the important process in which a decanter is used to separate undesired sediment from the wine, ensuring its prized “brightness.”

Finish - Our senses linger in pleasurable states long after the event itself has passed; thus after wine is swallowed, its “finish” on your tongue will tell you a great deal about its quality.

Fruit - These ones are not forbidden, thankfully. In fact, they are the main component of wine, and not restricted to grapes; a myriad of other fruits are employed to help describe the wine’s character, such as pear, plum, cherry, blackberry, and many more.

Legs - There’s nothing like a great pair. After wine has been swirled in its glass, tell-tale tracks of liquid cling to the sides, betraying levels of alcohol and glycerol. Even though they’re also called “tears,” there’s no need to mourn – unless of course your glass is empty.

New World Wine – A whole new world of wine has come into being, hailing from places off the beaten path in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and United States. It pays to be adventurous…

Nose - Whoever said wine doesn’t have personality? Indeed, its aromatic “nose” will either beckon you to a taste, or repel you forever with its sharp odor.

Old World Wine – There is always great richness to be enjoyed from the fruits of tradition: the products of historical wine growing regions in Europe and North Africa have a reputation for a reason.

Varietal – This tells you the main grape used to make the particular blend of wine. It has to be a certain percentage, such as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon for it to be called a Cabernet. Just like most men, winemakers like variety too and often blend two to three varietals to make one delicious tasting wine.

About Autumn

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijing . A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called “Love Vines” published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.