I’ve been busy this week shopping for cute new outfits for all the upcoming spring weddings I plan to attend. What I need to wear varies with the type of wedding and time of day, so I’ll be needing several new dresses.

For example, business attire is OK for an informal daytime wedding, but an informal wedding in the evening calls for a cocktail dress. Semi-formal usually means a short dress in the daytime and a cocktail dress in the evening.

For those formal weddings, a short dress with a hat and gloves is fine if it’s during the day, but if it’s in the evening, a long dress or extremely dressy cocktail dress is all that will make the grade. Not too many people have white tie, or ultra-formal weddings anymore. Those usually call for a long gown with lots of glitz, including diamonds and furs!

While your dress can be almost any color other than white, it’s a great idea to pick a bright, fun color for spring. If you aren’t sure what colors are flattering to you, any shade of blue or pink is usually a good choice. While pastels are great for daytime weddings, you may want to look for bold colors like red or gold when choosing attire for an evening event.

And, of course, glam heeled shoes or sandals and a cute handbag are always a must for a spring wedding. I like a little sparkle in my handbags, especially for weddings. That’s why I’ve designed several Star 50 handbags with glitter and glam!

If you are lucky like me and get to dress your date, a dark suit and a conservative tie will work for almost any occasion. While you don’t want to get to cutesy with the suit, it’s always a nice touch to have your man’s tie blend with your dress.

Of course, if the invite states white tie or black tie, your date will need to wear a tuxedo with the corresponding tie color!

Have fun and I can’t wait to hear what you’re wearing this spring!

Whether you’re the bride, the bridesmaid or just an honored guest, you have to be prepared for torrential downpours or blazing sun when getting ready for a spring wedding. Time to get a coordinating umbrella to tuck inside your favorite handbag so you don’t have to run and hide at the first sprinkle of spring.

Yet, most spring weddings see plenty of sun, making them just as much fun for the guests as for the bride and wedding party. With the weather finally warm enough for outdoor ceremonies and receptions, guests can bask in the sun or look up at the stars and find their own bit of romance right in the middle of the ceremony or on a quick private stroll outside the wedding or reception hall.

After a winter of jackets and layers, we can finally shed those coats and show off the vibrant florals that spring inspired. What better excuse to buy a new dress or handbag than going to a spring wedding. And what better place to wear last year’s classic dress?

Spring also affords some glorious options and fun for the bride and groom. I always love to see what flowery color combinations brides will choose for spring weddings. Pink, tangerine, lilac, lime and yellow are all popular colors for spring weddings this year. I’ve always loved these pastels in the spring, but I’ve also seen some lovely weddings themed on hot pink or fuchsia.

One good thing about a spring wedding is that so many types of flowers are in season. A bride can choose just one or many combined into a colorful nosegay. Roses, tulips, hyacinth, lilies and Gerber daisies and multi-colored calla lilies are all in season now and add to the fanciful romance of a spring wedding.

I’d love to hear about your spring wedding or the ones you plan to attend. Post a comment to tell me all about it!

With job security down and gas prices up, it seems more people than ever are opting for a staycation – finding fun and relaxation at home. If you have even a little money to spend on your summer entertainment, why not spend it sprucing up your own yard to make your staycation even more enjoyable?

With the right plants and conservation practices, you can easily create an inviting place for birds, nature, and your family with minimal cost and effort. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) offer a free Backyard Conservation booklet that showcases simple backyard conservation practices. These include simple ideas for terracing, tree planting, composting, mulching, wildlife habitat, wetlands, ponds and water conservation.

If you have a larger yard and time to work in it, designing a garden is a natural way to escape for awhile. It’s always best to work with what you have, so depending on the native plants and existing landscaping in your yard, you may choose to plant a woodland landscape, a butterfly garden or a xeriscape garden. All of these garden types are generally easy to plant and maintain and are likely to use plants already existing in your yard.

Patios offer similar benefits to decks, but are made of stone, brick, patio pavers or concrete. If you decide to add a box garden or planters to your patio, plan to locate them in areas that receive consistent sunlight. A small fountain can also add a peaceful feel to your patio or deck and obscure noises from neighbors in an urban area.

As for me, I’m off to spend some time relaxing and watching birds in my backyard!  While I’m there, post a comment about how you escape to your own backyard!

We want to hear from you!  What kind of information are you looking for–travel or fashion?  Unfortunately we didn’t get the kind of response we were looking for last time we asked, so we’re going trying it again.

Here at Star50 we love to talk about the quirky, the kitsch, and the undiscovered but we also love to discuss fashion.  I mean, who doesn’t love to talk handbags, hats, shoes, and makeup, right?

So give it to us straight.  We created a survey on www.constantcontact.com

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2fzz171fq76t5vh/start

Let us know how we can help you have a better, happy-feel-good experience with us; whether its shopping on our site our reading this blog,  give me the chance to do it right.

Thanks and enjoy the trip!

Amity

You’re a hard working woman and you deserve a day of pampering. Why not head to a spa? A few years ago the Today Show did a piece on the best places to take a girlfriend retreat and it’s definitely worth sharing! Here’s what they had to say:

Hurleyville, N.Y.
Sanivan Holistic Spa
Sanivan is like a B&B for the soul. In a Catskills town two hours northwest of Manhattan, the spa is owned by Ivan Rivas and Saniye Gungor – a masseur and a shiatsu therapist/shaman, respectively. The husband-and-wife duo offers a smorgasbord of indulgences: personally tailored herbal facials (60 minutes, $80), aromatherapy shiatsu massages (90 minutes, $90), and even 100-percent oxygen treatments for improving blood flow and strengthening the immune system (120 minutes, $225).

With only three bedrooms, the spa promises individualized attention, something Lynne Nordone from Long Island found most rewarding. “You revitalize from the inside out and always learn something you can take home,” says Nordone, who eagerly devoured Gungor’s “delicious raw food” (cooked grains, chicken, and fish are also available). Sanivan practices what it preaches: All linens and food are organic, trash is recycled, and even the heated pool is ozonated (translation: minimal chlorine). Guests spend downtime walking the outdoor meditation labyrinth and curling up with one of five Angora cats, the spa’s “spiritual guides.”

Neversink, N.Y.
New Age Health Spa
On 280 acres near Catskill Park, New Age Health Spa hardly feels like it’s only two hours from Manhattan. The spa complex is made up of nine newly renovated buildings, each with a Native American moniker; outdoor paths lined with flower beds connect the guest lodges. New Age lives up to its name with treatments such as a Native Sun Purification (50 minutes, $95), which incorporates herbs that many tribes use in cleansing rituals. (The herbs are grown in the spa’s greenhouses.) Roberta Springer, a New York City resident, has been a regular since New Age opened 20 years ago. “I’ve been at least 50 times,” she says. “I was hooked the first weekend.” Nature lovers sign up for eco-adventure programs (bald-eagle watching or the Alpine Tower climb), and spiritual seekers try anything from tarot-card readings to silent reflection in the spa’s state-of-the-art Cayuga Yoga and Meditation Center. It’s decked out with heated floors, walls lined with 10,000 feet of redwood, and an enormous stone fireplace.

Neversink, N.Y.
New Age Health Spa
On 280 acres near Catskill Park, New Age Health Spa hardly feels like it’s only two hours from Manhattan. The spa complex is made up of nine newly renovated buildings, each with a Native American moniker; outdoor paths lined with flower beds connect the guest lodges. New Age lives up to its name with treatments such as a Native Sun Purification (50 minutes, $95), which incorporates herbs that many tribes use in cleansing rituals. (The herbs are grown in the spa’s greenhouses.) Roberta Springer, a New York City resident, has been a regular since New Age opened 20 years ago. “I’ve been at least 50 times,” she says. “I was hooked the first weekend.” Nature lovers sign up for eco-adventure programs (bald-eagle watching or the Alpine Tower climb), and spiritual seekers try anything from tarot-card readings to silent reflection in the spa’s state-of-the-art Cayuga Yoga and Meditation Center. It’s decked out with heated floors, walls lined with 10,000 feet of redwood, and an enormous stone fireplace.

East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Deerfield Spa
If Laura Ashley and Richard Simmons had a child, Deerfield would be it. In a sprawling former Victorian inn in the Poconos, the spa is all wicker, white linens, and soft florals throughout its 22 cozy bedrooms and three lounge areas. That country comfort stops, though, once you step into one of two 24-hour gyms, join an aquatic karate session in the heated pool, or sit down to a calorie-conscious meal of cumin- and feta-infused lentil loaf (no red meat here). Deerfield has regular lectures, guided two-hour Appalachian Trail hikes, 61 different weekly aerobics and fitness classes, and best of all, a staff-to-guest ratio of about two to one. First-time visitor Lola West of New York City, who stayed in the two-person cottage annex, found the intimacy refreshing: “The owner [Joan Wolff] has a great disposition that’s reflected in the staff. Everyone is so friendly.” Overextended muscles get relief in classic treatments like seaweed wraps (50 minutes, $85) and Swedish massages (50 minutes, $65); more uncommon treats include Nuat Thai, an ancient Buddhist floor massage dubbed “lazy man’s yoga;” and the newly added LumiLift, a light-therapy facial that uses a small current to stimulate sagging muscles.

Happy relaxing!

It’s finally May! Just a few weeks until Memorial Day weekend, and summer is right around the corner! If you’re anything like me, you can’t wait to break out those cute sundresses and walking shorts and pack away the winter clothes.

But if you’re like me, you also have skin that hasn’t seen sun in many, many months and could use a safe and healthy bronze before donning your summer duds.

For a DIY solution, head over to your local pharmacy. The shelves are packed with self tanners that will get you the glow you desire. Some of my favorites are:

Jergens Natural Glow. The daily moisturizer delivers just the right amount of color at a gradual pace so you never look fake or orange. The lotion comes in three shades so you can easily find the one best for you.

L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion.  Probably my favorite self-tanner out there. The lotion provides an instant glimmer, perfect for a night out, and after just two applications you will see a noticeably, tanner difference. Go easy on elbows and knees, as they tend to soak up more lotion, which can result in dark spots.

For even, full-body coverage, consider Mystic Tan.  You enter a booth, where your whole body is sprayed with a fine even mist, giving you a hint a color that changes into a natural-looking tan in 4-8 hours. I’ve done this many times before a big event to even out my skin tone. It works great!

Happy self-tanning! And remember, when out in the sun, be sure to use sunscreen!