All dressed up…

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!

Wedding bells and Springtime tales

As the frost finally fades from my yard and my mind, I start to think of the pastel colors, romance and flowers that are common to all those spring weddings I’ll be attending over the next few months.

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!

 

A kinder, greener office space

I read today that the White House is going green, so it seems like a good time to find some ways to make my own office greener.

I plan to start with the standard “reduce, reuse and recycle” since I already reduce a lot – using less paper and other resources saves money. Since I do a lot of my business for Star50 online, I already use less paper than more traditional businesses. Of course, there is always more we can all do and I plan to do my part!

Recycling, too, is easy. Simply set up bins in a central location for paper, plastic, glass and aluminum cans. I plan to have paper collection bins in several location throughout the office – near printers, copiers and workstations. If you can’t get recycling picked up at your office, you can either take it home for curbside recycling or drop it off at a recycling center on the way home from work.

With the green bug hitting so many people, greener office supplies are becoming more and more available. You can buy everything from organic cleaning supplies to recycled paper to keep your office environmentally friendly. With all the shipping I do, I was happy to find that I can even buy and use green packing materials! Committing to go green with even one product line such as packing materials, can make a huge difference in a business’s environmental footprint.

Another simple and easy way to go green at work is to turn off computers when they are not in use. According to goinggreen.com, nearly half of U.S. employees who use a PC don’t shut down their computers at the end of the workday, wasting energy costing billions each year.

If you are on and off the computer all day, check out the eco-button that allows you to quickly and easily stop and restart the computer each time you step away from the computer.

You can also reduce your energy usage at the office by replacing light bulbs with CFEs or LED lights when they burn out. Both can save energy and save you money. According to The Daily Green, LEDs can save up to $20 a month in locations where the lights are left on all of the time.

There are so many ways to make my office greener I can’t wait to get started!

Anybody out there?

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

It’s that time again!

It’s time to shop, ladies! Visit the Star50 Myspace page Tuesday, June 17th for another fun Star50 Handbags Purse Party.

Rules are the same…a special discount will be given on bags purchased Tuesday. Get ready to stock up on summer essentials and make your closet the envy of all your friends.

Or, you could be nice and invite them to the party too! 

Bag It!

Summer is officially here which means it’s time to pack away the winter bags and break out the fun! This season, almost anything goes. It’s all about texture, color and design. Head from the beach to brunch with a durable, bright-colored bag like the Hawaii Weekender by Star50 Handbags. Available in seven fun colors from canary yellow to pacific blue, the wood handles and kicky flowered lining take it worlds away from your usual purse. After all, it’s all about the details!

 
For an evening out you can’t go wrong with a hot clutch in a unique design. The Wisconsin Porter embodies just that. Not only is the nylon body rugged, it’s sleek and sophisticated! A double whammy! Available in six colors, you’ll be the envy of the party when you show up with this little number.

 
 
This summer, celebrate your unique self with a fun bag that tells a story. Visit Star50 Handbags to see even more!

Busy Bee!

Star50 has been busy! First there were the purse parties and now — a girls night!

Star50 Handbags will be participating in Shecky’s Girls Night Out in Denver, CO May 29th from 5-10 p.m.! Check out this great shopping party and stock up on your favorite Star50 bags!

What does the day include?

Shop up to 50 hot brands in the emerging fashion & accessories pavilion.
Sip delicious cocktails & refreshments at the 5-hour complimentary bars.
Sample fabulous products & services by their supreme sponsors.
Scoreloads of goodies in Shecky’s Deluxe Goodie Bag.

Click here for full details.

But that’s not all! Star50 Handbags is on a roll! On June 10th Star50 will be participating in the Holiday Gift Guide Media Event in New York City sponsored by The Gift List Media and AdVance Public Relations. Details to come!

Last Chance!

This weekend is your last chance to shop the Star50 Purse Party! It all ends May 12th at 5pm MST. 
 
Click here for complete contest rules and blog addresses. Enter at each blog and get your shopping code for 50% off at www.star50bags.com.

Last minute gift for Mother’s Day? Gift for the soon-to-be graduate? A treat just for you?

Don’t wait! An offer like this doesn’t come around often.

Happy Shopping!

Reminder!

…One for you and one for me…
Mother’s Day Purse Event

Giveaways going on right now!
 
Don’t forget,
Party ends May 12th at 5pm MST. 
 
Click here for complete contest rules and blog addresses. Enter at each blog and get your shopping code for 50% off at
www.star50bags.com

Purse Party Fun!

On May 1st through 12th  you and your friends can receive a 50% discount on your full order at Star50 by answering a specific question in the comment section of one of the nine participating blogs. Make sure to grab the special code from each blog to receive the discount. You heard right, 50% off! (not including shipping)

Click HERE for full contest rules.

And check out all of these blogs for your chance to shop!

http://thefashionablehousewife.com                                         
http://urbansocialite.com/2008/05/02/win-me/                                                    
www.celebrity-moms.com                                                                     
http://thedomesticdiva.org                                                            
http://www.sheknows.com/articles/contests-and-freebies/803724                                                               
www.fashionfling.com                                                            
http://www.styledash.com/2008/05/01/the-winner-of-the-star-50-bag-giveaway-is/                                                                     
http://pjmommy.com/?p=746          
http://efamilyblogger.com/archives/star50-purse-party-handbag-giveaway#comment-