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California Center for the Arts, Escondido

California Center for the Arts, Escondido – – the cultural heart of San Diego North. The Center is a multi-discipline arts complex situated on a lush, 12-acre campus. At our one-of-a-kind venue you’ll find two theaters, a 9,000 square foot Conference Center, art and education studios and a museum featuring regional art, as well as internationally known artists and traveling exhibitions

Upcoming Events:  ”An Evening with Anthony Bourdain”, Cooking Classes, “Celebreation of Music”, “16th Annual Holiday Concernt”,  “Annie” and many more events and concerts.

Click here for current and future performances: http://www.artcenter.org/performances/index.html

Read Your Lips

Confident, spontaneous, sophisticated or trendy? What is your lipstick saying about you? While some women stay true to one color, others keep a collection of shades to wear whenever the mood strikes them. Read on to find out what your favorite lip shades might reveal about you.

Pinks
The woman who treasures a pink lip shade possesses a beauty that never goes out of style. Classy and feminine, she’s the measure of a true lady. But don’t be surprised to discover a fun, flirty side winking beneath the pink.

Metals
A metallic lip luster is the perfect shade for a girl on the cutting edge of fashion. She knows how to add that extra something to make any outfit go from simple to amazing. And when it comes to the next new thing, you can bet she’s already there.

Berries
You’ll find shades of berry on the lips of a woman living life to the fullest. She’s energetic, enthusiastic and walks into a room with confidence. It’s no wonder she’s drawn to a lip shade as lively as the life she’s leading.

Neutrals
Don’t be fooled by demure lips in neutrals. When it comes to expressing her style, this woman knows how to make a bold statement. Spend an afternoon with her, and you’ll learn to expect the delightfully unexpected.

Chocolates
Generous and giving, the woman with a loving heart can’t resist a lipstick in a warm chocolate shade. She exudes genuine affection. She’ll make you feel fabulous. And of course, she’s as sweet as candy.

Tawnies
For the sophisticated woman, tawnies are the lip shade of choice. Gifted with impeccable taste, she appreciates the fine things in life from beautiful art to artisan coffee. When it comes to perfecting her pucker, only a shade of tawny will do.

Red
She’s confident and sophisticated. She’s glamorous, trendy and classic all at the same time. She’s true to the end, and her beauty spans a lifetime. What more can we say about the woman in red?

Courtesy of Stacey Moffat with Mary Kay  http://www.thewedclub.com/vendorMaryKay.html

We are excited to announce our Winter 2011 Bridal Shows:

We will keep you posted about the many exciting events and specials that will be happening at each of the bridal shows.  Vendors if you are interested in exhibiting at one or both of these shows, please visit http://www.thewedclub.com/showexhibitor.html to request vendor information.

After the engagement dust settles, you’ll need to get down to the business of planning your wedding.

We know that wedding planning can be no small undertaking so we’ve put together a Wedding Checklist to help you stay focused and organized.

You’ll need to interview and hire a number of Wedding Services companies to help make your special day all that you’ve dreamt it would be.

Click here for Wedding Services, Helpful Advice, Bridal Show information and much more:  www.thewedclub.com

Friar Tux Shop

Friar Tux Shop

First of all, thank you to all the brides and guests who attended our July 25th Bridal Show at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa.  We hope you had an enjoyable time and were able to book many of your wedding services.

 
A big thank you to our show sponsors: Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, Alfred Angelo, Hoteles Solaris, Paradise Travel and Re3 Med Spa and Salon.
 
And finally, to all our wonderful wedding companies that exhibited in the show. Thank you!  We had a great turn out and brides were able to meet over 70 top wedding professionals from dresses to honeymoon and everything in between!
 
For a full list of sponsors, show exhibitors, photos and more, please visit:  www.carlsbadbridalshow.com

For some, accumulating frequent flyers miles is a fun little obsession. But that fun comes crashing to a halt once it’s time to cash in and get the tickets you want. Between changing mileage programs and new credit cards that allow passengers to buy their way into elite status, you’re suddenly finding yourself fighting to get the seats you deserve.

Here are five ways to get the most out of your frequent flyer miles.

Choose Your Goal, then Work the System to Achieve It
Don’t assume you’ll use your miles someday to go somewhere. It’s best to have a specific destination in mind, such as Australia, and then make sure you’re enrolled in a program that requires the least number of miles to get there. Choose a program that gives you the flexibility to use your miles on as many carriers as possible to get to your goal destination. To find the best program, find out which international carriers partner with the airline you rack up the most miles on, compare how many miles in each program it’ll take to get to your target destination, and then find out how many free seats each carrier gives away on their flights. Our experienced travel consultants can help you with this.

Choose the Right Credit Card
Flexibility is key to maximizing your miles, so find a credit card that lets you redeem miles on a wide array of airlines or one that offers double miles on travel or other purchases. One to look out for is the Starwood card from American Express® card, which not only accumulates Starwood Starpoints® for free hotel stays, but also gives you a 20% bonus when you transfer miles to other airline frequent flyer programs.

Look for One-Way Awards
Since some programs offer one-way awards, think about flying into one airport and returning from another. This tactic works best for major, multi-airport cities (think Chicago, New York or Washington, DC), but it’s a good trick to have in your back pocket.

Search Early, Real Early
Some carriers change their award inventory on Friday and Saturday afternoons, and those updates don’t go into effect until midnight. So don’t wait until Monday to call for your award seat; try 12:01 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday.

Watch Out for Expiring Miles

If your airline miles are about to expire, but you don’t have a trip planned or you can’t afford to take any more vacation days from work, spend a small portion of your miles elsewhere. Instead of spending the bulk of your miles on one plane ticket, you can keep your account active by purchasing a smaller item, such as a gift certificate to restaurants or magazine subscriptions, which sometimes gives you a greater value for the miles you spend. Likewise, several major airlines are connected to dining programs, offering miles for meals at thousands of restaurants, for a tasty way to keep your account active.

*Article Courtesy of Paradise Travel Services.  Paradise Travel Services is a full service travel agency that specializes in honeymoons and destination weddings.  http://www.thewedclub.com/vendorparadise.html

 

Our company is commited to giving back our community.  Each bridal show we select a local charity to support with donations and public awareness.  For the upcoming show we are pleased and honored to be working with F.A.C.E.S. at our upcoming bridal show.  F.A.C.E.S is helping make a difference in the lives of abused children.  You can find out more about this needed charity at www.facesca.org.

If you are planning on attending the July 25th bridal show at the Sheraton Carlsbad, we will be offering 3 exclusive charity prizes.  Total value of the prizes is over $2,400 (information about the prizes is included in the previous blog posting – just scroll down).  Each raffle ticket is $5 and there is no limit to the amount you can buy.  100% of the proceeds go directly to the charity.  Representatives from F.A.C.E.S., along with Mrs. Southern California, will be at the show.  Mrs Southern California is on the board of this charity.  Join us as we do our part and help these needy children.

Join us for our summer bridal show at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa.  We will be giving away thousands of dollars in prizes.  Every bride will have a chance to win these great prizes:

3 Grand Prizes:

General Show Prizes:

Special Charity Raffle for F.A.C.E.S. charity www.facesca.org (100% of the proceeds to be donated to Mrs. Southern California’s favorite charity – each raffle ticket is $5).  3 separate prizes:

Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

Our bridal show is just 2 weeks from this Sunday and we are getting ready for a great show!  We are pleased and honored to be working with so many top wedding professionals.  You truly can plan everything you need for your wedding at this show.

Of course there will be caterers, bakers, photographers, videograhers, florists, venues, bridal salons and honeymoon specialists.  But there will be many unique companies as well:  custom jewelry, photobooths, bachelorette parties, speciality gift registries, spas, linens and so much more.  For a current list of vendors, please click here:  http://www.carlsbadbridalshow.com/Exhibitors.html

Glenn Currie Photography www.glenncurrie.com

Book ‘em fast
Hire your photographer as soon as you’ve decided on your ceremony and reception site. Popular ones are booked up to a year in advance.

Plan, research, and share ideas
Turn to bridal magazines and visit Brides.com to find styles of photography that you like. Get recommendations from friends and brides in your area or chat with fellow brides in our message boards.

Learn what videographers are doing now
Choose from a variety of videography options including a documentary-style video of your wedding story—from engagement to honeymoon. Videographers can also create a “How We Met” montage by pulling together old photographs and interviews with the engaged couple and family and friends. Couples are opting to create “Save the Date” video invitations, alerting guests to the upcoming nuptials while providing a preview of what’s to come. Live webcasting now lets couples “broadcast” their special day online so those who could not attend the wedding get to participate in the festivities, virtually.

Interview time
Once you’ve gotten referrals, narrow your list to three photographers and meet with each one in person. Ask to see his or her portfolio. If your request is denied, move on—that’s a red flag.

Studio service
If you are working with a studio, look at the work of several of their freelancers. Voice your preferences about who you want to work with, and move on if the photographer you’re interviewing resists.

Expert portfolio
Make sure the photographer has experience shooting the style you’re after. Bring examples of styles you like. He or she should also have shot in the conditions in which you’ll be marrying, like beach ceremonies or dimly lit receptions.

Check references
If you don’t know someone who has worked with the photographer before, ask for references. If your request is denied, move on—that’s another red flag.

Bedside manners
Choose someone that you’re comfortable with; the last thing that any bride wants on her wedding day is a photographer who yells at the wedding party or makes crude jokes.

Article courtesy of Brides Southern California
Photo courtesy of Glenn Currie Photography:  http://www.glenncurrie.com