1 year of Wedded BLISS [ 8.31.15 ]

One year ago today, I walked down the aisle and said ‘I Do’ to my soulmate.

Soulmate… how cliché right? I know. BUT it’s true. There is no one in my life that knows me and accepts me for me, the way my husband does.

I remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. You can’t control everything on your big day so we just went with the flow and the whole night was just truly magical. I never got a chance to post about our Wedding Day so I wanted to share with everyone some pictures from the day as well as post about our amazing vendors.

Enjoy 🙂

 

Our wedding was picture perfect, but the whole day wouldn’t have been as successful as it was if it wasn’t for our amazing vendors so I owe a huge THANK YOU to each and every one of them! Feel free to message me if you need any direct e-mails to contact them. I truly loved every vendor we chose and would recommend them to everyone.

1st and foremost, my Mom! She came up with the design of the decor down the aisle as well as the center pieces and not only set everything up herself with the help from my florist, but purchased all the details.

Cinematography: Live Picture Studios – Words cannot describe how happy we were with the work from Live Picture Studios. From our Cinematic Highlight to the Regular Edit, we were just blown away. I HIGHLY recommend them. You can check out our Highlight film HERE.

Entertainment: Mystical Entertainment – My husband and I had a special place in our hearts for the DJ Company we went with because we all went to the same school together. Having 2 people DJ your wedding that you basically grew up with is pretty special in itself but in general John & Mike always go above and beyond for ALL of their clients to make your special night a memorable one. Our guests were on the dance floor from the minute we walked in until we had to leave. They will walk you through every step of the process from the ceremony to the reception and make sure they deliver exactly what you expect and much more. We can’t thank them enough. Everyone always says there are 2 things people will always remember from your wedding.. the food & the music. It’s safe to say that a year later we still get compliments on how amazing they were.

Ceremony & Reception Location: Grand Marquis / Officiant: Cari Chrisostomou Schonfeld Photographer: Photovisions / Floral Designer: Vine & Branches Floral Designs / Wedding Gown Designer: Mori Lee / Shoes: Kate Spade / Formal Attire: Calvin Klein   / Hair Stylists: Lucia Viola & Verve on Location / Makeup Artists: Benita Negron & Wandy Soto

Welcome to the 30’s Club!

Another BirthDAY in the books! So many people view turning 30 as a scary thing but I found it to be quite the opposite. Maybe it’s because my nephew told me I look more like 23 than 30 lol but I think most of all it’s because while turning 30 I also happen to be 30 weeks pregnant. This birthday marks the last “Party of 2” and the beautiful chapter of parenthood will soon begin. I also feel so much more thankful this year. I’m thankful for my INCREDIBLE husband, my family (which includes my girls because they are not just friends to me), all the new people I have had the chance to connect & create friendships with as well as all the opportunities that have come my way. Thank you everyone for the beautiful messages & birthday wishes. Cheers to entering the #30Club!! [7.14]

07.01.15

Simmons Kids Body Positioner

Upon entering my 6th month of pregnancy, I was having a having a hard time sleeping at night. I found myself constantly tossing and turning and just not getting comfortable. I finally gave in and decided to try out a body pillow.

Body Positioner from Simmons Kids

The Body Positioner from Simmons Kids is designed to cradle the body at every stage of pregnancy, the memory foam construction helps to reduce pressure points and offers extra support in the lumbar, tummy, feet and knees. The ThermoCool pillow cover is washable and is made of a super soft organic blend that helps to create a cool and comfortable sleeping environment for a sound night’s sleep.

I have been using this positioner to not only sleep but also for when watching tv as well as reading books in bed. I am now almost 7 months and laying on my back while doing those things is just not possible anymore so I’m so thankful to have the Body Positioner from Simmons Kids. I definitely recommend all you fellow mommy’s-to-be to check it out!

….& Baby Makes 3

Hi everyone!!!!

As you can see… I’ve been M.IA!

Thank you to all of my loyal followers for sticking with me and following me on Instagram (@pearls_and_paris) & Twitter (@pearlsNparis_xo) since it’s been quiet on WordPress for me.

As you may or not know already, I am pregnant!

Here is a look at our pregnancy announcement while we were away in Europe in May:

Bonjour from Paris!!! There’s 3 of us in this picture… but one of us is camera-shy until September 2015

This week I will be 25 weeks. The first few months of being pregnant really did a number on me. While thankfully I didn’t experience sickness like so many pregnant woman do, the fatigue was really bad. I just recently started getting my energy back and so I’m making sure I get back into blogging but feel free to follow me on my other social media sites as I update them a lot more frequently throughout the day. As I make this wonderful transition into motherhood, I will also be making a few changes on my blog. First – I need to play catch up. I attended so many fabulous shows during NYFW in February and never got to post about them so I will focus on that as well as get into my normal Beauty & Fashion posts and some collection previews I’ve been to but I also will add a Motherhood section. I will be posting some product reviews and suggestions for expecting mom’s. If any of you have anything specific you would like me to talk about or review – please leave a comment below 🙂

xo

03.01.15

What’s in your bag? #NYFW

New York Fashion Week was held from February 11-19th. It was a week filled with networking, activities, after parties but most importantly…. FASHION! I traveled into NYC from New Jersey so I made sure to have a larger bag with me so I can pack everything I need for the day since I wasn’t be able to head home in between shows. Here are just a few of my MUST HAVE items that I packed with me for #NYFW.

1. My camera, Nikon D3200 – I never leave home without my camera when I am headed to events. As a blogger, the photos accompanying the post are just as important as the content.

2. Business Cards! – This is one of those items that you should always have on you. You never know who you will run into when out & it’s better to be prepared.

3.Cell Phone & battery pack – In this day & age, I don’t know anyone who can be away from their phone for more than 5 minutes. During NYFW, you are constantly checking out social media and posting updates so having a battery pack is super important for when your phone starts to die and you need a recharge.

4. Gum – Self Explanatory, everyone likes minty breath 🙂

5. Oil Blotting Papers – I’m super oily so I never leave home without blotting papers.

6. Urban Decay Naked on the Run – This palette saved me during this NYFW season. It is the ultimate beauty traveling kit. I usually keep a mini make up bag with me and mid day all the contents are randomly spread throughout my purse. This kit has all your needs in 1 case and has everything you need for a complete look or just a touch up. Here’s what is included: Eyeshadow: Dive (metallic rose w/golden micro-shimmer), Fix (soft taupe matte), Resist (medium metallic taupe), Dare (medium brown matte), Stun (metallic bronze w/light gold micro-shimmer) and 5050 (cool bisque satin). Bronzer: medium bronze matte. Blush: vibrant pink w/light shimmer. Perversion Mascara: blackest black. 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil: Stag (deep brown satin). Naked Lipgloss: Sesso (rose w/pink shimmer). Everything about this palette is perfection. I often find myself reaching for it when I have limited time at home to get ready as well.

So ladies, what are the items you must have at all times in your bag?

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Her

February 14th – to some this is just another day but for others this day is all about LOVE & spoiling your significant other. Since Valentine’s Day is just a few short days away, I wanted to give you some great gift ideas for the special lady in your life.

Let’s start off with the basics…. Roses & Chocolate. This is your traditional go-to gift when it comes to woo’ing your lady. Roses will never be out of style and who can say no to chocolate? Go with a bouquet of roses in her favorite color or change it up with a mixed bouquet that includes Lilys (my fav), Tulips or Orchids. As for chocolate, anything goes – boxed chocolate, truffles or any dipped fruit is sure to get her smiling.

Beauty Gifts: This is a personal favorite of mine. I have always had the mind frame that a floral arrangement will eventually dry up but a floral scented perfume is the gift that keeps giving. Here are a few beauty items you cannot go wrong with this Valentine’s Day.

Ralph Lauren Midnight Romance – With notes of pink peony, black vanilla and raspberry; this scent is deep & rich while being very sophisticated. The floral tone makes it ultra romantic and its lasting ability is an absolute plus.

Clinique Hello Cheekbones Collection – Us women LOVE to contour. Clinique has some amazing products that makes this beauty technique super easy. My two favorites are the Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour & Highlight. Creamy contouring stick creates the illusion of depth; makes areas appear to recede while the luminous cream highlighting stick with light-reflecting optics brings your best features forward. They also have some amazing Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palettes that have natural-looking shades that blend and build beautifully. Use each separately to colour, contour, highlight. Or swirl them together for a quick easy glow. Use mid-toned shade as a blush, deep-toned shade to contour, lightest shade to highlight. For a quick, easy glow swirl brush over entire palette and dust over apples of cheeks.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Lipcolor – As a beauty junkie, these types of gifts basically make me have butterflies. I can never have too many lipsticks. I really love this one because of its pigmentation and because it is long-lasting. It also moisturizes. Pick up the shade: Red Infallible and she will be leaving you rose colored kisses!

For the gentleman in you that really wants to step out of the box this Valentine’s Day, how about the gift of a LBD? Women can never have too many ‘Little Black Dresses‘ and I think this type of gift really stands out and is not only unique but thoughtful. If you have dinner plans, hand her the box in the morning and let her know you want her to wear it out that night. DO make sure that you purchase a dress for her body type and one that is her style. I promise, this is a gift she will not forget!

I hope these gift ideas helped out & I hope you have a fabulous Valentine’s Day filled with love!

Rihanna + Harper’s Baazar March 2015

“They say in life we all swim with sharks. But that’s not enough for Rihanna. On the 40th anniversary of Jaws, she faces off with three eight-foot predators for Bazaar’s March 2015 Issue.”

Can you imagine being asked to swim with sharks for a photoshoot? I can’t… but that’s just another day in the life of the fabulous & fearless Rihanna. The shoot took place this past December at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. In this tank, 3 sand tiger shark live. They are all over 3 feet. The end result was nothing less than spectacular.

LAURA BROWN: Swimming with sharks is not only scary, it’s a big metaphor. How did you learn to swim with the sharks of life?

RIHANNA: I try my best to avoid the sharks of life, but I have had my share of experiences with them, and in those cases I just have to handle them accordingly. But I do not swim with sharks … sharks swim with sharks.

LB: Being famous for a decade now, you would have had to develop a thick skin. In what ways are you tough, and in what ways are you sensitive?

R: This skin has been developing since my first day at school. It didn’t happen after fame; I couldn’t survive fame if I didn’t already have it. So sometimes the toughest thing in life is to be vulnerable. I’m not generally a sensitive person, but I tend to be more sensitive toward others and what they’re going through. I don’t know if that’s the healthiest thing, but it’s the truth.

LB: What is a perfect day for you?

R: The day I wake up without cellulite? Now that would be the perfect day.

To read the whole interview, click HERE.

PC: Norman Jean Roy

01.01.15