Etsy Find: Frankenstein Cake Topper

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd share this adorable little Frankenstein cake topper! Made by Etsy seller BabyGimp, this handpainted piece is a steal at $25. Check it out before it's gone!

Bridal Show Tabletop Update

Oops! Remember back when I featured all those great tablescapes from the Washington Bridal Showcase? Turns out I had one wrong! Here are the photos of Amphora Catering's beautiful entry:Thanks, Elizabeth, for letting me know!

Giveaway from The Paper Cafe

Weddingbee is running yet another awesome giveaway! This one's from The Paper Cafe, which sells all sorts of stationery, cards, stamps, ink, and other fun paper accessories. Until 8pm tonight (hurry!), leave a comment on this Weddingbee post telling them which customized stamper you'd want for yourself.Good luck!

$200 Shopping Spree @ Delight.com!

Delight.com is offering a $200 shopping spree on their website to celebrate their six-month anniversary! Every day they feature a fun product they found online and offer a special price just for one day.
This site also runs DelightfulBlogs.com, of which we are a proud member. Here's how to enter their contest:

—Check out the site (be sure to visit the New Arrivals and Editor’s Picks sections to see all our gorgeous merchandise) and post a comment below telling us what you think is delightful.
—Be sure to leave your email and name so we can easily identify and contact you if you win. (Don’t worry, we don’t share your email, and it is not publicized.)
—Only one comment per person, please!
—Sweepstakes ends Nov. 4th at noon CST.

Happy Halloween

And since I'm going to be tied up for the next day or so with my daughter's 21st birthday, let me jump in early with no shame and a reminder that Halloween is also publication day for my second short story collection.

Two books out in one year! Haven't had that happen in a while.

One of the novellas in the collection is Doctor Hood, originally written for Ellen Datlow's anthology The Dark. And perhaps worth noting because it was the story that introduced the emeritus physics professor Alan Hood, who went on to become the central character in the Eleventh Hour TV series.

Some nice reviews for The Kingdom of Bones out there, including this one from The New York Times. And check out this amazing endorsement from the great Ed Gorman.

Modesty prevents me from quoting from it.

Aww, f*** it...

"I read Stephen Gallagher for two reasons. First because he's one of the most entertaining writers I've ever read. And second because I can't read a short story of his let alone a novel without picking up a few pointers about writing. He's an elegant stylist, a shrewd psychologist and a powerful storyteller with enormous range and depth.

"I finished his latest novel The Kingdom of Bones and I was honestly stunned by what he'd done. The sweep, the majesty, the grit, the grue, the great grief (and the underpinning of gallows humor from time to time). This is not only the finest novel I've read this year but the finest novel I've read in the past two or three years."

Be honest. Would you be able to keep quiet about a lulu of a writeup like that?

Luan Gaines at Curled Up with a Good Book writes one of those reviews that involves a retelling of a lot of the story, but she manages to do it in such a way that you feel encouraged to go and read it for yourself.

It's weird, but these days people seem to like to know exactly what they're getting before they'll buy into it. Endings are sacrosanct but everything else is up for grabs!

OK, advert over and back to the birthday prep. The cake alone has been a production on a West End scale. We parents get to go along to the Sea Zoo and to host a Bistro meal, but we bow out gracefully for the day at the Pleasure Beach and the evening at the tranny bar.

And to think that kids used to be happy with an afternoon in the village hall and that slightly strange bloke who made balloon animals...

UPDATE:

Read Paula Guran's review of Ellen Datlow's new anthology, Inferno, here.

25% Off @ Only Hearts

Thought about your honeymoon wardrobe yet? If not, check out OnlyHearts.com! They sell what they call 'Inner Outerwear' which includes a modest selection of tops and dresses but mostly lingerie and sleepwear. With stores in New York, California, and Italy, they certainly know what they're doing. Thanks to DailyCandy, order soon with code DCOH and get 25% off your entire order!

Venue Spotlight: Sheraton Reston

This week I had the opportunity to attend an open house at the newly renovated Sheraton in Reston, VA! They spent a couple million dollars on this project and their hard work really paid off. Sorry for the photo quality...it was dark...hopefully you get the idea!

The grand ballroom seats about 275 with a dance floor for a wedding:
They had a great martini bar. Look closely down in front...there are two bottles inside an ice sculpture with lemons in the ice:There was a Japanese station with sushi:And a Starbucks station with all the fixins:
This guy was grilling at the Mediterranean station and it smelled SO good:
I naturally indulged in the mashed potato bar:And the dessert buffet:
We toured the guest rooms:
They are now building a sister property, a Westin, right across the parking lot! It'll be open in May, 2008. While it won't have a lot of banquet space for wedding receptions, it'll be perfect for guest room blocks. The best part is that they'll operate through the same sales office so you only have to work with one sales person!

Etsy Find: Custom Map

I adore these perfect little map cards! Etsy seller RetrospectiveDesign emails you a PDF of the map so you can print it on the same paper your invitations are printed on. At $40, this is a steal compared to some other map designers out there.

Cuffs Away!!

So I pop online the other night, as ya do, and I come across another one of my pieces sold, first of all I am thrilled and excited and then I realise that it is actually a fellow buddy of mine on Etsy, whom I have grown to love!!! She is an absolute howl and is just a great person to know. When I first started chatting in the forums on Etsy I met this lady and knew that she was from Ireland , but didn't realise that she was only 30 mins away from me!! I mean how small is this world, out of a site containing hundreds of thousands of people I met and became friends with someone only living down the road from me! (also baring in mind that Etsy is more based in America than in Europe!). Well she bought one of my pieces from me, and I will get a chance to see her wearing it next week over coffee!! oh the wonder of the world wide web .

(oh and if I don't post for a while send out the emergency services, not quite sure if this ones a lunatic for real just yet!!! ) lol.............only kidding (no seriously!) :)

$50 Gift Card from Reston Limousine

Somehow my mom hooked up with a $50 gift card from Reston Limousine! I have no idea how she did this, but she gave it to me. And since I don't directly book transportation for my clients, I'm giving it away!To get this little guy, just leave your email address in the comments below. I'll pick a random winner by Monday at noon!

Congratulations, Miranda & Jerry!

Miranda & Jerry were wed this past Saturday at Foxchase Manor in Manassas, VA! It's actually a very strange coincidence...I'm working at the same venue with the same florist this coming weekend! Small world. I JUST got the pro photos back from Cynthia Kirsch (she's quick!!) but thought I'd share my snapshots first while I'm sorting through all 800 of hers. Here goes:

Foxchase Manor at night:
The 'foyer' area of Foxchase Manor. This is where they held cocktails:The ceremony room. Sorry for the photo quality...the reverend did not allow anyone to use flash during the ceremony and those big velvet curtains block out all the sunlight:Pumpkin place cards!The reception room, nearly set up. The ceremony is happening on the other side of the curtain to the far left:The beautiful (and yummy) wedding cake was made by Cakes by Linda. She even piped on their custom monogram around the tiers and made those beautiful sugar flowers:
Favors were these adorable little bottles of maple syrup:
Barbara at Growing Wild never disappoints:R&R Catering is always a joy to work with:
I loved these beautiful centerpieces, made from ostrich feathers! Barbara has these for rent now, if you like the idea too:Jeff from MyDeejay.com set up quickly, efficiently, and was a pleasure to work with. He kept people on the dance floor, too!

Internship Opportunity!

It's with great pleasure that Soiree is announcing it's very first official internship opportunity! Ideal for college students pursuing a hospitality or special events degree, this unpaid internship will be from mid-December to mid-January and is located in Reston, VA. Email Laura for more details if you're interested!

Since it's hard to read, the cartoon says, "The word 'slave' is so degrading. Why don't we call you 'intern.'"

I promise I don't have palm leaf fans around the office!

20% Off at PiperLime.com

So you use Zappos.com and Shoebuy.com? So do I. But have you heard of Piperlime? This great online shoe store carries name brands and is owned by the same family that owns Banana Republic and Gap. They also have free shipping and free returns like the other guys. How could they go wrong?

Here are some great shoes I found that would be perfect under a wedding dress:They have a 20% sale right now on select styles but you can also use coupon code S1ZZX3L38203 by November 20th to get 20% off your entire order!

Venue Spotlight: Old Ebbitt Grill

I recently assisted Ryan at a wedding at the Old Ebbitt Grill last weekend and while we're waiting for the pro photos, I figured I'd share the ones that I took of the reception. Old Ebbitt is owned by Clyde's Restaurant Group and has been one of DC's most prominent oyster bars since 1856. Frequented by many past US Presidents, this restaurant lives up to it's reputation and has "Washington DC" written all over it.

The Atrium operates as a building lobby during the day (the restaurant's booth-style seating isn't ideal for weddings):
The fountain is gorgeous and perfect for displaying votive candles:Their standard setup for a wedding:The skylight lets in beautiful natural light:
It's prime location near the White House at 15th & E is so central to everything. Here's a photo from Wikipedia. The "8"-shaped building is the Dept. of the Treasury and the red-roofed buildings are the Dept. of Commerce:
That pink arrow is pointing to their rooftop deck, which was recently reopened to private events. You can also see the windows of the skylight on the top of the building! Here's what that deck looks like. Imagine cocktail hour here:
And the view from the rooftop deck! You can also see the White House but I liked this shot better:
Jeanine and Gina are the ladies to see at Old Ebbitt and the service is fantastic. If you're considering a venue for your DC wedding, don't forget about this treasure!