Dynamic Duo: My photo shoot with Melissa and Sylvia

If you know me, you know that I am not the absolute best at makeup and hair. I am not horrible, but I tend to look like the girl next door never really getting too glammed up. When I decided it was time to take some shots for my profile on my website, the talented Melissa Baker with Makeup by Mel and creative Sylvia Meir with La Reina Creates Photography stood up to the challenge. They are also new business owners trying to build up their business and they are very passionate about what they do (and it shows).

I am stepping out on a limb and showing you all what I look like without makeup! YIKES! This is great because they can do the same for you and your event. When you look good, you feel good and it shows through your photos. So here goes:

The Before and After Shots with Makeup By Mel
I told her that I had small eyes and I wanted them to "POP"
Mission Accomplished!

The Final Products Below

Photo by La Reina Creates
Makeup by Makeup By Mel

Accesories by Sarah Baker

My Favorite Photo

In deep thought...

I look like a realtor in this picture! Let me sell your event.

Just Dance! Because if your guests aren't dancing then you event is not kicking!

Sylvia MADE me take this picture by the Burleson wall.

Did not really want people to see this, but its important as a person to never forget where you are from because ultimately it has made you the person you are today. (cheesy, I know) Burleson can't be that bad, right? Hello, Kelly Clarkson! ha

Okay, enough of me, because I am sick of looking at myself that many times so I can't imagine what you are thinking.

Melissa and Sylvia took great care of me. I showed up with a few outfits and they had accessories available for me to pick from because Sarah Baker, Melissa's sister, sells jewelry through Premier Designs. They gave me direction, yet let me have some say so. I stepped out of my comfort zone and let them do what they are great at. Ultimately it was fun and I am very happy with the outcome. You should check them out for your event.

Great Christmas gift to give your friends or family members!!!

The Miracle Workers
Makeup By Mel
La Reina Creates

Tell them Fret Knot Events sent you!

Michelle Holland

"Pop-Up" Invitations that will have guests "Popping-in" to your event

You never know who or what you may run into when you are traveling. Sylvia Mier from La Reina Creates Photography was having fun in L.A. and ran into a contact from Snowflake Gift who makes customized pop-up invitations/cards. Some of her clients include the rich and famous! Check out the few below for examples. They make cards for all occasions and fit your style.

Happy Birthday Card - Great to show the different stages in one's life!

Wedding Annoucements to fit your style

Destination Wedding Annoucements - Help guests visualize and get excited about your future destination wedding!

Make the Holidays come alive

Go check out Snowflake Gift - Just in time for Winter, yet it's still warm outside here in Texas. :)

Have a Fret Knot Fab Day!

Michelle

Mother of 4 Baby Store - Gifts for baby

Johnson & Johnson said it best, "Having a Baby changes everything". Having a baby is a huge event and one to be celebrated with close family and friends. Everyone has attended a baby shower where the mom-to-be gets EVERYTHING on her registry and everyone says "How cute" a million times regardless if its truly cute! ha. That is great and all, but where does the surprise element come in to play? Everyone loves surprises, so I think it's good to purchase one gift on the registry and one gift that is totally unexpected and creative.

That is where Mother of 4 Baby Store can come handy.

Jessica, creater of Mother of 4 Baby store, knows firsthand what moms to be will use and need. On top of that, she adds a little flair and creativity that will make your baby stand out.

How she finds the time to create these custom pieces while raising 4 kids is amazing to me! Talk about a multi-tasker!

"People go crazy at Babies R Us buying all the cute little things, but having been there so many times, I have basically figured out what every mom needs to survive the early days." Jessica said. "It all started because I enjoy sewing and making crafty things for baby showers! I take pride in knowing that new parents love and adore the things that I make from my heart."

Check out some of her original designs below.

Pillowcase Dresses
The Pillowcase Dress is a dress made for girls of any size! Its a very versatile piece for every girls wardrobe!

The "Mommy Towel"
The "Mommy Towel" is a cute, fun, and convenient way to bath baby without getting mommy all wet during the fun :)

The "Baby Burpees"
The Burpee is a cute, fun, and stylish burp cloth, sure to grab attention!

Classic Diaper Cakes
You can never go wrong with this gift. Diapers are a must and I would be happy to pay someone else to make this. I heard they take a long time to create!

The "Baby Bath Bundle"
The "Baby Bath Bundle" is a super cute, affordable, easy & convenient way to keep baby neccessities together for on the go!

"I can honestly say that people at baby showers are suprised when they see some of the things I make. I've had people say, 'Can I just come see your house so I know what to register for', its kinda funny :)" said Jessica.

Be sure to call Fret Knot Events to help create an unforgettable baby shower and bring along a gift custom made by Mother of 4 Baby Store. You will have all your friends wanting to have babies just to have the cute party and gifts. Okay maybe not, but it's a reason to celebrate.

Happy Planning!

Michelle

Centerpieces that Rock

Thank you to Nannette for inviting me to "Dinner with Friends" last night. The event theme was "Picture Perfect" and about dealing with unexpected situations that may come up in life. All the hosts sponsored their own table and invited friends who made a difference in their life that year. In addition, the host also pampers and treats their girlfriends to a nice evening filled with great food and conversation topics to get the night started. Nannette is a English teacher who is passionate about books. I loved her table's theme, "A Novel Idea". I wanted to share some of the awesome and creative centerpieces that I ran across at the event. Very simple, very creative and it was so great to see how creative everyone is.

P.S. I apologize for the fuzzy picture quality. I took them with my iPhone which has no flash. Thanks Apple!

The Table Setting created for "A Novel Idea"

She took a "Fairy Tale and Once Upon a Time" Scrapbook page and laminated it.

The napkin rings were made with small book covers that she printed from her computer.

This one has Harry Potter on it -one of her favorite books.

"A Novel Idea" Centerpiece by Nannette

She included all of her favorite books and let us pick one to take home.

Very nice gift - I took home The Kite Runner

Join the Movement
Honoring the hostess's friend who had been diagnosed with MS.

The Mardi Gras Celebration Table


Lime and Green look clean to me!

I love Lime and Black together. Very classy and sharp.


Autumn Themed Table

When Life hands you Lemons...

Thanks again to Nannette for inviting me to a wonderful event that got me really excited about having great people in your life and made me realize no one has a "picture perfect" life. There are going to be challenges and ups and downs. That is why you must celebrate and surround yourself with great people. Most importantly, you must let your supporters know how much you appreciate them. That is why we must continue to have "Dinner with Friends (and Family for that matter)".

I am considering hosting a table next year to show my appreciation to those who have helped me through those "not-so-perfect" times. You know who you are :)

Thanks to all for your continued support!

Fret Knot and Be Happy

Be the "Ghostess" with the "Mostest" this Halloween

It's one of my favorite times of the year - Halloween. Time to eat tons of candy, dress up, and most importantly have an excuse to have a party!!! It's also a fun to see what your family and friends are going to wear and to make fun of them for how silly they look, it's not just for kids anymore.

Tips on throwing a Halloween Bash no one will ever forget -

• Throw away the scary music and come up with music that gets the mood going. This year we are going to play tons of Michael Jackson music (especially Thriller) and other hits that have nothing to do with Halloween, but will get the party started.



• Create a signature drink for the party to enjoy. Make a "Bloody Mary" or "Green Swamp Thing" drink. Get creative, it's your party!



• Have a contest and have a worthwhile prize - This helps encourage people to dress up. There is nothing worse than having a Halloween party where no one dresses up. LAME - O!



• Create a theme - This year is "Tribute to Michael Jackson". It's timely and everyone can have a good time doing their best MJ Impersonation and joining in on the Thriller dance off.


• Candy, Candy, Candy!


• Have fun with the Decor. Have a different theme in each room. Make one room a murder scene while another one is covered in white sheets. Lots of spiderwebs, lots of goblins, and throw in a surprise or two along the way. Nothing is better than pulling a good prank on someone.


• Create a Picture area where people can take pictures on their own. For example, a pumpkin patch or a haunted house with ghosts in the background. Make it funny!

• Be creative with your costume contest and find ways to save some money by getting craftsy. I see people that spend over $100 on a costume they will most likely wear once. I like to go with pop icons. Sarah Palin, Britney Spears, etc. This is easy to find outfits to match these people. This year I am going as Kate Gosslin. I went to the Dollar Store and bought 8 babies for $8 and a wig for $15. I will wear normal clothes and bam there is my costume. My boyfriend is going to wear a fake Ed Hardy shirt and wear a "Dad of the year" Award.

Happy Halloween to all!

Surprised! You're Engaged Real Moment

As I was getting ready to leave for work, I could not help but resist watching Good Morning Texas. They were interviewing a new local business named Surprise! You're Engaged. The founders offer a very unique service: They will film and help orchestrate the proposal. What a great idea, especially when you want to relive that moment over and over. Let's face it sometimes guys need a "little" help when it comes to popping the question.

The founders are actually dating and started the business when they were talking about getting engaged. The segment ended with a proposal aired live on TV. Let's just say she was "Surprised" when she got "Engaged". Watching this is real and actually made my eyes tear up. Nothing beats a genuine and thoughtful proposal. I love to see happy people! Check it out. It's a little long, but its worth the wait.

See video below.

The Knot Launches Gift Registry 360 Tool

Today’s couples register with an average of three retailers, making the current process of managing and shopping from multiple registries an outdated and incredibly limiting experience for couples and their wedding guests. The Knot looked to create a brand-new platform that would provide couples with the individuality and flexibility they want, while at the same time making it easier for wedding guests to find and shop from online wedding registries. Gift Registry 360, or GR 360, is tagged as the next generation of online gift registries and is the first opportunity for many registry retailers to make a meaningful foray into the Facebook environment.

To launch this new initiative, The Knot has partnered with five key registry retailers, Macy’s, Target, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrel.

“We believe Gift Registry 360 is the future of registry gifting because it takes the product information out of the retailer’s websites and puts it into the hands of the couple,” said David Liu, CEO and cofounder of The Knot Inc. “As more and more of our couples use social networking platforms like Facebook to communicate about their weddings, we’re creating a unique and exciting opportunity for our retail partners to make their products available at the point of guest contact where they are most likely to transact.”

The Company has plans to launch the platform on a stand-alone web presence with increased functionality in 2010.

The Knot