tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75925620031224999882024-03-13T17:43:45.434-07:00The Wedding PlannersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-53085268273293896712009-08-31T05:17:00.001-07:002009-08-31T05:19:44.109-07:00Dessert: A Sweet Concept<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB_C2LkIeg2cbQoYLSd9T3w7gW7VIncNm0bHtk78qhTG4Xc_Mic0GTu1p0o6at-4D_iQzx_LY67bandRaut1VHY3z9-yz73NLsKH8AlWurKmftM687Dtt0NxKMXZIzUx7LYo2-mtTVPE/s1600-h/Fruit+Pavlova.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376100999433277378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB_C2LkIeg2cbQoYLSd9T3w7gW7VIncNm0bHtk78qhTG4Xc_Mic0GTu1p0o6at-4D_iQzx_LY67bandRaut1VHY3z9-yz73NLsKH8AlWurKmftM687Dtt0NxKMXZIzUx7LYo2-mtTVPE/s200/Fruit+Pavlova.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Today, I blogged over on eHarlequin about <a href="http://community.eharlequin.com/content/dessert-sweet-concept">the concept of dessert as a motivator </a>to get work done. Considering I work for myself and I'm probably the easiest boss <em>eva</em>, I need SOMETHING to make myself keep on writing on the days when the sun is shining. To the left there is the dessert that kept my butt in the chair yesterday--a Mixed Berry Pavlova I had made for company a couple days prior (there was like, no lie, two tablespoons left over, but being a dessert freak, I saved all two tablespoons for later, LOL). So check out the post, and then have a little chocolate!</div><div> </div><div>Shirley</div>Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10395507850821188923noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-46121928398851711532009-08-24T20:49:00.001-07:002009-08-24T21:38:28.389-07:00What Happened to August?I have no idea where this month went (well, actually I do. Many things, none of them weddings, took place and the month just disappeared before I even knew it). I haven't even been to a store to see if my book is on the shelves, but my relatives and friends tell me that it is, so...here's the cover.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hired-Cinderella-Chef-Harlequin-Romance/dp/0373176023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251174417&sr=1-1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDc0nGI1E7ZArb_cS3lb_TDBX8Z_t3Y1pGv8-TPr69TY4jQk_Za41zdTG2DcFG5ciQ9PtkLAeHbp1nkp7hmE6PrueJQvdbLKVt2aHFWceVSoWebko4431ueCj0jdYJGBSlQdlUNG1ogQz/s1600-h/chef.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 127px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373755194976730962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDc0nGI1E7ZArb_cS3lb_TDBX8Z_t3Y1pGv8-TPr69TY4jQk_Za41zdTG2DcFG5ciQ9PtkLAeHbp1nkp7hmE6PrueJQvdbLKVt2aHFWceVSoWebko4431ueCj0jdYJGBSlQdlUNG1ogQz/s200/chef.jpg" /></a></a><br />I have to say that I loved this book and I feared it, too. It deals with a sensitive subject and I really wasn't sure that I was capable of giving it everything that it needed. But in the end, I just...put my heart into it and wrote the book that my characters demanded I write. I only hope that it touches a few hearts along the way.<br /><br />Have a wonderful last week in August! (I hope your month didn't fly by as quickly as mine seemed to do).<br /><br />MyrnaMyrna Mackenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313509459687203044noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-10769788036072383162009-07-28T09:48:00.000-07:002009-07-28T11:05:30.713-07:00My September Release<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtQCAe_Tzy209Me-648GS1lrawTaAO4psYL-DwYJm-mV3eRhu1XVFtMTgHo37AB677rJ0KKtOEmdnLzRQTTY5i0tgk1aZYyp4-2KDSImacVkPvjyC0O1jfDWEGRi6-Ax8e8TwAUuiIK8Z/s1600-h/mtbp.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtQCAe_Tzy209Me-648GS1lrawTaAO4psYL-DwYJm-mV3eRhu1XVFtMTgHo37AB677rJ0KKtOEmdnLzRQTTY5i0tgk1aZYyp4-2KDSImacVkPvjyC0O1jfDWEGRi6-Ax8e8TwAUuiIK8Z/s200/mtbp.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363554047181068770" /></a>Last night, one of our blog readers, Julie Hilton Steele, let me know my upcoming release, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Memo-Billionaires-Proposal-Harlequin-Romance/dp/0373176104/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248803666&sr=1-2">Memo: The Billionaire's Proposa</a>l received 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times!<br /><br />I'm very excited and once I can find the actual review I'll post it here. A big thanks to Julie for letting me know!<br /><br />Hope you're enjoying your summer!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Melissa McClone<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-20208470630291888922009-07-24T00:00:00.000-07:002009-07-24T00:00:04.342-07:00Christmas in July!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfEzXJRmbJh3w0PPTfvIsOzpzHqxewbaq__3I27Ve0jRMtKN_wU_mtP5jG1Vn6c-FmxROpqslvy_kpYdQPxG4TAy_-0ONDO9qw36hsc0DW2s9aLbRNrXgnKMoPiGVDqmay2Z9cNnPdtM/s1600-h/51g8iV0FwdL._SS500_%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfEzXJRmbJh3w0PPTfvIsOzpzHqxewbaq__3I27Ve0jRMtKN_wU_mtP5jG1Vn6c-FmxROpqslvy_kpYdQPxG4TAy_-0ONDO9qw36hsc0DW2s9aLbRNrXgnKMoPiGVDqmay2Z9cNnPdtM/s200/51g8iV0FwdL._SS500_%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361767158423864898" /></a><br /><br />Just got the cover for my November book and thought I'd share!<br /><br />susan meier<br />THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS...coming out in November.Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10319652591847155422noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-8281454571657184502009-07-23T08:10:00.000-07:002009-07-23T08:13:17.942-07:00Walk down the aisle...Not so much.<br /><br />Check out this wedding's party entrance into the church. Very cool and so much fun.<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-94JhLEiN0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-94JhLEiN0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.fionaharper.com">Fiona Harper</a> who Tweeted the link!<br /><br />What do you think? Fun or not traditional enough?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-32740005613706188232009-07-19T19:02:00.001-07:002009-07-19T19:22:31.306-07:00Bouquet Toss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA8YtbQFilr7EflWrvsdXU4FuNDoMeJyQVNj2wCnWWIz5FwrUtmK2kGBX6ft3GmoafxbOVVq6gvIAQoAaMRn8IUCMcRVX2Lu2CpmF804uUEbA2eaoBb6KUt5GBSkenIKRmKpJeBL1HpDY/s1600-h/funny-pictures-cat-is-always-a-bridesmaid.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA8YtbQFilr7EflWrvsdXU4FuNDoMeJyQVNj2wCnWWIz5FwrUtmK2kGBX6ft3GmoafxbOVVq6gvIAQoAaMRn8IUCMcRVX2Lu2CpmF804uUEbA2eaoBb6KUt5GBSkenIKRmKpJeBL1HpDY/s320/funny-pictures-cat-is-always-a-bridesmaid.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360360485168493778" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When I saw this LOLcat pic at one of my fave sites <a href="http://icanhascheeseburger.com">icanhascheeseburger.com</a>, I immediately thought about the my book for the Wedding Planners series, SOS Marry Me, as well as my first Silhouette Romance, If the Ring Fits.... Both books end with a bouquet toss though neither bridesmaid was trying this hard to catch it. In fact, neither wanted to catch the bouquet!<br /><br />I caught the bouquet at a wedding and was the next to get married, but then again it could be all coincidental! Do you think there's anything to the legend/superstition about catching the wedding bouquet or garter?<br /><br />We're glad to be back at The Wedding Planners to share our news and other things we find that are wedding related. If you or anyone else you know are planning a wedding or have recently gotten married and would like to guest blog about your experience or share a helpful hint to others out there, just leave a comment with your email and we'll get in touch with you! <br /><br />Hope you're enjoying your summer and getting lots of reading in, too!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Melissa McClone</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-24492874534160527182009-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:002009-07-17T12:56:24.385-07:00We're Back!We've decided to reopen The Wedding Planners Blog to share news with you (and we've missed getting to connect with all of you)! I'll start out with some good news I received. My book, <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Her-Millionaire-Miracle-Harlequin-Romance/dp/0373175477/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247858921&sr=1-1">Her Millionaire, His Miracle</a></span> just won the Bookseller's Best award! I'm very excited, to say the least.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1t66uQhmlg2i7HIgu5sgEVtgaimf98yuWdUz05Mlj2jDTpMDaBu7L6xFmBJhyzpctL7zlvZOzbIN4mO9IeXSt0WRAXL3d49xhZVm5Dxzw64d_6Ge5TRRN9-ynm7UT8p_lrhRugoIJT4x/s1600-h/milmiracle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1t66uQhmlg2i7HIgu5sgEVtgaimf98yuWdUz05Mlj2jDTpMDaBu7L6xFmBJhyzpctL7zlvZOzbIN4mO9IeXSt0WRAXL3d49xhZVm5Dxzw64d_6Ge5TRRN9-ynm7UT8p_lrhRugoIJT4x/s200/milmiracle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359520153732929058" /></a><br />I hope you're all having a great summer! Check back here for more news of upcoming books (and other things) in the weeks ahead.<br /><br />(Oh, and hop on over to my website at <a href="http://www.myrnamackenzie.com/">www.myrnamackenzie.com</a>. I have a contest running, and it ends August 2nd, so there's still time to enter. (Or, if you leave a comment here, I'll automatically enter you). The prize is a book and a bracelet from Spokespeople at Etsy.<br /><br />Best Wishes!<br />Myrna MackenzieMyrna Mackenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313509459687203044noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-60048783073404408902009-05-08T11:52:00.000-07:002009-05-08T12:13:34.866-07:00Thank You for Visiting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjcLtw7e9_U39Pws9S58vO2fuznDRxm0fmmXi0WxH3_Nja_avaacvi4VaBTCbnGuqdZp6KsURWylSYvqEZbxYREhnJGWQE4wXS6pc1HykoiAYRYlf5YIWLIy7b2GFUrVxHGuArobEwk42/s1600-h/thank-you.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjcLtw7e9_U39Pws9S58vO2fuznDRxm0fmmXi0WxH3_Nja_avaacvi4VaBTCbnGuqdZp6KsURWylSYvqEZbxYREhnJGWQE4wXS6pc1HykoiAYRYlf5YIWLIy7b2GFUrVxHGuArobEwk42/s200/thank-you.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333531777642474210" /></a><br />It's hard to believe that it's been more than a year since The Wedding Planners blog began, but it has. During that time all of us here at The Wedding Planners have met some wonderful people, we've learned a lot and shared a lot. <br /><br />And although the time has come for the blog to fade away (because yes, this is a farewell message), we'd hate to lose track of all of you. So, please continue to visit us at our websites (some of those also link to author blogs). <br /><br />Thank you so much for visiting!<br /><br />Best Wishes to All,<br />from <a href="http://www.lindagoodnight.com">Linda Goodnight</a>, Melissa James, <a href="http://www.shirleyjump.com">Shirley Jump</a>, <a href="http://www.melissamcclone.com">Melissa McClone</a>, <a href="http://www.susanmeier.com">Susan Meier</a> and <a href="http://www.myrnamackenzie.com">Myrna Mackenzie</a>Myrna Mackenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313509459687203044noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-32199175936860202552009-04-02T00:01:00.000-07:002009-04-02T00:01:01.066-07:00Me? A Bridesmaid?<span style="font-style:italic;">Today's guest blogger is Kimberly Lang who made the Walden's Best Seller list for category romances with her first Harlequin Presents, The Secret Mistress Arrangement. Congrats!<br /></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq0B-B-NVBM4SWxZgrT09DqGrZlTKKCcxUxU3aixkaWI1zFpXuIhcGlt14uC_-9Fiq89dLQJM_qx_HptlWbibDzIGrMpH_Ai0d1oy4UKsdElEi8CoAlYMSGhKxLARi2a98Qv8FDClSiGi/s1600-h/27dresses1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 178px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq0B-B-NVBM4SWxZgrT09DqGrZlTKKCcxUxU3aixkaWI1zFpXuIhcGlt14uC_-9Fiq89dLQJM_qx_HptlWbibDzIGrMpH_Ai0d1oy4UKsdElEi8CoAlYMSGhKxLARi2a98Qv8FDClSiGi/s200/27dresses1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319582929666777090" /></a>Thanks for inviting me back to the blog! <br /><br />Last time I visited here, I made the mistake of saying my bridesmaid days were pretty much over. I bragged how my days of hand-holding my friends in the midst of emotional bridal breakdowns were over. <br /><br />Seems I jinxed myself.<br /><br />Of course, no sooner than I said it one of my oldest and dearest friends had to get herself engaged and it seems I’ll be wearing taffeta again. Probably something long and froofy with a sweetheart neckline and the potential for puffy sleeves. Oh, please, just let it not be fuchsia. Anything but fuchsia. It’s not a good color for me. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxwJ3mu-bDGx1pSWQmpZZneBfRZhjuDF2tndcKmYbNLxecON5-xhEXdLIVzvaff3dujK2qtkiHX2FlG1TY3m2NvDMUloF1kE1Ds7oEkegtelIeDwiF3jL4ugewIPBMIBPSDrYgEWxOcEK/s1600-h/27dresses_14.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxwJ3mu-bDGx1pSWQmpZZneBfRZhjuDF2tndcKmYbNLxecON5-xhEXdLIVzvaff3dujK2qtkiHX2FlG1TY3m2NvDMUloF1kE1Ds7oEkegtelIeDwiF3jL4ugewIPBMIBPSDrYgEWxOcEK/s200/27dresses_14.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319582205966855650" /></a>With my luck, the dress will have a butt bow as well. <br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />Why are bridesmaid dresses hideous by nature? Oh, the bride is always so quick to claim “you’ll be able to wear it again,” but has anyone ever actually been able to wear a bridesmaid dress again? No matter how you try to shorten it or tailor it or put a jacket over it, it will forever scream BRIDESMAID.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFOvBS65BxVPsLXPySwCbggmd61RuoWugs9zf1krKI5V6b2kVID4dEgrihE7aFMf6MQwnAQuGxh_dCth6X7vv8bgiGI3UOLEuK4Bz6OWOftm_RqbxfmOGoJs74DDmOsXe22M7WNsuz0PJ/s1600-h/27dresses_24.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFOvBS65BxVPsLXPySwCbggmd61RuoWugs9zf1krKI5V6b2kVID4dEgrihE7aFMf6MQwnAQuGxh_dCth6X7vv8bgiGI3UOLEuK4Bz6OWOftm_RqbxfmOGoJs74DDmOsXe22M7WNsuz0PJ/s200/27dresses_24.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319583316381234962" /></a>I’ve been lucky that my friends, for the most part, have always had good taste and I was never stuck wearing something just too horrid to believe (fuchsia butt bows aside – I think that’s just standard). They just weren’t what you’d call particularly flattering.<br /><br />One of my favorite websites – <a href="http://www.etiquettehell.com">Etiquette Hell</a> – has a Bridesmaid Dress Incinerator. Those are some pretty bad dresses. It’s enough to make me feel downright fortunate in my bridesmaid attire.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6R1ZXJY9-PMXJRP9_cZaj08HTEnUs0Wbd8qLky2w1x24tl4SCzpmMvKJvarv6_Pd8NXmLWsDvGLA-EDl9vSYrkmwNaY2WBbQjAdPcZtcaLBhejIUHqWxgbVqCFcTiveeEfwrtnsFSof8j/s1600-h/27dresses_26.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6R1ZXJY9-PMXJRP9_cZaj08HTEnUs0Wbd8qLky2w1x24tl4SCzpmMvKJvarv6_Pd8NXmLWsDvGLA-EDl9vSYrkmwNaY2WBbQjAdPcZtcaLBhejIUHqWxgbVqCFcTiveeEfwrtnsFSof8j/s200/27dresses_26.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319583689852202674" /></a>It’s a good thing we’re talking about friends. Can you imagine what your enemies would do to you?<br /><br />So my nightmare is fuchsia with a butt bow. Do you have a bridesmaid’s dress horror to share? (And keep your fingers crossed for my upcoming dress, okay? Thanks.)<br /><br />Kimberly<br /><br />**** I’m celebrating the release of TWO books this month. My first book, The Secret Mistress Arrangement, from Harlequin Presents is out this month in the US. My second book, The Millionaire’s Misbehaving Mistress, from Mills and Boon Modern Heat, is out in the UK. Drop by my <a href="http://www.booksbykimberly.com">website</a> for details and contests this month.<br /><br /><DIV style="background-image:URL(http://static.newsstand.com/widgets/hlq/widget_fin_none.png); width:189px; height:236px; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> <DIV style="padding-left: 60px;padding-top: 24px;"> <IMG src="http://datapipe.libredigital.com/content/93D26357D3C382D3B71666E776261626B75716B7A7978777675747C103426305D726845555B4E7863515D5046444F707F151D1318181B1015151C141B1E051F2A2E29282B263A6272666571617E336A696C6162652C666E6A6775666C6E2.jpg" style="border:1px solid #E6E6E6;margin:5;"/> </DIV> <DIV style="padding-left: 60px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> <A style="color: #000000;" href="http://datapipe.libredigital.com/bil?hnfjueKHQwKJn19pTv3rJcIkbVfoCHIxOvZnUIqhCu0lJ3XqaXZKQfJ8r77QBT9pnHx4xkAUF3Oq1q2c35eChQ%3D%3D" target="_new">Browse this book</A> </DIV> <DIV style="padding-left: 65px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> <A style="color: #000000;" href="http://datapipe.libredigital.com/eolink?hnfjueKHQwKJn19pTv3rJcIkbVfoCHIxOvZnUIqhCu3dRgDMnTprdzUf1a2Tjb86v2WRuMY2K6BJpYxJZFIn3w%3D%3D" target="_new">Add to your site</A> </DIV> <DIV style="padding-left: 70px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 5px;"> <A style="color: #000000;" href="http://www.eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=18765" target="_new">Buy this book</A> </DIV></DIV> <br /><br /><div style="border: 2px solid #cc3399; background-image:URL(http://static.newsstand.com/widgets/hmb/gradient.jpg); width:167px; height:299px"> <span style="position: absolute; padding-left: 6px; padding-top: 6px; height: 20px; width:154px;"> <a style="color: #000000;" href="http://datapipe.libredigital.com/bil?HE%2FixvGOxCRvO0TtyPW772wctvqZrpBfHhX3x6K%2FkLZyS8z3gj6kAxsAwIAiKRNpmuTYZ2Un54wTwRvUPgImSA%3D%3D" target="_new"> <img src="http://static.newsstand.com/widgets/hmb/browse.gif" border="0" /> </a> </span> <span style="position: absolute; padding-left: 10px; margin-top: 35px;"> <a href="http://datapipe.libredigital.com/bil?HE%2FixvGOxCRvO0TtyPW772wctvqZrpBfHhX3x6K%2FkLZyS8z3gj6kAxsAwIAiKRNpmuTYZ2Un54wTwRvUPgImSA%3D%3D" target="_new"> <img src="http://datapipe.libredigital.com/content/83E27327C3F39223A7267697261636D7A7A7C716B7A7978777675747C103426305D726845555B4E7863515D5046444F7076191F121A10101712141C141B1E001B2D242B282B263A6272666571617E336A696C6162652C666E6A6775666C6E2.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </span> <span style="position: absolute; padding-left: 103px; margin-top: 276px;"> <a href="http://www.millsandboon.co.uk" target="_new"> <img src="http://static.newsstand.com/widgets/hmb/buy.gif" border="0" /> </a> </span> <span style="position: absolute; padding-left: 6px; margin-top: 276px;"> <a href="http://datapipe.libredigital.com/eolink?HE%2FixvGOxCRvO0TtyPW772wctvqZrpBfHhX3x6K%2FkLZg5JG1tHFDPgVFHXCOifMnv2WRuMY2K6BJpYxJZFIn3w%3D%3D" target="_new"> <img src="http://static.newsstand.com/widgets/hmb/share.gif" border="0" /> </a> </span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-17838949413599840432009-03-31T21:34:00.000-07:002009-03-31T21:41:37.612-07:00A New ContinuityThe Wedding Planners continuity debuted last April. It's hard to believe a year has gone by already. This April, you can find a brand new Harlequin Romance continuity, a trilogy actually, called Blind Date Brides on sale. It's centered around an online dating site called blinddatebrides.com, and I'm the author of book 3 which will be out in June.<br /><br /></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307520992950881330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtOdhKrR8_JspfV2GVQ0EPoBWJmvuLSGBGhQ88fMLzYF8qr6bLTtzXRlP_u1onQZObM8HF468grdLyo0-kLnjXqfpf8WHwwT9vOGbt0elykaNFIZp1mv3jh75-2LTm3xH9txgNz7Lj8w-/s400/bdbtrio.jpg" border="0" />April 09 - <strong><a href="http://blinddatebrides.blogspot.com/2009/02/nine-to-five-bride.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#993399;">Nine-to-Five Bride</span></a></strong> by <a href="http://www.jennieadams.net/"><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">Jennie Adams</span></em></a><br />May 09 - <strong><a href="http://blinddatebrides.blogspot.com/2009/02/blind-date-baby-home-page.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#993399;">Blind-Date Baby</span></a></strong> by <a href="http://www.fionaharper.com/"><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">Fiona Harper</span></em></a><br />June 09 - <a href="http://blinddatebrides.blogspot.com/2009/02/dream-date-with-millionaire.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#993399;"><strong>Dream Date with the Millionaire</strong></span></a> by <em><a href="http://www.melissamcclone.com/"><span style="color:#9999ff;">Melissa McClone</span></a></em><br /><p><span style="font-family:georgia;"></p></span><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">To find out more about each book, read the heroine's dating profiles and read excerpts and story background, go to <a href="http://www.blinddatebrides.com">blinddatebrides.com</a>!<br /></span></em><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div><strong><em><span style="color:#cc66cc;">~Three women, three countries, three exciting love stories!~</span></em></strong></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-89754870800159486492009-03-29T09:22:00.001-07:002009-03-29T09:26:26.247-07:00Coming up this week!Sorry for the lack of posts lately. A couple of us have April 1 deadlines and the others are busy writing away. We have a guest blogger, Kimberly Lang, dropping by on Thursday, April 2nd. I hope you'll stop by to say hi!<br /><br />I'll have a preview of a new trilogy that will start in April. And if I can find my wedding album, I hope to scan in a few pics and post them this week in celebration of my wedding anniversary this week.<br /><br />Take care!<br /><br />MelissaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-27356438975977460192009-03-25T00:01:00.000-07:002009-03-25T00:01:00.669-07:00Build Your Dream Wedding DressI found a page on iVillage where you can design your own wedding dress. It's fun to play with the different styles of skirts, bodices, trims, veils, etc. Go <a href="http://weddings.ivillage.com/bridalfashion/0,,c19l2h8c,00.html">here</a> if you want to be like Serena James of the Wedding Belles and design wedding gowns!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-51146621354071369712009-03-16T01:08:00.000-07:002009-03-16T04:48:25.980-07:00Even if You're Not Irish...They say that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day and it must be true, because here's a video put together by my (not Irish) husband. Lots of beautiful shots of Ireland and a choir singing Danny Boy (the recording is from a concert choir where my son was a baritone five years ago).<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sDYNhEQnGDk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sDYNhEQnGDk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />And since we are a blog that deals in romance (lots of gorgeous and romantic men and women), here's a link to a video of the gorgeous men of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY1_qlTr-rM">Celtic Thunder </a>singing Ireland's Call. <br /><br />And a video of one of the beautiful women of Celtic Woman. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pH7sg3UjVIQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pH7sg3UjVIQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Have a fantastic St. Patrick's Day, everyone!Myrna Mackenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313509459687203044noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-54610243090380213022009-03-15T12:50:00.001-07:002009-03-15T12:55:32.566-07:00Coming Up This Week...St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday, so on Monday we'll have a small tribute to the day. Even if you're not Irish, I promise there will be pretty scenery and good looking men, so we'll have some fun.<br /><br />Then on Wednesday, Melissa James will be posting. She might be talking about the history of the Marriage of Convenience (one of my favorite storylines), so it's sure to be interesting.<br /><br />And on Friday, Linda Goodnight will be here, and Linda always has something intriguing to share, so come back and see us.<br /><br />Myrna MackenzieMyrna Mackenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313509459687203044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-49001658190563522362009-03-13T00:01:00.000-07:002009-03-13T08:10:30.288-07:00A Wedding Movie on DVDIf you didn't catch Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married in the theaters, the movie came out on DVD and Blu-ray this week. This one totally missed my wedding movie radar. That is, I remember hearing about it, but promptly forgot about it. It's not your typical wedding romantic comedy with lots of fluff. It's shot with multiple cameras and there's plenty of dysfunction to go around. Still it looks interesting and Anne Hathaway did receive an Academy Award nomination for her role.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1wDDgSwEo1s&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1wDDgSwEo1s&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I saw a review of the DVD <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/09/AR2009030901543.html">here</a> on the Washington Post that makes me want to rent it so I can say my 2008 wedding movie watching binge is complete. Or rather, it will be once I see Mamma Mia, too!<br /><br />Have a great weekend!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-21681764935672129442009-03-11T04:51:00.001-07:002009-03-11T04:59:25.128-07:00Memories For Sale<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtsJezKNxfoDdnon-JsWQ-eylibvc8GZJ_WRio4wpPZxd46RIFvJLHT8Sv-9j-0QlrrqEwHmJ5eMkn8ST05P82lRoSFmasUmiEL6ugwGuamUEF2tdI9Fvp7QqYROaeIcWB0FkeR283DE/s1600-h/Door.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311896741538935778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtsJezKNxfoDdnon-JsWQ-eylibvc8GZJ_WRio4wpPZxd46RIFvJLHT8Sv-9j-0QlrrqEwHmJ5eMkn8ST05P82lRoSFmasUmiEL6ugwGuamUEF2tdI9Fvp7QqYROaeIcWB0FkeR283DE/s200/Door.jpg" border="0" /></a> Our old house is up on the market finally, and though I'm glad to be moved into the new one, I'm also sad to see this one go. Like the very first house we owned, years and years ago, this one has its own set of memories. <div><div><div> </div><div>After all, it's the first house my son lived in. We brought him home from the hospital to this house, saw him take his first steps there. Had to wallpaper the kitchen because he threw so much food around (he was a very messy eater, LOL). Now the wallpaper is gone, because he's older now, but the footprint of the memories remain.</div><div> </div><div>Our very first house, in Massachusetts, was a money pit, but my husband and I loved it because it was OURS. We sank a ridiculous amount of money and sweat equity into that place, renovating it into what we dreamed. When we sold it, I cried and cried. </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZvODuYyE9HdzcadlSxrpIWsL0NBW-8LfKGrMZkDoGQT5tp3y-LrZCxroCqtWlLjCfE62rODB98wG4r8O1Ta04lDe1ilqgZbCeAasXXNcVv9FVCq4IfLh88jxRZOX3zNKlhAS_KoyICA/s1600-h/GreatRoom1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311896742797519938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 138px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZvODuYyE9HdzcadlSxrpIWsL0NBW-8LfKGrMZkDoGQT5tp3y-LrZCxroCqtWlLjCfE62rODB98wG4r8O1Ta04lDe1ilqgZbCeAasXXNcVv9FVCq4IfLh88jxRZOX3zNKlhAS_KoyICA/s200/GreatRoom1.jpg" border="0" /></a>I didn't shed tears this time, but I did leave the house the other day with a heavier heart. It wasn't for the last time--that won't happen until someone buys it--but I know the days when I'll walk through that door and remember my kids playing in the yard or running through the living room, or helping me bake cookies at the kitchen counter are numbered. </div><div> </div><div>Some other family will make their own memories in that house, and I hope they have just as many as we have had. We've <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0b2fkivlrCFEAyx8n3gECuSuVa1D01eFBmEj1zAVFR0f6xgaNTuPYUxMk86q4cBebYLGNk4MQy_CtthMQA3p6sZL0rqv4G4DCCOhzBFLcyCWoCpWGwV_aIuyWHQcOeLtb8UUnRq0Sws/s1600-h/Kitchen2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311896745357569970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 138px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0b2fkivlrCFEAyx8n3gECuSuVa1D01eFBmEj1zAVFR0f6xgaNTuPYUxMk86q4cBebYLGNk4MQy_CtthMQA3p6sZL0rqv4G4DCCOhzBFLcyCWoCpWGwV_aIuyWHQcOeLtb8UUnRq0Sws/s200/Kitchen2.jpg" border="0" /></a>left behind the playground for the next owners, and staged it with a few toys in the kids' bedrooms, so they can imagine all the fun their children might have. </div><div> </div><div>Meanwhile, we'll be working on making memories in our new place :-)</div><div> </div><div>Shirley</div></div></div>Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10395507850821188923noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-48524385338465632852009-03-09T01:00:00.000-07:002009-03-09T01:00:01.897-07:00Janet Tronstad and The Dropped Stitches series<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxy6JBfAmXo0L5wIidjt0P6adS6iv4wlL8-hMrdu7U-mcy6CKT-8nMh5HnSf2elqrk76mlpwkl0gRuf641RALYa8OrNHAZj15BzgET0yNUz-5xKjiJ8V8DNv85idWJ6wzS69fl2-Y1Dek/s1600-h/51T67sKmfzL__SS500_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxy6JBfAmXo0L5wIidjt0P6adS6iv4wlL8-hMrdu7U-mcy6CKT-8nMh5HnSf2elqrk76mlpwkl0gRuf641RALYa8OrNHAZj15BzgET0yNUz-5xKjiJ8V8DNv85idWJ6wzS69fl2-Y1Dek/s320/51T67sKmfzL__SS500_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309917340523387714" /></a><br /><br />First, let me introduce myself. I am Janet Tronstad, the author of close to twenty novels published through Steeple Hill, the inspirational line at Harlequin. I am delighted to blog with your group today, partly because I’ve grown to have a new appreciation for wedding locations while writing my latest book. <br /><br />A wedding is one of the most memorable days in a woman’s life – that’s true even for imaginary weddings that happen in books. That’s why I gave a great deal of thought to how to make a wedding dramatic in my March ‘09 book, “A Dropped Stitches Wedding.” This is the last book in a four-part series that has a very attached readership so I knew the end of the book had to have a really Big Moment that would leave the readers with a sigh of contentment. It’s the same challenge a bride faces in real life. My question was how to pull that off.<br /><br />My heroines (there were four heroines in a knitting group and they all played a part in the final book) were young so the wedding would be short on cash, but it also needed to be long on romance. The bride had a weakness for fluffy white chic that she couldn’t afford. In fact, she couldn’t afford much of anything. I decided the cheapest way to pull off a memorable wedding was to find a unique location. <br /><br />My series is set in California’s Old Town Pasadena, a restored area filled with turn-of-the-century brick buildings, trendy cafes, and – for some reason – shops carrying scented candles and soaps. We were too far away from the beach to do an ocean wedding (since the rest of the books were all set in Pasadena, I thought it was cheating the reader to find my location anywhere else). <br /><br />And then I remembered there is an old brick building that used to be a firehouse. The location got better when I discovered that an old firehouse in northern California had an old light bulb that had been burning continuously since 1901 (an inventor donated it so that the firemen wouldn’t have to waste time lighting kerosene lanterns at night before they could pull their boots on to go fight the fires). I took the liberty of moving that light bulb to Old Town Pasadena (and made a note of that in the dedication) and instantly I had a dramatic location for a wedding.<br /><br />Because of the attention that the light bulb was getting, the marriage that was to take place under its glow started to get some buzz, too. The bride’s wedding gown was borrowed, a carriage ride to the firehouse was donated, and the reporters were there to cover it all for the local paper.<br />It was a perfect wedding (in print at least).<br /><br />My efforts were rewarded when Romantic Times reviewed my book and said it was a ‘joyous conclusion’ to the series. That’s exactly what I wanted that wedding to feel like and I know the location had a part in it.<br /><br />I’m anxious to know if any of you have found unique wedding locations (either in real life or books you’ve written or read).Linda Goodnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180677262384855235noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-15759440629739486892009-03-08T06:46:00.000-07:002009-03-08T15:57:58.476-07:00Coming up this week!This week, we're thrilled to have Love Inspired author Janet Tronstad visiting us! Janet does the "Dry Creek" Series and "The Dropped Stitches" series. Her books are warm and witty and I'm sure Monday's blog will be fun and entertaining.<br /><br />With additional posts Shirley Jump and Melissa McClone, this week promises to be a good one!<br /><br />See you tomorrow for Janet Tronstad.<br /><br />susan<br />MAID IN MONTANA, Harlequin Romance, 6/09Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10319652591847155422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-8771085250255696122009-03-06T01:08:00.000-08:002009-03-06T01:08:00.233-08:00Calling All Princesses...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zVU_5mYpZg3iqAQkA5QJrc72ckwLWQOllLrj0mcJ7V-jLu9y_uuOV3XNk-Ddf9WfadXpWQC_bJwXr-gmBAemKaIHcQ6bJlM5zjlBEDF1fpjeeDyVpFTK5hAOyropUP6eid-CUTHZX3HA/s1600-h/princessart.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zVU_5mYpZg3iqAQkA5QJrc72ckwLWQOllLrj0mcJ7V-jLu9y_uuOV3XNk-Ddf9WfadXpWQC_bJwXr-gmBAemKaIHcQ6bJlM5zjlBEDF1fpjeeDyVpFTK5hAOyropUP6eid-CUTHZX3HA/s200/princessart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309502798791140674" /></a><br />When I was growing up I was all about the princess thing. At Halloween, I never wanted to be something clever. I had to be a character who wore a pretty dress, preferably a long dress. And then of course there's the "romance writer" thing. That goes along with the princess fantasy perfectly.<br /><br />Still, despite my childhood princess goals and the fact that I've been writing romance novels for years, I had never written a book with a princess heroine until now. Next month, The Cowboy and the Princess will make it to the shelves. I’m pretty psyched about it (more about the book in the weeks to come). And since I wanted to run a contest at my website that plays into the princess/cowboy theme, I hit the Internet.<br /><a href=" http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=node%3D1000%2C23%2C13391%2C193956&field-keywords=the+cowboy+and+the+princess"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK7Ubp_2y8L7O5RpflP2EVC_YvEyzInG8EVZ2ZlNU0peTwsxwNKLZpqJh6p7xn0BHdyLMdNgIGjsiunKDJL0AQ_0l2d0FIJOfkf2NRpq_bOn9qshdpw7zTnXiZY3ZIWrKRZocg3xGtsLG/s1600-h/princess.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 122px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK7Ubp_2y8L7O5RpflP2EVC_YvEyzInG8EVZ2ZlNU0peTwsxwNKLZpqJh6p7xn0BHdyLMdNgIGjsiunKDJL0AQ_0l2d0FIJOfkf2NRpq_bOn9qshdpw7zTnXiZY3ZIWrKRZocg3xGtsLG/s200/princess.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309509063202154818" /></a></a><br />All I can say is the princess fantasy has certainly picked up steam over the years. As the mother of two boys I missed out on this, but there are all kinds of princess gear a girl can buy to make that dream a reality (or as close to a reality as us non-royals can get). There are actually entire stores dedicated to selling princess gear as well as one called <a href="http://www.tiaratown.com/diana.html">Tiara Town </a>where you can get (among other things) replicas of various tiaras worn by Princess Diana, including the one she wore on her wedding day. Or, you can get scepters!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjHsCK7paEjwEt2ErkSoNkYOlsKkvESjC6IlPgogvUl1n8Nsrud0VZxTWwtE9C0QJwIB83RrTo2y1Bm7oPjQOTDMtpemRdalfqPZshO0tQhNf0GHoTgL4HOBULBP5jxPIVL3OdFUNVEqx/s1600-h/spencertiaranew2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjHsCK7paEjwEt2ErkSoNkYOlsKkvESjC6IlPgogvUl1n8Nsrud0VZxTWwtE9C0QJwIB83RrTo2y1Bm7oPjQOTDMtpemRdalfqPZshO0tQhNf0GHoTgL4HOBULBP5jxPIVL3OdFUNVEqx/s200/spencertiaranew2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309503720326437266" /></a><br /><br />Would-be princesses (children and adults) can buy dresses.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSmbnTfxMWP2s_1_p1udZONrPZe7paP2DtPX0LemT8RHMK3bJeIXvq_mYFrayn5JIoMAEqCL7oW9wqaM31p98ibOwYHbFUmHPXzMvQpAZdI_lJ4_sZZOGPeEtQnOQ_zNIu5I-jiNTgbWv/s1600-h/adultprincess.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 128px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSmbnTfxMWP2s_1_p1udZONrPZe7paP2DtPX0LemT8RHMK3bJeIXvq_mYFrayn5JIoMAEqCL7oW9wqaM31p98ibOwYHbFUmHPXzMvQpAZdI_lJ4_sZZOGPeEtQnOQ_zNIu5I-jiNTgbWv/s200/adultprincess.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309504041736857650" /></a><br />Or jewelry, room décor, party favors, princess outfits for your dog and storage trunks and carousels to hold all those princess outfits. <br /><br />I wonder if it's too late to act out that princess fantasy…<br /><br />Maybe next Halloween. Or maybe I'll just write another princess book. Keep watching.<br /><br />So…if you could be any fairy tale princess which one would it be?<br /><br />Myrna <br /><a href="http://www.myrnamackenzie.com">www.myrnamackenzie.com </a>Myrna Mackenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313509459687203044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-21434783529183141052009-03-02T01:00:00.000-08:002009-03-02T01:00:00.742-08:00New book! - Home to Crossroads Ranch<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8thnLJktbUzZw1YmiBscRrpQd9mYt-jAKdHR1CtFebJVLrtYDyTSPvAjnQEuP8CF5ue7m2XaVS9t1f7lanSiVddsU9V1C3cGwlI3lm5IyGIzN8pl14DrE97I2hjlxGoaTASzomAHph_g/s1600-h/home+to+crossroads.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8thnLJktbUzZw1YmiBscRrpQd9mYt-jAKdHR1CtFebJVLrtYDyTSPvAjnQEuP8CF5ue7m2XaVS9t1f7lanSiVddsU9V1C3cGwlI3lm5IyGIzN8pl14DrE97I2hjlxGoaTASzomAHph_g/s320/home+to+crossroads.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306153004146260098" /></a><br />Linda Goodnight's latest book, HOME TO CROSSROADS RANCH hits the stands March 1 or is available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-Crossroads-Ranch-Love-Inspired/dp/0373875215/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235434373&sr=8-1">Amazon.</a> <br /><br /><em>Even though the cover is hokey and 1950's, I promise the book is better!! Let me know what you think.<br /><br />Here's a sneak preview:</em><br /><br /><br /><br />Nate Del Rio heard screams the minute he stepped out of his Super Crew Cab and started up the flower-lined sidewalk leading to Rainy Jernagen's house. He double-checked the address scribbled on the back of a bill for horse feed. Sure enough, this was the place.<br /><br />Adjusting his Stetson against a gust of March wind, he rang the doorbell expecting the noise to subside. It didn't.<br /><br />Somewhere inside the modest, tidy-looking brick house at least two kids were screaming their heads off in what sounded to his experienced ears like fits of temper. A television blasted out Saturday-morning cartoons.<br /><br />He punched the doorbell again. Instead of the expected ding-dong, a raucous alternative Christian rock band added a few more decibels to the noise level.<br /><br />Nate shifted the toolbox to his opposite hand and considered running for his life while he had the chance.<br /><br />Too late. The bright red door whipped open. Nate's mouth fell open with it.<br /><br />When the men's ministry coordinator from Bible Fellowship had called him, he'd somehow gotten the impression that he was coming to help a little old schoolteacher. In his mind, that meant the kind who only drove to school and church and had a big, fat cat.<br /><br />Not so. The woman standing before him with taffy-blond hair sprouting out from a disheveled ponytail couldn't possibly be any older than his thirty-one years. A big blotch of something purple stained the front of her white sweatshirt, and she was barefoot. Plus, she had a crying baby on each hip and a little red-haired girl hanging on one leg, bawling like a sick calf. And there wasn't a cat in sight.<br /><br />What had he gotten himself into?<br /><br />May I help you?" she asked over the racket. Her blue-gray eyes were a little too unfocused and bewildered for his comfort.<br /><br />Raising his voice, he asked, "Are you Ms. Jernagen?"<br /><br />"Yes," she said cautiously. "I'm Rainy Jernagen. And you are…?"<br /><br />"Nate Del Rio."<br /><br />She blinked, uncomprehending, all the while jiggling both babies up and down. One grabbed a hunk of her hair. She flinched, her head angling to one side, as she said, still cautiously, "Okaaay."<br /><br />Nate reached out and untwined the baby's sticky fingers.<br /><br />A relieved smile rewarded him. "Thanks. Is there something I can help you with?"<br /><br />He hefted the red toolbox to chest level so she could see it. "From the Handyman Ministry. Jack Martin called. Said you had a washer problem."<br /><br />Understanding dawned. "Oh my goodness. Yes. I'm so sorry. You aren't what I expected. Please forgive me."<br /><br />She wasn't what he expected, either. Not in the least. Young and with a houseful of kids. He suppressed a shiver. Kids, even grown ones, could drive a person to distraction. He should know. His adult sister and brother were, at this moment, making his life as miserable as possible. The worst part was they did it all the time. Only this morning his sister Janine had finally packed up and gone back to Sal, giving Nate a few days' reprieve.<br /><br />"Come in, come in," the woman was saying. "It's been a crazy morning, what with the babies showing up at 3 a.m. and Katie having a sick stomach. Then while I was doing the laundry, the washing machine went crazy. Water everywhere." She jerked her chin toward the inside of the house. "You're truly a godsend."<br /><br />He wasn't so sure about that, but he'd signed up for his church's ministry to help single women and the elderly with those pesky little handyman chores like oil changes and leaky faucets. Most of his visits had been to older ladies who plied him with sweet tea and jars of homemade jam and talked about the good old days while he replaced a fuse or unstopped the sink. And their houses had been quiet. Real quiet.<br /><br />Rainy Jernagen stepped back, motioning him in, and Nate very cautiously entered a room that should have had flashing red lights and a Danger Zone sign.Linda Goodnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180677262384855235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-46174329402343512302009-02-27T06:05:00.000-08:002009-02-27T06:05:00.782-08:00Menus for Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqj_cap8A4O6jYmFESynXeyH7N1-c8Q5xFi7n69cHgpliylv3JhEFPA9Pd3DtlPg7GR8W0H_PddtTu19PJ1JlnaywagpSTk5nYoMzxywcBoG1VN1iUujJ39UrFjaL3w8L8xr4CwkBKkd4/s1600-h/IMG00122.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307264033361712210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqj_cap8A4O6jYmFESynXeyH7N1-c8Q5xFi7n69cHgpliylv3JhEFPA9Pd3DtlPg7GR8W0H_PddtTu19PJ1JlnaywagpSTk5nYoMzxywcBoG1VN1iUujJ39UrFjaL3w8L8xr4CwkBKkd4/s200/IMG00122.jpg" border="0" /></a>I've been cooking a lot since moving into the new house (partly because I LOVE to cook and partly because we spent three weeks going back and forth between houses, which meant a lot of drive-thru and takeout food. Ugh).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbQ_y3KXaXHoXfBvU5yjVbQNLZazHxazTQLOeATzmHBLKQNpNI9ok4Q9YwgxNm6C0IzWlMpapMkL5lyQejSuuZh36ERCfLIjb2LO5XjWJSHT3ZE4u0MN31lK8V135uDRl-y3aSQFjl1o/s1600-h/IMG00136.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307264040617562914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbQ_y3KXaXHoXfBvU5yjVbQNLZazHxazTQLOeATzmHBLKQNpNI9ok4Q9YwgxNm6C0IzWlMpapMkL5lyQejSuuZh36ERCfLIjb2LO5XjWJSHT3ZE4u0MN31lK8V135uDRl-y3aSQFjl1o/s200/IMG00136.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div>DH has been in heaven. He loves it when I cook, and this last couple weeks has been a regular restaurant around here -- cherry glazed chicken, <a href="http://shirleyjump.blogspot.com/2009/02/wild-about-this-creamy-wild-rice-and.html">wild rice and mushroom soup</a>, <a href="http://shirleyjump.blogspot.com/2009/02/baked-fettuccini.html">baked fettuccini</a>, homemade maple bacon baked beans, beef chili, individual chicken pot pies...and even dessert. I had apricot-glazed apple crisp one night, peanut butter and jelly bars another. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHe4V5DbqQRJ36qYAEGDMSbVAHDNl9ugc3JKiA6ooDuscYz5fMfi_F2X4vPu972yLilbTSJhpHgF0XTBKUxLdII88naxORhk1_4hGE8dPJa0frjQAI-QOsm24txdMgndxlIvDTLxa3GA/s1600-h/IMG00127.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307264037489379042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHe4V5DbqQRJ36qYAEGDMSbVAHDNl9ugc3JKiA6ooDuscYz5fMfi_F2X4vPu972yLilbTSJhpHgF0XTBKUxLdII88naxORhk1_4hGE8dPJa0frjQAI-QOsm24txdMgndxlIvDTLxa3GA/s200/IMG00127.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />That got me thinking about what kind of menus others prepare for those they love. I started at Rachael Ray, who posted the <a href="http://www.rachaelraymag.com/party-planning/easy-parties/dinner-parties/tuscan-dinner/article.html">menu from her wedding day</a>, along with the recipes. </div><div> </div><div>There's even advice on <a href="http://www.i-do.com.au/weddings/weightwatchers-article.aspx?Article=1466&wedding-planning-tip=The-Couples-Cooking-Guide">cooking together </a>from one website. Speaking from personal experience, none of those tips work if you have a kitchen the size of a postage stamp, which my last one was. In that case, all I wanted was for other people to GET OUT of the kitchen while I did my thing. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnJ5Pr9TxjBPi-bE7saugrfzxkNsTfDMz3D0Af6n-TzzWPUrxAnYqSUS8hiCd0YC9Xm9UOeoPdC4j_kwXe7_MPa8tYJeRAU35yLkbAf4PJBoI_2dGQnMQQUTAc8Qcgota36IVslOtDb0/s1600-h/IMG00135.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307264034170878930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnJ5Pr9TxjBPi-bE7saugrfzxkNsTfDMz3D0Af6n-TzzWPUrxAnYqSUS8hiCd0YC9Xm9UOeoPdC4j_kwXe7_MPa8tYJeRAU35yLkbAf4PJBoI_2dGQnMQQUTAc8Qcgota36IVslOtDb0/s200/IMG00135.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>Another woman has started a thing called <a href="http://blogs.cbn.com/books/archive/2009/02/10/the-husband-project-day-8.aspx">The Husband Project, </a>which is all about learning to cook meals for your husband (me, I love to eat, so these are as much for me as anyone else in this house).<br /><br />Do you do the cooking in your house? Do you enjoy it? Or is it a chore? What's your specialty meal?</div><div> </div><div>Shirley<br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div><div></div></div>Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10395507850821188923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-5165534862818979262009-02-25T04:33:00.000-08:002009-02-25T07:43:38.764-08:00Create Memories, Not Regrets:Hi! Susan here. I'm pleased to have Mary Jo Rulnick, a wedding planner as today's guest! I saw Mary Jo on Pittsburgh's morning talk show and knew she'd make a great addition to our blog.<br /><br />Here's Mary Jo...<br /><br /><br />Eight Tips to Keep Wedding Planning from Becoming Stressful<br />By Mary Jo Rulnick, founder of www.GoodBrideBadBride.com<br /> <br />1. Know your personality and the way you work. Knowing the way you work will help you plan your wedding day more efficiently and it will be less stressful. Do you get excited, jump into action, then lose your interest as time goes on? If so, tackle the most time-consuming tasks in the beginning and work your way to the easier ones. For brides who are perfectionists and never seem to finish a job, ask your groom to give you a deadline or a stopping point. Now, if too many decisions overwhelm you, ask mom or another trusted person to narrow down your options. With only three or four choices, it will be easier to handle. For brides who want to make everyone happy, you'll have to remember this is your and your groom's day. Thank family and friends for their suggestions and tell them how much you appreciate their interest, but do what works best for you and your groom.<br /> <br />2. Know the vision you both want for your reception before booking vendors. Sometimes couples start booking vendors and such without grasping the vision of their wedding day. What do you want to remember? What do you want your guests to remember? For instance, if the bride and groom, as well as most of the guests, are reserved, your reception might be more like a dinner party with a jazz band in the background. If you’re both outgoing, your entertainment needs to be as lively as the two of you. This is crucial if you plan to dance the night away. Maybe you’d like to bring in your ethnic background. Besides the typical parts of a ceremony and reception, what else might you want to include? This includes everything from favors to shuttles to welcome bags for out-of-town guests.<br /> <br />3. Know where to spend your money and where to cut back, according to your priorities and budget. Once you know your vision, you’ll know where your priorities are. There are numerous web sites and books that recommend a designated percentage of the budget to various categories. Rather than follow the predetermined percentage, prioritize the wedding categories. Then, divide the money in your budget accordingly. Also, take a look at what you have on your list, and then consider how you can do it for less. You might have in your head you want a slide show of your engagement, but it can run upwards of $900. You can still have a photo montage without spending a lot of money. A digital frame set up near the bar area can achieve the same result on a smaller scale and it can then be incorporated into your home. Or possibly a friend is a graphic designer and would love to create a slide show as his or her gift to you. And always ask the venue what equipment is available. <br /> <br />4. Read contracts thoroughly. If you don’t read the contract thoroughly, it could cost you extra money you hadn’t counted on spending. For instance, do you need to supply a hot meal for your photographer or other vendors? Does your band/DJ charge per hour or for the night? How many breaks will they take? Are your floral vases rented and must be returned? Are there additional charges for set up and break down?<br /> <br />5. Put a twist on the traditional. Instead of having the typical guest book or other wedding items, put your own unique spin on it. For anyone who was engaged in Disney World, consider buying a Disney, Disney World or Florida book and having your guests sign it instead of the traditional white bridal guest book. <br /> <br />6. Avoid turning a theme into chaos. Choose a focus with one or two additions to the reception. Instead of trying to do every unique thing, such as an ice cream bar, wine tent, photo booth, or artist, you’ve seen at a recent bridal expo, use your escort cards, guest book and favors to carry out your theme. For a chocolate theme, escort cards can be created with mini candy bars, skip table numbers and name the tables after favorite chocolates, and make your cookie table a candy table. Then, if you still want something different, add one "fun" thing to the reception.<br /> <br />7. Realize you don’t have to do everything. Initiate a task list for family and friends to help alleviate some of the responsibilities and stress. Give others, from your parents to your future in-laws to friends, tasks to do. If you’re searching for favors, see if a computer savvy friend can surf the Internet for the best company and price. Enlist help for tasks such as calling venues and vendors, making signage, stuffing invitations, organizing the cookie table, baking cookies, and dropping off items at the reception place. <br /> <br />8. Create a timeline. There’s a lot to accomplish during your reception, which is usually five hour time span. Work through your timeline with your banquet manager, venue coordinator, photographer and DJ/Band. Plan what you want to accomplish from what photos you want taken to when you want to cut the cake. Make sure someone, a coordinator, trusted friend or a hired planner, is overseeing this timeline. Two things can happen if you don’t. One, you take too long at the front part of reception and have little time for the socializing, dancing, and enjoying the night. Two, you’re so caught up in the festivities that you wait too long for the traditions, such as father/daughter or mother/son dance and most of the guests have departed before you get around to it. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mary Jo Rulnick coordinates more than 50 weddings a year from budget conscious to high end. During her fifteen-ye ar career as an events planner, she has organized more than 400 events for all ages including White House staff members, NBA families and NFL players. Mary Jo is the author of The Frantic Woman’s Guide to Feeding Family and Friends (Grand Central, formerly Time Warner Book Group), co-author of The Frantic Woman’s Guide to Life (Grand Central), The Frantic Mom’s Countdown to Easter (Amazon Shorts) and The Frantic Cook’s Countdown to Thanksgiving Dinner (Amazon Shorts). She’s a regular TV and radio guest, appearing on stations across the country and has been quoted in national magazines, such as Allure, Better Homes and Garden, Family Circle, Real Simple, and Woman’s Day. Visit Mary Jo at www.GoodBrideBadBride.com or www.MaryJoRulnick.com.Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10319652591847155422noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-69293969925404235352009-02-23T00:08:00.000-08:002009-02-23T00:08:00.085-08:00DressesSerena James Wiley, dress designer for The Wedding Belles, here to say hello. It's been awhile since I stopped by. My husband, Kane, and I have been traveling lately. He just loves to fly around in his plane, but we're back in Boston for a bit. It's great to see everyone at The Wedding Belles. I've missed them so.<br /><br />I wanted to see if any of you watched the Oscars last night? If so, did you notice all the white gowns? Several of the designs looked as if they belonged walking down the aisle not just the red carpet. You can see pictures of some <a href="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/02/22/oscars-carpet-was-a-winter-wonderland-red-carpet-recap/">here</a>. I can only imagine brides wanting to copy several of those designs. What do you think?<br /><br />In case you're wondering what brides this spring and summer might be wearing, check out this clip: <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3BcqComsFc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3BcqComsFc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Well, Kane's calling me so I'd better run. Take care!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Serena</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-9419968681904350022009-02-22T00:07:00.000-08:002009-02-22T00:07:00.444-08:00This week....We've got a few things in store for you this week on the Wedding Planners! <br /><br />I'll be blogging on Monday. Susan Meier has an actual wedding planner guest blogging for her on Wednesday so be sure to stop in and hear what Mary Jo Rulnick has to say. And the always entertaining Shirley Jump rounds out the week on Friday!<br /><br />Hope you have a great day!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592562003122499988.post-76673503291235717382009-02-18T01:00:00.000-08:002009-02-18T01:00:00.843-08:00A Two-fold Love Story<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SmG2J_xh_Bdtxm9o37MOsjSIz0zF1a6kOfH2sVqYrJgofw1jmHC5urkQSlWdwfgSE5hhKicRwifJTdPX3VvRvxDBKKHJwYD-SLZzXzYto8jwZUwhvEtfOdJDBZjyyZLbDKFdaC6riA4/s1600-h/Scan0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SmG2J_xh_Bdtxm9o37MOsjSIz0zF1a6kOfH2sVqYrJgofw1jmHC5urkQSlWdwfgSE5hhKicRwifJTdPX3VvRvxDBKKHJwYD-SLZzXzYto8jwZUwhvEtfOdJDBZjyyZLbDKFdaC6riA4/s320/Scan0001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303145802450830722" /></a><br />In this month of love, I thought it might be fun to share about how I met my own hero. Even though I never had a wedding or a honeymoon, I got something better (besides a great hubby, I mean.) I got a mother-in-law who adored me.<br /><br />In this day of mother-in-law jokes and stories of couples with mother-in-law problems, that's no easy feat. Here’s how I got so lucky:<br /><br />I was working as a ‘team-leader’ nurse on a surgical wing. One of my nurse’s aides was a mature woman named Lorene. She was one of the kindest, hardest working people on staff. I loved working with her and we became friends. Over the months, we talked about our shared faith, our families, basically everything. When her son’s wife left him, she was broken-hearted and told me about it. Later, after the divorce, she started telling me what a great guy he was. I never dreamed she had an ulterior motive for talking him up, until the evening he ‘stopped by’ the hospital during our break. Boy, was he cute! She introduced us and he began to show up at break time on a regular basis. Pretty soon, we went out for coffee after work, and seven months later, he proposed.<br /><br />I later discovered that while Lorene was telling me all about this terrific son of hers, she was telling him about me! After Gene and I married, Lorene always told people that she could never complain about his choice of wives because she picked me before he did. She was a fabulous mother-in-law who treated me like a daughter all the days of her life. Lorene passed away last summer. I will always miss her.<br /><br />Okay, your turn. How did you meet your sweetie?Linda Goodnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03180677262384855235noreply@blogger.com6