#also our wedding rings have each others’ fingerprint engraved on the inside

[femmedionysus]

I got married yesterday!

I was honestly a little nervous about having a Wedding TM just bc I get big anxiety about having emotions in front of other people, but it was just the best day - plenty of things went wrong or not as planned but we had so much fun, & also literally every guest we’ve talked to since then has said how much they loved it & what a good time they had! so if you are getting married my advice is

do the things you & your partner actually want to do (first dance lessons! made up our own unity ceremony from a poem we both like a lot! flower crowns for me & my wife!)

fuck the things you or your partner don’t want to do (no scripture/bible stuff in our ceremony, no garter toss bc I don’t want my wife going up my skirt in front of all our family & friends thanks)

have fun with planning your wedding but also remember that even if literally everything else goes wrong on the day of, you still get to end the day married to your best friend!!

the only people whose opinions on your wedding matter at all are you & the person you’re marrying. other people Will have opinions & you can take those opinions into consideration if you want, but you also can completely ignore them & it will be fine I promise

also my wife is so handsome I’m exploding into heart-shaped confetti forever, we don’t have professional pics yet but enjoy a selfie & some candids 🥰💕

I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy, I wanna bottle the whole day & send it back to sad closeted 12 year old me. like hey guess what, love & happiness are real & you get to have them!! survive! it is so worth it!

[shelleyseale]

8 Style Finds for an Elevated Spring Season

As springtime rolls back around, so too does the opportunity for fresh beginnings as days stretch and the weather warms. With the season spurring sentiments of rejuvenation and reassurance, now is a great time to spearhead a renewed effort to feel and look your best. To achieve this worthy goal, you’ll want to spruce up your seasonal style—whether that means your clothes, accessories, beauty and wellness regime ... or all of the above! Toward this end, below are a few fab finds for our top spring style picks that can give you more panache this spring.

NOVICA Artisan Fair-Trade Marketplace 

Photo courtesy of NOVICA If you crave distinctive style, worldly sophistication and enjoy shopping for a cause, then NOVICA—the largest online fair-trade marketplace featuring beautiful hand-crafted products from all over the globe—is for you. Their curated cache of artisans is hand-selected, with many having overcome amazing odds by selling their goods. For example, the Blue Jasmine Batik Silk Scarf, designed by Java artisan Yuni Kristina, has expanded business into a global marketplace thanks to the help of NOVICA’s team. Originating in Indonesia, batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique. Kristina hand-stamps the blue patterns on the ivory textile and adds red and black designs in batik. Also noteworthy are glass-blowing artists Javier Gutiérrez and Efrén Canteras, who have worked together to preserve Mexico's blown glass artistry. They work with lead-free, un-tempered and recycled glass, which is melted at very high temperatures and formed into beautiful wares. NOVICA features many other authentic crafts from around the globe and the company has sent more than $89.9 million back to their artisans to date.

Lebody Face & Body Enhancing Devices

Spring is a great time to amp up that self-care regime and here’s an innovative tech-driven way to do exactly that. With Lebody you can get spa-level results in the comfort of your own home, enhancing both your face and your body. This leading Korean beauty-technology company just launched in the United States this past December, offering two devices that bring professional-level advances directly to the consumer. The ‘Lebody Face’ is a compact, travel-friendly beauty device that uses electrical ionization and micro-currents to stimulate elastin in the skin for an instant lifting effect, while absorbing active ingredients, rearranging collagen and improving skin elasticity. The ‘Lebody Form’ uses EMS mid-frequency to strengthen muscles and increase energy consumption to burn fat components around the body by directly stimulating and activating the muscles for a slimming effect. Use its Slim or Gym modes at up to six varying strength levels to build or trim your abdomen, legs, glutes, chest, back, shoulders and arms without having to drive to the fitness center. Indeed, Lebody products allow consumers to use advanced, cutting-edge technology right at home.

Find U Rings Online Jewelry Store

Photo Courtesy FindURings.com To help amp up your fashion accessory game—especially on the engagement and wedding ring front—is FindURings.com, an online jewelry store allowing consumers to benefit from its deep industry knowledge about the modern-day ring marketplace. They have their own processing plants and offer tailor-made services to ensure whichever wedding, engagement or fashion ring design you select meets your distinct needs and desires. Plus, all of their rings are made at their own factory with no outside agent, so prices will be more favorable to a budget-conscious shopper. Whether you’re seeking unique tungsten wedding bands; titanium, sterling silver, stainless steel or ceramic rings, FindURings.com has fashionable styles for both men and women, alike. They are also one of the few brands that offers free engravings of meaningful words, phrases and even fingerprints, adding even more meaning to your personalized design. One of my favorite rings on the site is the “Sterling Silver Cris Cross Ring,” which is billed as an “Eternity Engagement Band” although I like wearing this blingy bauble daily as a fashion ring. This standard, silver, horizontal ring is made from 925 sterling silver and shiny white cut AAA cubic zirconia. The cross loop is reportedly one of their most popular rings of the year. If you are buying this design for romantic reasons, its exquisite sheen and simple, stylish "X" design are stunning and a symbol of eternal love. For men, I really dig the “Flat Deer Antler Titanium Wedding Band”—a wide flat titanium deer antler-adorned ring. At 8mm wide and 2.0-2.5mm thick, the inside of the ring is made of high-quality titanium and the outside is made of authentic deer antlers. So, each ring is truly unique. Plus, all of their rings are offered with free shipping and a lifetime warranty, with no minimum spend required. Each one has a lifetime guarantee for size exchange and any damage.

Pop Bag USA Customizable Handbags

Handbag purveyor Pop Bag USA was born in Tuscany and produced in Florence, Italy by local craftsmen whose unique and unparalleled workmanship ensure the utmost standards with the highest quality pebbled and Saffiano leather options. As the movement toward sustainable fashion–and awareness of the negative effects of fast fashion–grows, Pop Bag is an ideal purse for longevity. This is because the bag, itself, is custom-buildable with different components allowing you to mix, match and exchange each front and back panel to achieve your desired (and ever-evolving) look. With four customizable components—a front, back, strap, and interior pouch—a choice of leather, and a multitude of modern finishes for you to choose from, the possibilities for expression are endless.

Photo courtesy of Pop Bag Pop Bag provides the materials, but the panels and pieces you select and the ways you customize your Pop Bag make each a reflection of your own unique style and personality. Design the bags based on your destination, mood or the season. Change colors, materials and hardware. It’s a fun and fulfilling process. Or, if you want it done for you, there are ready-to-wear bags from totes, mini-bags and backpacks to phone bags and envelopes.  With locations all around the world, from France and Germany to Hong Kong and beyond, Pop Bag has now opened its first United States location. Americans can now also enjoy building their own brag-worthy Pop Bag.

Dooney & Bourke ‘Caldwell’ Design Handbags

Photo courtesy of Dooney & Bourke The Caldwell Collection from Dooney & Bourke exemplifies understated elegance. These chic, structured bags created from python-embossed leather are refined but with a touch of glam courtesy of the gold-plated hardware embellishment. The collection of products has also been treated to repel some moisture, so those spring showers are nary a worry. One option from the line is the Caldwell Flynn Handbag, which features rich textures of that python-embossed leather that elevates the fashion-forward bag. Soft pleats and a gold logo round out the look on the exterior, while inside there’s a light, twill lining—a bright pop of red juxtaposing my choice of the deep espresso brown option. Aside for its aesthetics, what I adore about this handbag is that it’s extremely roomy, with the main compartment holding an abundant amount, while also keeping you organized courtesy of deep-set pockets galore. Another piece that I especially like for when I only need to carry essentials is the Caldwell Zip Clutch. The exotic texture of python is once again artfully imprinted in leather, making this eye-catching clutch an instant outfit changer. Its classic, timeless shape makes it a perfect companion. It can also be used as a coordinating wallet with the Flynn Handbag. For an effortless polish, day or night, Caldwell bags are a great choice for the season.

Skin Actives’ ‘Double Action Hair Serum'

For those unhappy with their thinning or grey hair, the Double Action Hair Serum from Skin Actives may just be the answer. This serum is specifically formulated to help replenish thinning and grey hair to give it more youthful flare. The product’s key ingredients, Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF), Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase (MSR) and nourishing actives work together to create hair that looks thicker, stronger and healthier while also maintaining its natural color in the process. For this and all of its products, Skin Actives constantly reviews scientific and industry literature to stay at the very front of effective ingredients and innovative approaches. Their formulators use techniques developed over decades of research to manufacture specialty proteins and push the cutting edge of skin care technology. For the most optimal results with the Double Action Hair Serum, specifically, Skin Actives recommends using the product nightly by dampening the scalp area and applying the serum directly to it using the product’s pointed applicator. From there you just have to gently massage it into the area and then rinse or cleanse it out in the morning. It’s as simple as that. Skin Actives says that users begin to see results in just two to six months. Now that’ll put a spring in your step!

Dr. med. Christine Schrammek Skincare Line

Blemish Balm - photo courtesy of Dr. med. Christine Schrammek Skincare For those focusing on skin health and wealth this spring season, next are medically-inspired skin care products from the Dr. med. Christine Schrammek collection by Kosmetik, an elite, 60-year-old German skincare company. Dermatologist, allergologist and anti-aging expert Dr. med. Christine Schrammek-Drusio’s professional occupation as a doctor with her own practice strengthened her desire to create a connection between cosmetics and dermatology. Today, thousands of aestheticians and users worldwide take advantage of the Dr. med. Christine Schrammek Kosmetik skin care products. Each item in this highly effective product line was specially designed for all skin types. The company offers a skin care portfolio with seven product lines addressing different skin types and concerns, with each combining innovative and proven ingredients to optimize skin health. All products are dermatologically tested, and many clinically tested, for best efficacy. Thanks to their high ingredient concentration in combination with dermatological knowledge and high-end quality, Dr. Schrammek products are known to achieve excellent results, having received rave reviews from women across the globe.

NIVEA Crème Limited Edition City Tins

Earlier this year NIVEA launched its first limited edition collection nationwide in the United States: the NIVEA Crème Limited Edition City Tins featuring cityscapes inspired by some of the country’s top destinations like Miami and San Francisco. Now, these stunning skylines are emblazoned on the iconic NIVEA Crème’s travel-friendly one-ounce tins priced around $1. Of course, inside the tiny, travel-friendly tins is the NIVEA Crème, which gives skin the care it needs by nourishing and giving it a protective layer that prevents moisture loss throughout the day. Enriched with Provitamin B5, the rich and creamy formula moisturizes all day and nourishes to protect all skin types. Simply apply to your face, hands and body to enjoy soft, smooth skin any time. For an extra level of care, apply to the roughest areas such as knees, feet and elbows to intensively moisturize. ~~~ ***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided or arranged at no cost to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.*** Read the full article