Do You Take Kate Spade? I DO!

I'm in love with the bridal items Kate Spade has! Not only does Kate Spade carry wedding gowns and the glitziest of shoes, but they have some of the most precious accessories that can be given as gifts to those special ladies in your life! Whether you're the bride looking for bridesmaid gifts or you're looking for a special gift for the bride, Kate Spade has some really unique items to celebrate women all around through an engagement to a wedding day.

The popular idiom bracelets are adorable as they usually hold special messages inside. Kate Spade has sayings from "I Do" to "Something Blue" which would make pretty gifts for the bride! 

At the same time, there are special idiom bracelets that would be perfect gifts for the Maid or Matron of Honor and bridemsaids.  

Something like the "Best Friend Ever" idiom bracelet which displays messages such as "Peas in a Pod" and "Partners in Crime" is an adorable way to let your BFFs know how much they mean to you. And then, of course, is the "You and Me" idiom bracelet that has cute sayings like "The Hocus to my Pocus" which would make a special gift for the Maid or Matron of Honor to cherish. You can find these bracelets in silver, gold, and rose gold colors, and as necklaces too!


The "Taken" necklace is a perfect engagement gift!

 The "Marry Me" Clutch is really different. With the looks of a romantic novel, this clutch is very chic!

A white watch that says "MRS" is such a special gift for the bride - it would look perfect on her tanned wrist when she's visiting the islands during her honeymoon.

Can you imagine? She can wear the watch to be sure she's on time when she uses her passport holder as she begins her "Happily Ever After"! It all just marries together perfectly!

www.katespade.com

Ryan's Quest Valentine Ball 2014

Once Upon a Time…February 8th to be exact…The Westin Princeton opened it's doors to one of my favorite events - this year's Ryan's Quest Valentine Ball - The Enchanted Garden.

The night sponsored by First Choice Bank was a huge success and a dream come true really. With events such as charity galas, we rely a great deal on talents from others who can donate time and services in an effort to raise as much money as possible for the cause. When the time, talent, and services exceed your expectations, as a planner, you cannot help but feel your heart grow! 

This event was proof that love CAN conquer all! 

I'm grateful that photographer Erica Haller and her assistant Albert both of Erica Haller Photography captured incredible shots that we can forever cherish as we look back to see what helped us to get one step closer to finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Upon entering Cocktail Hour, which was gorgeously decorated by In Full Bloom, you could not help but be awed by the handmade decor and pieces crafted out of wood. As you grabbed a signature 'Fairy-Tail' Appletini, you may have noticed some woodland and fairytale creatures prancing around or on display. Five salons were asked to help create wow-factors to add to the enchantment. Salon Artigiano, Salon Pure, VC Salon, Great Looks, and Salon G were all on board for the task, and believe me, they WOWed us!

Salon Artigiano's 'Heirshroom'

VC Salon's 'Believe'

Salon Pure's 'Enchanted Fawn'

 In the background, sounds from Tutti Dolce came from the trio's strings. From classical to current hits - they added to the magical mood of the event. 

Passed hors d'oeuvres were a plenty.

A Silent Auction made up of over 70 amazing prize packages from Disney Vacations to Once in a Lifetime Experiences adorned a room that was full of special contests and raffles - some of which were provided by Trent Jewelers.

Creative centerpieces by In Full Bloom helped to make our garden even more enchanted while menus by Darling and Pearl were specially customized for the event. From the stars on the ceilings and branches along the walls, Xplosive Entertainment enveloped us in a beautiful whimsical ambience.

Two very special women were awarded the Ryan's Quest Hero Award - Jenn McNary and Christine McSherry! This came after the premier of a trailer provided by the Wider Brothers.

The magic continued as Jason Liberatore and Dan Miller provided exquisite acoustic renditions of 'He's My Son' and 'Demons' in which the amazing Tyler Stewart performed a moving contemporary dance with grace and excellence portraying the struggle of this awful disease and overcoming it.

The NERDS than took the stage and had the dance floor packed! They were so good that it seemed as though their sound was heard as far as Philly as one of its main residents ended up crashing the event! Yes, the Philly Phanatic stopped by for some added fun and laughs!

Xplosive Entertainment continued to keep the guests dancing to their favorites and were amazing emcees as well!

Some guests dressed to fit the theme - all guests enjoyed the enchanted evening filled with love!

                                     

Over a dozen bakers donated scrumptious desserts for our 

Garden of Sweets! 
   

These Elderflower Panna Cottas were provided by Pastry Chef  Randi Sabine

   

Whimsical cupcakes were sent to us from Puddin's Cake Corner

Artistic cake pops were a vision of Little Ladies Sweet Treats

Other amazing goodies were provided by: Sue's Sweets, Coco's Cakery, Dana's Custom Cakes, Dillicious Cupcakes, Lynn Crutchley, Jennifer's Couture Cupcakes, How Sweet it Is by Melissa, Terri Kent, Chrissy's Creations, and Carella's Chocolates

Dave and Maria Schultz, founders of Ryan's Quest and parents to Ryan Schultz, ironically stand in front of a clock that was used for decor. To them, the clock symbolizes every second of every day for while dealing with the realities of Duchenne muscular dystrophy which is a 100% fatal disease that occurs mainly in boys - one being their son. Boys with Duchenne lose their ability to walk between the ages of 8-12, require respiratory assistance in their teens, and survive only in to their twenties. Racing against the clock is what everyone in the Duchenne community does every day as every day two boys are lost to this villain! It doesn't have to be this way. Especially not now when treatments are out there - treatments that are being held captive by the FDA.

I was so happy with such a successful event made possible by so many! It truly was "All The Rave", and as a planner and coordinator, I couldn't be more grateful by the help of so many vendors, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and guests! My goal throughout this event and one to keep in mind is that we need to continue to fight and race against the clock so that these boys and their families can LIVE

"Happily Ever After"!

The End 

of Duchenne

Gems of the Night

Jewel-tones and pretty off-whites covered the red carpet at the 65th Emmy Awards. A few of these beauties shined the brightest! While I wasn't overly impressed with this year's Emmy fashion, there were some actresses who stayed consistent from previous red carpets, and of course, there are those designers who fail to disappoint! 

Kaley Cuocco made a "big bang" in a cranberry Vera Wang gown.   

Photo by Jason Merritt 

Julie Louis-Dryfes's sparkly strapless sequin gown by Monique Lhuillier was absolutely one of my favorites! 

Photo by Scott Kirkland

Heidi Klum wore a "pomegranate" sequin/beaded number in Versace. It was very costumey, but if anyone can pull it off, it's definitely Heidi Klum! 

                                                                                         Photo by John Shearer  

Giuliana Rancic is always gorgeous. Her mermaid was by Tadashi Shoji. For her first time in blue on the red carpet, I would say the color was a bit underwhelming for me. I wish it was a tad bit more in the purple or grey family to go with her skin tone and "Nutella" hair, but all the same, she was exquisite!

Photo by Scott Kirkland

One of the most stunning gowns on the red carpet by far was by Donna Karan Atelier, and giving it great justice as it was worn gracefully, was Linda Cardellini. 

Photo by Jason Merritt 

Connie Britton is shown here in Naeem Khan. The velvet turquoise gown embellished with gold, was very regal and very pretty.

Photo by Scott Kirkland

Kerry Washington is someone who is always consistently gorgeous on the red carpet. She wore a flowing intricate tricolor gown by Marchesa! Captivating!

            Photo by Michael Buckner     

Sarah Hyland wore a very flattering shade of green laced in black by Carolina Herrera. 

                                                                                       Photo by Jason Merritt   

 Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi was dressed simple in Kaufman Franco, but was definitely a cut above the rest! And, the cut above the waist...super cute! Perfectly accessorized with gold jewelry!

Photo by Jeff Vespa

My favorite gown of the evening was another by Marchesa. Malin Akerman wore this very light grey, almost white gown with incredible detail. Very much red carpet-worthy!

Photo by Scott Kirkland 

STAND OUT with Jewelry Picks by Heather

Aside from Event Planning and working closely with the charity Ryan's Quest - 2 of my passions, I have decided to launch an online jewelry boutique that I can actually tie in to social media - another love of mine. I look to not only sell gorgeous pieces at great prices that either fit my personality or are trending at the moment, but to tie them in to certain themes whether it be celebrity fashion as a "How to Get That Look", by releasing inspiration boards, or simply by listening to what YOU are looking for!

I LOVE accessories! I think they are like icing on the cake! They're a way to brand yourself and show off your personality! Myself...I generally go for big clunky bracelets and odd-looking pieces that are daring to wear! To me, it means making a bold statement! I like unique styles, but will also add very classic pieces to my shop.

My mother always wanted to open a boutique. So, I'm going to do this in her memory. She ALWAYS accessorized...and to me, she always stood out. Now, it's time for us all to grab our inner diva, slap on something shiny or sparkly and STAND OUT!

Go to my online boutique. As like many online boutiques that are sweeping the world wide web, you must join (only by creating a password). There will be flash sales each week that I will update you on! These pieces are all from emerging designers and will be sold at up to 60% off!

I can't wait for you to see the pieces I've chosen to share!
STAND OUT if you dare!

Follow the link below:
https://standout.kitsylane.com/join/DDL06lM

Ryan's Quest Valentine Ball - Roar for a Cure

Ryan's Quest took a step back in time to the Roaring Twenties while celebrating accomplishments throughout the organization and Duchenne community, and also giving a party for all of those who help raise awareness and roar for a cure! 

Upon entering the Westin Princeton, guests dressed in an array of fringe, fun feathered headbands, boas, suspenders, and bow ties were greeted with pink champagne, passed hors d'oeuvres, ice luges, contests, and a silent auction that consisted of prizes from South African Safari stays to once-in-a life time experiences on field with the NY Yankees! 

After cocktail hour, when the reception doors opened, a 16 piece orchestra was blaring "Sing Sing Sing"as twenty showgirls from Stewart Johnson Dance Academy lined the floor posed as shiny mannequins. They then got the party started with their well-choreographed routine to Christina Aguilera's 'Burlesque' as they danced on chairs and brought the house down! 

Next up was an introduction by John Crowley of 'Extraordinary Measures'. Once he introduced Dave Schultz, Ryan's father, Dave awarded Giants great Jessie Armstead and Antonio Pierce with the 2013 Ryan's Quest Hero Award for their commitment to helping Ryan's Quest and being such great advocators. Jessie happily accepted for he and Antonio (who was unable to attend last minute due to inclimate weather). A trailer then played on the screens for 'Darius Goes West'. And, amazingly so, Darius Weems himself and director Logan Smalley were in attendance to accept the next set of 2013 Ryan's Quest Hero Awards. The crowd jumped to a standing ovation as Darius who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and lost his brother from this awful disease, proudly accepted. Maria Schultz, Ryan's mother then spoke and discussed the importance of time and how boys like Ryan and Darius need more of it! 

Darius Weems and Logan Smalley with family and friends

Decor for the evening was made of up-cycled materials in an effort to go green by In Full Bloom. Some of this decor consisted of a huge backdrop of handmade flowers created simply from paper. Corey Fyffe also lent a hand to some beautiful stationary such as menus and table numbers. Music from the evening was fitting to the theme with the Midnight Sun Orchestra, but the party also took a modern twist as DJs Gregg Hollman and DJ Spinz of Ambient DJ got the floor packed with their beats! Brian Dzbenski from Master Disc Jockeys even took a turn leading the crowd with some moves while playing live footage on the big screens. A land/sea duet was served and then a huge couture cupcake display created by Cake it Up sat above and below The Linen Touch's silver sequined linens and silver shimmery shimilier where over 700 hundred "Cuptails" (cocktail-inspired cupcakes) were a welcomed dessert! Bakers who donated delicious treats were Sibling Rivalry Sweets, Dillicious Cupcakes, Sue's Sweets, Chocolate in the Oven, Coco's Cakery, Dana's Custom Cakes, Puddin's Cake Corner, Stace of Cakes, Lynn VanCamp-Crutchley, Randi Sabine, Nino's Pastry Shop, Treats from Chrissy's Kitchen, and Terri Kent. A SnapShotz Photo Booth was jammed at most times full of friends smiling knowing that they were at an event that was not only fun, but also was for a cause! 

The event that was sponsored by First Choice Bank went on until midnight with dancing, champagne-to-go, more dancing, and prizes! A 14 Karat Diamond Heart Necklace donated by Trent Jewelers was given to one lucky winner while His and Hers Movado watches also donated by Trent Jewelers were given to another. Forty other recipients who took a chance at winning something shiny or sweet took home diamond necklaces, again donated by Trent Jewelers.

Heather Sconza, Owner of All The Rave Events by Heather

This was an event that was a pleasure to watch come to life and is something I believe that Jay Gatsby would be proud of! Most importantly though - it was a success for Ryan's Quest which in turn is a success for the Duchenne Alliance which in turn is a success for the Duchenne community which will hopefully mean we are successful in buying time while finding a cure! 

Maria Schultz quoted Art Buchwald saying "Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got". This is where we need to realize that if we don't take this time now to celebrate each day we have and work tirelessly for a cure, we will be wasting what is precious - time. 

Jessie Armstead and Dave Schultz

Thankfully, Erica Haller Photography captured tons of great pictures from the evening which can be viewed here: ericahallerphoto.keepandshare.com 

To learn more about Ryan's Quest and to view the public service announcement, please visit www.ryansquest.org