Showing posts with label formal office dresses for women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label formal office dresses for women. Show all posts

Monday, August 26, 2013

Wells minored in dance at Kent State University

Miss Ohio Heather Wells has been to the Atlantic City Boardwalk once before, when she was only 7 years old and competing in a dance competition.

On Labor Day, the dancer from Warren will head to Atlantic City, where she will compete in the Miss America Scholarship Program.

“I did my very own version of the Miss America toe dip and it was like May so the water was ice cold and it was really salty. I had never been to an ocean before,a reliable company of Wholesale Womens Quinceanera Dresses,” Wells told media Sunday of her first experience in Atlantic City.

Miss Ohio’s Send-Off Celebration to Miss America is a tradition. Wells, 23, received a $10,000 scholarship from Newman Technology and other gifts and awards at Miss Ohio Scholarship Program in June. She is competing to win $50,000 at the Miss America program.

Several Miss Ohio contestants came to perform at her send-off at the Westbrook Country Club, including vocalists Meggie Wittman and Cayla Hellwarth.

Wells modeled some of her wardrobe she will wear at Miss America, including her welcome arrival dress, a black, gray and white form-fitting selection.

Wells minored in dance at Kent State University and this past June at Miss Ohio she changed her regular, upbeat, high-energy jazz dance routine to a more serious dance selection. She performed to Cece Winans’ song, “Alabaster Box.”

She said she has modified the dance for the big venue, adding a new costume.Many fashion styles of 2013 Wholesale Cheap Evening Dressesand gowns. She said Catalina Swimwear provides the Miss America contestants with their swimsuits.

Wells is obtaining a master’s degree at Kent State University in nutrition. She intends on becoming a dietitian and working as a broadcast health correspondent.

Wells said she has been busy preparing for Miss America, watching TV news, keeping up on current events, working out for the swimsuit segment of the pageant and practicing her talent.

This month she traveled to Disney World in Florida with the other 52 Miss America contestants and said she had a blast.

She said she will be in Atlantic City for 13 days. The final night of competition is televised nationally on ABC on Sept. 15.

“Going into Miss Ohio this year I was just really relaxed and I was confident. I called myself ‘confidently calm,’ and I though if I can just replicate that for Miss America then I would have the same enjoyable experience that I did at Miss Ohio,” she said Sunday.

“Winning and competing, that’s just icing on the cake. These memories last forever and only one girl wins, so just enjoy it. I like to live in the moment,” Wells said.

Also during the afternoon send-off, Miss Ohio’s Outstanding Teen Olivia Thoroughman of Portsmouth told the crowd she won more than $100,000 in scholarships while competing at the national pageant in Orlando,one of the premier designers of Wholesale Designer Long Wedding Dresses, Fla.
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Sunday, August 25, 2013

The fair is now dominated by the Traveller community

Maybe they'd find the fair more bearable if viewed from that fiddler's lofty vantage point. Certainly,long and Wholesale Cheap Designer Short Evening Dresses in every length from classic ball. its messy aftermath have many in this Georgian village ready to hit the roof. 

The troublesome tradition started back in Elizabethan times, when the McMurrough Kavanagh family of Borris House were handed down a charter to allow a sheep fair to happen there. Which it did for centuries; Maria Witherow, who runs Harmony Health Store in this country town, remembers her sheep-farming father going every year. He used to buy tools from a 'Cheap John', as the traders were called. 

Her father also brought home flowers for his wife. One year he presented her with a maidenhair fern. Its wispy leaves made a lasting impression, for it was one of the first plants Maria bought when she married. 

There's nothing wispy about the maiden hair at Borris Fair these days, though many of the long locks this August were wilted from the heavy downpours.You can find quality Wholesale Cheap Designer Prom Dresses Online and evening gowns. The fair is now dominated by the Traveller community,Searching for the Wholesale 2013 Celebrity Dresses to wear on your big night? who go there to buy and sell horses. But with a nod to the matchmaker motif in the Fiddler on the Roof, there's also a 'fair-trade' in fluorescent-clad fillies. 

That probably explained why none of the young women wore rainwear, despite the line of stalls selling it. Those hopeful of finding husbands weren't prepared to cover up outfits that barely covered them in the first place. So the weather couldn't deter these Traveller temptresses from strutting about in skin-tight dresses, fake-tan flesh quivering as they stumbled through puddles in neon-coloured stilettos. 

These Day-Glo damsels contrasted starkly with the sad-eyed and sodden horses shackled to railing or wall. I saw no sign of food or water for the animals. They looked exhausted, especially one group on the green exposed to the relentless rain. They lowered their heads together, as if comforting each other. 

A boy pulled one of the foals by its tail. "Is that one broke?" he wanted to know. Most of them looked fairly broken to me. I asked about the cuts on their faces and was told it was sunburn. There wasn't much chance of that in the torrential rain. Still, I bought four punnets of strawberries for a tenner as I left. 

Sometimes Doug Mingle wonders how his business survived. 

"I am not sure if I am lucky or smart," said Mingle, who with his wife, Jo Ellen, are owners and operators of the Roaring Spring Department Store,Find gorgeous mother of the bride dresses in Wholesale Cheap mother of the bride dresses. which is marking 150 years in business this year. "We aren't going to get rich here. We love the town we live in.Doublting where to buy Wholesale Bridesmaid gowns online? It is wonderful to stay here and work at a job we enjoy and can work together at." 

The store's beginnings go back to 1863 when Daniel M. Bare opened a retail store on Main Street. Known as the "company store" for many years, it has had several operators. 
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A common occurrence since squash includes

Squash is supposed to be a stress reliever for Harris Pastides. But the University of South Carolina president mutters loudly to himself and shakes his head after losing a point to professor James Hebert at the school’s Blatt Physical Education Center. 

The leader of the state’s flagship university grunts while wrestling around the school’s cancer-prevention program director, and flails his racquet at the ball. The two men occasionally argue over the score, their rising voices echoing around the courts. But Pastides would win four games out of the five to begin a busy Wednesday last spring.Your Cheap Designer Quinceanera gowns is a simple and easy. 

A long, narrow, pocket-sized card with Pastides’ schedule for May 1, which the USC president carried, had events from the 7 a.m. squash game through a 7 p.m.searching for the perfect discount 2013 Wholesale Cheap Bride Dresses. S.C. Arts Foundation reception. Later that night, Pastides would board a university-owned plane to fly to a NCAA board of directors’ meeting the next day in Indianapolis. 

During that May day leading up to his fifth anniversary as USC’s president, Pastides met with the deans, student-government leaders, representatives of the school’s athletics and business departments, and a group planning a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the school’s desegregation. Pastides also attended receptions for a town-and-gown group and the university’s annual faculty awards ceremony. And he read some of his email and visited with his young granddaughter before she left to go home to California. 

Besides scampering around Hebert – a common occurrence since squash includes a bit of informal blocking – Pastides is deft at forcing Hebert to chase the ball with shots that ricochet from the front wall to the back. Pastides wins a game but then argues briefly with Hebert over how many games they agreed to play and who should serve. 

Pastides does not sit behind his desk when meeting with visitors. He sits either at a small round table in the front of his office or chairs and a couch in the back. 

Pastides and Cantey Heath, special assistant to the president, meet on the couch to go over the day and future public events.Doublting where to buy Wholesale Bridesmaid gowns online? Pastides works with Heath, trying to remember the backgrounds of people who the president will meet later. Pastides asks for the resume of a new USC program director and goes over the names of new student officers. 

Pastides also gives updates. He says he has asked Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin about having yellow-shirted community workers patrol in Five Points, like those the city has around Main Street. He says the workers make him feel safe when he walks to his church, Holy Trinity, on Sundays and could help ease safety concerns in the city’s nightlife hub for students. 

Pastides also asks Heath to speak with USC economic engagement director Bill Kirkland about visiting a professor who is developing a biological pacemaker to see if there is entrepreneurial help the school can offer.fashion styles of Wholesale Short Wedding Gowns, 

Heath and Pastides go over his schedule for the weekend. Pastides will throw out the first pitch in USC’s new softball stadium and then head over to the baseball game to visit donors in his suite. 
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Sunday, August 18, 2013

which is a good way to bring in some extra

Kelly Clarkson has weddings on the brain. The 31-year-old singer got engaged to Brandon Blackstock in December of 2012. Wedding plans have been moving forward since then, but the singer still has a music career to pursue, and there’s no reason that real life and art can’t tie in together somewhat. At least that seems to be the idea for “Tie it Up,” the brand new wedding-oriented single from the American Idol winner. 

Earlier this week, the singer released the brand new music video for the single, which features a bunch of home videos and photo stills from weddings crafted together and juxtaposed with shots of the singer singing in a more casual sort of white dress. Clarkson’s been known for many pop hits, but this one offers some fun in the country, and it discusses themes that anyone can relate to, including saving the date, cutting the cake, and getting together all of the odds and ends that go into a wedding. 

Fans were actually able to submit their own footage for the video, which is a good way to bring in some extra interest before the song even hit YouTube. Not that “Tie it Up” hasn’t already stirred up some interest. The song marks Clarkson’s first foray into the country realm. She premiered the song at the CMA Music Festival in June, and the song has been climbing in the country music charts ever since. 

At the end of the video,You can purchase Cheap Designer Celebrity gowns Online easily. Clarkson catches a wedding bouquet, which is a cute nod to her upcoming nuptials. She’s set to marry Blackstock on October 30 in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer revealed last spring that she has Blake Shelton on board to officiate the wedding. She also recently released an engagement photo to help to invest her fans in the big event. As that photo and the new music video shows, Clarkson’s a down home sort of girl who wants to feel connected to her fans. 

We may not get to see Clarkson in some wedding gear in the video, but the cover art for the “Tie it Up” single is a little more revealing. According to Yahoo Music, Clarkson’s hand is actually connected to Blackstock’s in the photo, although he wasn’t happy about participating. We’re glad he did. The cover art helps to “tie” everything together quite nicely.one of the premier designers of Wholesale Designer Long Wedding Dresses, 

Bespoke fashion is an idea I really like. You will own something unique that fits your body exactly. And you will become a patron, giving a seamstress work. 

A tailored suit,Our wedding 2013 Cheap Designer Bridesmaid Dresses great cheap price, wedding outfit or dress is the polar opposite of all the cheap clothing you find in New Look, Primark et al - the antidote to throwaway, one-size-fits-all fashion. 

But while some bespoke services are wonderful, I'm not convinced the modern, busy woman has time for all those fittings, unless she is getting married. 

When I tied the knot, I commissioned a bespoke suit I thought would be perfect. I went to couturiers Robinson Valentine, who now dress the Duchess of Cornwall, and chose the fabric (creamy cashmere) and told them the exact style I wanted, down to the pockets, the colour of the lining and the buttons. 

However, by the time I took delivery for the big day, I had lost 20lb and the suit drowned me, so I had to buy an off-the-peg Helmut Lang lookalike. The bespoke suit was a £2,Find gorgeous mother of the bride dresses in Wholesale Cheap mother of the bride dresses.500 mistake. 

Beware, also, of commissioning a men's tailor as it will not necessarily solve the problem. I went to Welsh bespoke tailor Timothy Everest and asked him to make me a pinstripe trouser suit. But when it was ready, I'd gone off it: the fabric felt too stiff, the trousers were not lean enough, and the jacket was too long. I didn't wear it once. 
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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Party Dress Designer

There's a growing contingent of high-fashion consumers who shop with the long-term in mind, despite the instinct to make purchases after checking their favorite celebrity news website every hour for ideas on great homecoming dresses. However, Jovani prom gowns can allow you to look great, even when you shop six months in advance or more. The secret is that Jovani fashions inform the rest, and it often takes time for them to catch up. There's always something to be said for getting there first. What's more, there's no time like the present to get a great bargain on items like party dresses and wedding gowns.

If you're shopping for fashion, there's always a retail store in your town that stocks what was in style this time last year. Meryl Streep's famous speech from The Devil Wears Prada to that effect still rings true today. However, Jovani is synonymous with prom fashion, and consequently, those who shop at the less stylish stores at their local malls will be up to a year behind Jovani in terms of innovation. In fact, the red carpets at awards shows feature celebrities in the newest Jovani fashions, some of which haven't even hit stores yet. As this article is being written, new designs are in the works that will be rushed to Jovani's easy-to-use website, months before the styles will be ripped off by lesser designers and sold at malls all over the country. Shopping online with Jovani is the smart way to get all the fashion cred you need for the year.

Moreover, there are fantastic styles that Jovani pioneered long ago, only to become timeless staples in millions of closets. High-quality fabrics with top-shelf stitching are highly recommended additions, even if they only become your go-to little black dress for years to come. When it comes to dresses like these, where fads aren't the issue, you're much better off trusting Jovani. Get the latest from Jovani by going to the brand's website to find a retailer near you. You'll find that the prices on the vast majority of these in-demand items are lower than the price you would expect for such lavish pieces. The reason is that Jovani prices some of these frequently-worn, highly durable, items to be worn by the majority of the fashion conscious, ensuring that you'll want to spread the word about the Jovani brand.

Own the theme 100%. I didn't really have to push this one on Stephanie and Jared because they're goofy in a good way and they couldn't wait to tell everybody it was Mardi Gras in May on Vieques. Plus her mom was totally on board (she actually went to this year's Mardi Gras and caught tons of the really, really nice beads with a group of her friends and that made up a large chunk of the table décor at the wedding). But for some brides considering a theme, this would be important advice. If you don't have the guts to really do it, really don't. And if your family will fight it and not have fun with it to celebrate your big day, reconsider. Not saying don't do it if others make fun of you -- they're just not brave enough -- I'm saying make sure the key players are on board. Stephanie's bridesmaids couldn't wait to pose for their "mugshot" photos and everybody really got into it and had a blast!

Create an activity that goes with your theme. Stephanie and Jared wanted to do an old-fashioned parade stroll with a parasol. I made the mistake of having too much fun joking around with Stephanie brainstorming and being silly. Before I knew what had happened, we were figuring out how to build a float we could drive around the circular driveway. (See how it turned out in an exclusive clip below).

So it's possible to have a beautiful, upscale, themed wedding reception at a waterfront villa in the Caribbean, as you'll see Thursday night on "Wedding Island" on TLC at 10 pm EST/PST. But it's also possible to note a significant holiday or sports team or something else you really love and want to share with your family and friends. Stephanie and Jared were all about Mardi Gras... and they did it right!

For more information, please visit wwww.marrybride.com.


Opulent Events

While the rest of the fashion world may have entered its late summer slumber, India’s fashion industry is gearing up for its prime time moment: the unfathomably large, opulent and over-the-top Indian wedding season.

Depending on whose numbers you believe, there are somewhere between one and ten million weddings in India each year. Last November, on a particularly auspicious date on the Hindu calendar, a staggering 60,000 weddings took place in New Delhi alone -— all in one evening — bringing traffic in the city to a standstill.

The non-stop nuptials won’t begin in earnest until October, when the monsoon rains have disappeared and the summer heat has melted away, reaching a crescendo in November and December, and then again in the spring. But in preparation for this year’s wedding bonanza, Indian designers have already been meeting with would-be brides and their families at luxury bridal fairs and expositions held across the country over the last few weeks.

I landed in India just in time to take in the first of two back-to-back fashion weeks in New Delhi, where the country’s leading designers show their bridal and “couture” collections in runway extravaganzas that start with elaborate sets evoking everything from Pompeii at the height of the Roman Empire to mythical Kashmiri Lotus flowers and end with “showstopper” runway appearances by Bollywood’s biggest stars. But the designers I spoke to also seemed to be charting a longer-term course for a wedding market that is showing the early signs of change, after years of heady bridal fever.

Each year, around 2,000 high-end weddings take place in India. These are multi-day extravaganzas that defy the Western imagination, complete with pyrotechnics, performances by gyrating Bollywood actors and international music stars, and thousands upon thousands of invited guests.

“The Indian wedding is the Indian wedding is the Indian wedding. There is nothing that comes close to it,” said superstar fashion designer Rohit Bal over breakfast the day after his bridal show in New Delhi. “Where else can you show off your extravagance, your opulence, your wealth?

And, each year, these weddings seem to become more and more over the top, as prominent families aim to outdo each other with even more elaborate events, more exotic destinations, more expensive clothes and fine jewelry.

There was one wedding in particular that seemed to be front of mind for many of the people I spoke to. In June 2011, up to 6,000 guests reportedly attended the wedding reception of then 21 year old Mallika Reddy, daughter of a prominent Hyderabadi industrialist, to Siddarth Reddy, scion of the Indu Group, an infrastructure and real estate conglomerate.

Held in an “arena” next to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, a special air-taxi service was arranged for VIP guests, including A-list Bollywood stars Amitabh Bacchhan, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Rani Mukerjee. The three-day event was followed by a grand wedding reception in New Delhi, attended by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

For India’s ultra high net worth individuals, it seems no gift is too lavish and no event is too opulent during wedding season. Budgets for a high-end Indian wedding can easily reach around $2 million, including the cost of events, travel, food, clothing and especially jewellery. Each year, in India, there are dozens and dozens of weddings which cost $10 million or more. Several websites reported that the Reddy wedding cost more than 100 crore rupees, or a staggering $16 million at current exchange rates.

Finally, much of this is spent in cash. “A lot of our clients have got so much undeclared wealth, where else will they spend it?” asks Mr Bal. “They have to spend it somewhere and this is the only place they can spend it, undisclosed.” Vijay Singh, chairman of India Bridal Fashion Week, concurs. “In India, there is a lot of black money, so cheque writing happens less.”

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Friday, August 2, 2013

Many ladies need to be personalized

Dressestime has recently proudly introduced its cheap homecoming dress promotion to indicate appreciation to all ladies worldwide. Now, all people can enjoy a discount, up to 59% off, when purchasing Dressestime' Homecoming dresses online.

Many ladies need to be personalized and attractive, and Dressestime's Homecoming dresses can satisfy their requirements very well. Women can find many hot designs in Dressestime's collection of Homecoming dresses. Dressestime has carried out a lot of research to ensure that only the very best dresses are offered for sale on its website.

"Now, we are launching a special offer on Homecoming dresses to show our appreciation to all shoppers worldwide. Our Homecoming dresses have great market performance, and have led to our fast growth in the previous few months," says, Laurens, spokesmen of the company. "We are courage customers to visit our store every week; so that they can know what interesting items are currently available."

Low-priced Homecoming dresses have been extremely popular in the present economic environment, and ladies would not spend money like before. Dressestime is striving to give its clients a truly unique and one-of-a-kind shopping experience by offering high-quality and trendy dresses at affordable prices.Along with trendy Homecoming dresses, Dressestime is offering a huge selection of wedding dresses, prom dresses, evening dresses, and, more.There are a lot of things you may expect to see in a fast-food restaurant’s drive-through but a wedding dress probably doesn’t come to mind.

However, that’s exactly what one customer found Wednesday morning when heading to the McDonald’s near N.W. 23rd St. and Pennsylvania Ave.Cynthia Ford and her children discovered the dress, which was still wrapped in plastic from a dry cleaners, in the restaurant’s parking lot.

Cars were running over the sentimental item so she and her children decided to rescue the dress from any further damage.There is no way to tell whose dress it is since there is no name on it and no phone number listed.Ford says she would love for the rightful owner to be found and can’t image how something so precious would end up in the parking lot.

“They opened the trunk and it just fell out?  Automatic trunk?  I don’t know,” she said.  “I’m pretty sure she’s going crazy.   I’m pretty sure.  So we just want to find the owner of the dress and let her stop worrying about it.”Moliere Bridal in Oklahoma City is keeping the dress until the rightful owner can be found. I'm sure there is a special place in wedding hell for people like me. You see I once resigned as a bridesmaid.

It was a decade ago. Toni (not her real name - oh what the hell, actually, yes it is) anyway she and I were close friends at uni but as soon as I graduated I moved from Brisbane to Melbourne then London and finally settled in Sydney. I only came back to Brisbane once a year. We were still friends but we only spoke on the phone maybe twice a year.

I was surprised when she made a big deal about catching up for a coffee the next time I was in Queensland. I was more surprised when she asked me to be her chief bridesmaid. But it's the sort of thing you can't say no to. So I awkwardly said 'yes'. I was excited for her to be getting married. I was happy she was in love. I just focused on that.

I thought 'what the hell', I'd get a new frock and because I lived in Sydney I figured I'd provide support over the phone.Ummm no. She expected me to fly up to Brisbane to go dress shopping, then again for shoes, then again for final fittings. Plus she wanted me to throw her a hen's party.

Now if she was my best friend who I spoke to most days I would do all of this without question. But, I didn't know a single one of her other friends and the thought of male strippers at a tacky hen's party made me want to gag. I had also only met the groom once.

At the time I had a very demanding job at Channel Nine. It was massive in terms of hours but paid peanuts. The thought of the time off and cost of the flights had my mind swirling.

Two months out from the big day I finally got the courage to tell her it was all getting too much. I would have rather stuck a fork in my eye than have that conversation. There were tears, accusations and anger. And I deserved it all.It seems I'm not alone in my reluctance. But I had this massive sense of relief. Which is not the emotion a bridesmaid should feel.

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Multicultural Wedding Planning

My now-husband Jon and I used to live in Washington, D.C., and it was there that we met via a mutual friend who organized a group outing one night. Jon had never said "I love you" to anyone before, but earlier that evening, he happened to tell his friends, half-jokingly: "Guys, I'm going to fall in love tonight, I know it." Oddly enough, he was right!

Later, we both admitted that we had it bad for each other since day one. When Jon moved all the way across the country to California for school, we were both ready to take on the challenge of a long-distance relationship...but what made it a lot easier was that he proposed during my first visit out to see him!

We quickly decided that we wanted to celebrate with two weddings: an Indian ceremony and reception, and a traditional Christian ceremony with a separate reception as well. So we kicked off the wedding planning while being engaged long-distance for six months before I moved to California myself. In March, we had wedding #1, which took place in Seattle. In late September of this year, we'll celebrate our six-month anniversary with a second wedding in Columbus, Ohio! Here's what I learned from planning not one, but two different cultural celebrations.

There are many ways that couples from different cultural backgrounds can choose to celebrate their union. For us, it just made sense to have two separate weddings in order to do justice to each. Being born and raised in Ohio but having come from an Indian cultural background, I knew that I wanted to have both a Christian ceremony in a white wedding dress, as well as a ceremonially traditional Indian one in a saree (or sari) -- and I was really excited to plan both! The customs are so vastly different (and beautiful) that we didn’t want to attempt to merge them together.

But this is by no means the only way to do it. Often, I’ve seen couples hold an Indian ceremony just prior to (or after) a Christian ceremony on the same day and throw one joint reception. I’ve also seen couples fuse different elements of their cultural heritage or religion to come up with their own unique ceremony. The decision may depend on a matter of logistics -- timing, cost, location, etc. -- more than anything else.

Cost: From my experience, blending two different cultures together is always more expensive, no matter how you slice it. Depending on who's paying for what, money can be a significant factor when deciding how your wedding will play out. If you get an amazing deal with a venue that you've fallen in love with, it might make more sense to go ahead and hold two ceremonies there on the same day. Or if your funds are limited, and you'd rather get the best possible vendors for the money that you're spending, it might just make more sense to concentrate finances on one wedding.

Location: Considering that Jon’s family is based in Seattle, all the way across the country from Ohio, we agreed that hosting two separate events was the best option for us. That way, we wouldn’t feel as if we were excluding friends and family by picking one location over the other. If the bride and groom have families in closer proximity, if one side has a much larger guest list than the other, or if a destination wedding is the right fit, it might be easier to just throw one multicultural wedding.

If you’re thinking about planning two separate wedding celebrations, I'd recommend hosting them six months apart. It’s not too long that it seems strange to have your second wedding and not too short that you end up planning both simultaneously (and possibly losing your mind!).

Even if you're hosting just one event, still leave enough time to incorporate everything from both cultures. While this option might seem easier at first, it still requires a lot of careful planning and tricky logistics.


Read the full story at wwww.marrybride.com!

Mother Dolores Hart

When the artist formerly known as Dolores Hart attended the Academy Awards in 2012, it was her third time on the red carpet and the first time she didn't fret about what to wear. She wore black - her nun's habit, a crisp white wimple framing her radiant face. On a recent sultry July afternoon in Philadelphia, she demonstrates the garment's versatility. It has built-in ventilation, says Mother Dolores, 74, gentling her hem to circulate cool air.

Over her headpiece she sports a jaunty black beret. She talks about her twin vocations, acting and the church. As she tells it, they have more in common than you might think. In 1963 she left a promising Hollywood career for the Benedictine monastery, now abbey, of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Conn. She was at the Oscars because a film about her, "God Is the Bigger Elvis," was up for best documentary short. Hart, a contemporary of Jane Fonda and Natalie Wood, made two films with Elvis Presley and gave him one of his first screen kisses. The documentary takes its title from Mother Dolores' explanation of her move from Hollywood to holy vows. It is also the subtitle of her memoir, The Ear of the Heart, published in May by Ignatius Press, which describes her journey with plainspoken grace. "Star Driven Into Nunnery by Her Love for Elvis!" read the headline in the National Enquirer in 1963.

It wasn't like that at all, she says with a laugh. When the 19-year-old ingenue was cast in Loving You, producer Hal Wallis excitedly told Hart her costar would be Elvis Presley. "What does he do?" she politely inquired. She came to faith not by birth but by choice. Her parents were teenagers when she was born, and their volatile relationship was marked by abuse and alcoholism. They left Chicago for Hollywood for her father to pursue an acting career, and Dolores' grandmother cared for her in Chicago. "She didn't want me to cross the railroad tracks to get to the public school," she recalls. St. Gregory's, the nearby parish school, didn't involve street or railroad crossings. She was enrolled there. Since Dolores wasn't Catholic, she did not receive Holy Communion at morning Mass. The children who did got chocolate milk and doughnuts.

"This really rankled," Mother Dolores recalls. When she told a nun that she wanted to eat with the other students, "she thought I wanted to receive the Eucharist and asked if I wanted to become a Catholic." "That's how they got me, chocolate milk and doughnuts," she says with a laugh. When she moved to Los Angeles, her parents had divorced and her mother was remarried to Al Gordon, a deli owner with a 9-year-old son, Martin. The Gordons were Jewish. Still, Dolores was persuasive enough to get her stepbrother to give up watching I Love Lucy for Lent.

In L.A. Dolores grew close to her new uncle, Freddy Cocozza, a Philadelphia-born tenor better known by his stage name, Mario Lanza. In high school Dolores auditioned for Otto Preminger for the role of the Maid of Orleans in Saint Joan (1957). Jean Seberg got the part, but the audition scene earned her a scholarship to Marymount College. There she played the lead in Joan of Lorraine (Bob Denver, later Gilligan on Gilligan's Island, was the Dauphin) and was scouted by Hollywood. Soon after, she was kissing Elvis on screen and then Montgomery Clift (in the 1958 film Lonelyhearts). In 1958 she made her Broadway debut in The Pleasure of His Company. She starred in the generation-defining Where the Boys Are (1960), the original spring-break movie. Hollywood scribes dubbed her "the new Grace Kelly." During her Broadway run, on the recommendation of a friend she visited Regina Laudis to renew and regroup. "What I was finding at Regina Laudis," she writes, "was the peace that had first attracted me to the Catholic Church, and when I went away I carried it with me." When she was cast as Clare in Francis of Assisi, she was invited to a papal audience.

Told her name, Pope John XXIII greeted her as "Chiara" (Clare). She was too preoccupied preparing her role to recognize this as a sign. Years later, asked if any scene in Francis of Assisi influenced her to enter religious life, she thought of the scene in which Clare has her hair shorn during her investiture. With hindsight, she recognized that "an actress, like a religious, is a servant." She was a vivacious young woman to whom men were drawn. After a date Peter Sellers dropped her off at her hotel room. She thought he had left and was startled to find him in her bedroom, stark naked. "It was a scene in a farce and I couldn't help laughing," she writes. She asked him to leave. When Dolores accepted the marriage proposal of Don Robinson, her longtime beau, her grandmother told her, "Don't marry a man because you want to live with him - marry him because you can't live without him." It turned out that the man she couldn't live without was Jesus. The wedding invitations were printed. Edith Head was preparing a wedding dress from a bolt of antique Spanish lace. At an engagement party given by Don's parents, her fiance said, "Your heart isn't here." He told her to go back to Regina Laudis and figure it out. "Next day, I did go, and in a blinding snowstorm I took a walk up the hill where the founder had put a cross and an altar.

When I found the altar, I knew I had to talk to the Abbess." Dolores wanted the Abbess to affirm her feeling. Instead, she asked, "What is it that you want?" The answer didn't come in a lightning bolt. Recalls Mother Dolores: "When I walked into Regina Laudis, I was walking to God - to find communion with him. I had no inkling what the matter and substance of that experience would be." For the first three years, she cried herself to sleep every night. The Benedectines are one of the oldest orders. "We care for the land, our work is living by the sustenance of our own hand," she explains. The sisters prayed. They worked. They did not speak of personal problems. Looking back on that first year, Mother Dolores says, "I was afraid to leave the film business. It was the thing that gave me an identity and self-worth." She felt bereft.

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Singer Margo Rey and Comedian Ron White

Brides Against Breast Cancer(BABC) today announced a $5 million fundraising campaign called "Say I Do!" that will be led by singer/songwriter Margo Rey, a two time breast cancer survivor, and her fiance and partner of the last five years, comedian Ron White.

"By saying 'I Do!' to our campaign, you can help us build and sustain a nationwide delivery of free programs and services to patients, caregivers and families impacted by cancer," said Carl Ritter, chief executive officer for the nonprofit organization, which is operated by Sarasota-based Center for Building Hope.  "It is a vital step in our national mission to ensure that no one has to face cancer alone."

The "Say I Do!" campaign will raise funds to support a national online network of more than 100 affiliates, including programming and training for affiliate organizations to enhance  online cancer-related educational and support services. Funds will also be used to produce "self-care" videos and other programs for free national distribution to anyone impacted by cancer. To make a $10 donation to the campaign, text 'BRIDES' to 85944.

"People everywhere will be able to learn vital skills to increase hope, as well as their chances for recovery, while being connected to others who are undergoing a similar experience," said Ritter.

Margo Rey has been named  National Ambassador for BABC, and will co-chair the new campaign with Ron White, as they finalize their plans for their own fall wedding. "As a breast cancer survivor who has undergone several surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, I believe that education and personal and holistic support are just as critical as prompt medical treatment," said Rey, whose hit song, "LET THE RAIN" – co-written with the legendary John Oates – will be the theme for the campaign. "Through BABC, we can raise awareness and help provide support to millions of people whose lives have been affected by cancer."

As National Ambassador, Rey will visit select cities where Brides Against Breast Cancer holds its "Nationwide Tour of Gowns" bridal shows, featuring all brands of new designer and gently worn wedding gowns, with an average offering of nearly 1,000 dresses at each show. The monies raised support free programs and services for those impacted by cancer. Much like their honorary chair people, BABC tours over 120 cities a year.

"Cancer is damned tough, and there are so many folks out there who don't have the kind of support we do," said White. "That is why we're throwing our support behind BABC and the Center for Building Hope – so they can take their mission to cancer patients and their families all over the country and even around the world.  Let's make life better for those who are going through cancer by saying 'I Do!' and then actually doing it."

Recently, my partner and I celebrated our five-year anniversary. We're not married, but we're fortunate enough to live in a state that would allow us to stand up in front of our loved ones and exchange vows. If we wanted to.

I was conflicted about getting married when it first became legal for us. In my mind, I was already fully committed to my partner; I wasn't sure that I suddenly needed a certificate or a ceremony to prove it. Besides, having a wedding -- my wedding -- still seemed like a strange and foreign concept. I had stopped considering it a possibility in middle school, when I realized I was gay.

But maybe that's a good reason to have one: to normalize it.

My brother and sister are both married now, and they both have kids. I keep picturing my nieces and nephews at my wedding. If one of them happens to be gay, I want them to experience the joy and optimism that an 8-year-old felt when walking like an Egyptian, instead of the shame and embarrassment that a 22-year-old suffered after smacking his sister with the London Bridge.

Regardless of their sexual orientation, I want my nieces and nephews to grow up thinking that it isn't impossible for two men to get married; it's normal. That's why I don't want to be their uncle who lives with his partner; I want to be their uncle who lives with his husband -- whom he will love and cherish until death do them part.

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What's happening in town this week

New interim Thoreau principal named
Nancy Peterson has been named interim principal at Thoreau School starting in early August. Superintendent Diana Rigby announced that Peterson will replace Kelly Clough, who resigned at the end of the school year. The search for a new principal will begin in January 2014. Peterson recently worked as interim principal at the Davis Elementary School in Bedford for two years. Rigby said the public will have a chance to meet Peterson in the near future. No date was announced.

From the library
Phil Rossoni, author of Build and Pilot Your Own Walkalong Gliders, will give a talk and workshop at our Fowler Branch Library on Monday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

Wednesday, July 31: Learn Origami with Michael LaFosse. Participants will fold several shapes as you learn this Japanese art form. 7 to 8:30 p.m. No registration required. Just come and have fun. At main library, 129 Main St.

From the Council on Aging

Ice Cream Social! Thursday, July 25th at 2:30 p.m. Come join us on the patio at the HWCC for our annual Ice Cream Social. We will have plenty of ice cream and toppings to “Make your own Sundae.” A jazz band from Wayland High School will perform a variety of music including swing, ballads, and bebop. Thank you to the Concord Friends of the Aging for providing the delicious treats - this event is FREE OF CHARGE to Concord seniors. Please call to reserve a spot.

COA Summer Barbeque! Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 5 p.m. Join us for our annual summer barbeque at the HWCC on Wednesday, August 21st at 5:00 PM. As always there will be delicious food and wonderful entertainment. Just like last year, we will have the Concord Rotary Club grilling our hamburgers and hotdogs, and there will be salads and yummy desserts. We will also have a band on hand to spice up the evening. This event will cost just $5 (cash) per person due to the generosity of the Concord Friends of the Aging who will be picking up the rest of the tab. Please note that due to this event, lunch will not be served on Wednesday, August 21. A van will be available to take people to the barbeque in the evening. Please call to sign up.

Free Concord River Pontoon Boat Rides Wednesdays, Aug. 14 and Sept. 11 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Martha Rohan has generously offered to take Concord seniors on a scenic ride on the Concord River in her pontoon boat. Three rides are scheduled - one each in July, August and September. Each ride will take one hour and Martha will provide lemonade and a cookie to each senior. The meeting place is the South Bridge Boat House at 502 Main Street in Concord. Each boat ride is limited to 20 people each, so please call the COA to reserve your spot. There is no charge and the ride will be cancelled in the case of rain. Please note there will be no COA staff on these boat rides.

COA Cinema, Fridays at 2 p.m.

July 26 – Les Miserables
Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway star in this critically-acclaimed adaptation of the epic musical phenomenon. In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert, after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever.

Aug. 9 – Pitch Perfect
This music-steeped comedy draws on the world of a-cappella groups to tell the story of an intense competition between three ensembles. Anna Kendrick stars in this airy look at an age-old art form that's steadily gaining modern popularity.

Aug. 23 – Anna Karenina
Oscar winner Tom Stoppard penned this adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel about a vibrant and beautiful 19th-century Russian aristocrat who enters into a passionate and forbidden love affair with the well-heeled Count Vronsky. The film stars Keira Knightley and Jude Law.

COA trips

Essex River Cruise and Lunch at Shea’s Riverside Restaurant Tuesday, July 30th Leaving HWCC at 9 a.m. Discover the beauty and heritage of Essex and the Great Marsh, cruising the pristine sheltered waters of the Essex River. After the cruise, we will have lunch nearby at Shea’s Riverside restaurant. The cost of the cruise is $22, the van is $3, and lunch is on your own. Limited to 14 people. Please bring cash on the day of the trip. Call to reserve your spot.

American Textile History Museum “Brides and their Dresses” Exhibit, Friday, Aug. 2 Leaving HWCC at 10 a.m. We will travel by van to Lowell to the American Textile Museum for a guided Art and Textile tour, and to see the “Brides and Their Dresses” Exhibit. The exhibit explores how brides, over more than 100 years, have chosen their wedding dresses, and how their decisions have been shaped by fashion, family and finances. Concord’s own Judy Clark has her wedding dress on display. Lunch will be on your own at the Family Affair CafĂ© at the museum. The cost is $9 per person, and the van is $3. Please bring cash on the day of the trip. Please call to reserve a spot, limited to 14 people.

Town-wide Summer Sidewalk Sale

In Concord Center, Thoreau Street and West Concord. Sponsored by the Concord Chamber of Commerce. Aug. 3 Saturday 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Join your neighbors and friends for a day of bargains, sales, music, fun activities and entertainment, food and fun! Over 45 participating businesses - two music stages - events for children - and more. Walden Street will be closed from Main Street to Hubbard Street.

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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Petty 1st Anniversary

Catherine Annemarie Smith and Chad Michael Petty were united in marriage July 21, 2012 at The Inn of Brookeville Farms, a historical venue in Olney, MD. Happy first anniversary today.

Catherine is the daughter of Carol and Patrick Smith of Laytonsville, MD. She is the granddaughter of Mary Smith, of York, PA. and the late Marie and Peter Scholar of Smithstown, Long Island, NY., and the late Charles Smith of Baltimore, MD.

Chad, who completed his tour of duty as an Army medic in Afghanistan prior to the wedding, is the son of Sandra and Jim Petty of Bryan. He is the grandson of the late Helen and Charlie Meadows, and the late Kathryn and J.L. Petty, all of Waco.

The eve of the wedding was celebrated Texas Hoe-down Style at the home of the bride's parents with food prepared by the groom’s parents. Chad's God-Mother, Nancy Carpenter of Hot Springs Village, AK., and the groom's sister, Melissa Bordelon, of Spring, TX, also assisted with the celebration.

Attending the bride as her Maid of Honor, was her friend, Cathryn Calantonio of Rockville, MD. Catherine's Bridesmaid, also a friend, was Yekaterina Pidgurskaya, of Olney, MD.

The bride was given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father. As she entered the drawing room, she was greeted by the groom and his two sons, James and John Petty, who served as his best men. Also serving the groom was the bride's brother Michael P.C. Smith, of Laytonsville, MD.

Junior attendants were the nephew and niece of the bride, Duncan Poler and Lindsay Poler, of Baltimore, MD., as well as Kendall, Caitlyn and Madelyn Smith of Clarksburg, MD., also the bride's nieces.

The bride looked beautiful in a white satin, a-line princess dress with a beaded bodice, sweetheart neckline and cathedral train designed by a local Maryland designer. She carried a bouquet of white roses, hydrangeas and peonies with stems braided with white silk ribbon. Her attendants wore navy blue boatneck, tea-length dresses and carried blue, purple and white hydrangea bouquets. Her flower girls wore white dresses with navy trim and carried assorted white flower bouquets.

After the ceremony, the candle-lit ballroom, in an area originating from the early 1800’s, that over looked the rolling hills of Maryland, provided a picturesque setting for a cocktail reception, followed by an elegant seated dinner and dance, graciously hosted by the bride's parents

The couple honeymooned in Myrtle Beach, SC. and then relocated to Bryan, where Catherine is the manager of Willa Boutique, and Chad is currently a supervisor at the Bryan Target.It's better to you to consider best formal office dresses for women.

“In politics, it’s a battle, and you have to be a fighter.”

That’s the message from conservative stalwart and luminary Phyllis Schlafly. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Caller’s Special Correspondent Ginni Thomas, Schlafly, 88, voiced her doubts that the current Republican leadership is up to the job of combating their Democrat opponents.

“I’m afraid that some of them don’t want to be a fighter,” Schlafly said. “They want to have some kind of bi-partisan consensus and that’s not what we want. We want some significant changes… You have to have fighters, and I think they are not.”New Spring 2013 high quality high neck wedding dresses gowns,book your in-store appointment now.‎

Speaking about the RNC’s road map after the 2012 electoral defeat — which was often called an “autopsy” — Schlafly’s condemnation was swift: “I thought an autopsy was how you carve up a dead person to find out why he died. And I do not think the Republicans or conservatives are dead.”


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