Here Comes the (Buff) Bride

Image :: Love Tripper

After being on vacation and partaking in multiple summer bbq's and meetups, it sure can be hard to get back in the swing of things in the fitness department. If you are a bride-to-be looking to kick up your fitness routine in preparation for your big day, try this "Fit For A Bride" workout playlist. It is filled with 42 minutes of upbeat, energetic songs that you can use on any cardio equipment or outside on the streets. Regardless of your maritial status, I think these songs will keep your heart pumping and your brow sweating for a solid workout. The Fit For A Bride playlist, listed below, can be found on the oh-so funny and fresh Fit Bottomed Girls blog.

Fit for a Bride :: The Workout Playlist

Warm-up

(2:38) Love and Marriage, Frank Sinatra: Try not to think of the TV show Married With Children on this one. Instead, focus on Ol' Blue Eyes as you warm up, beginning your workout at an easy pace.

Work It, Bride to Be

(2:50) Chapel of Love, The Dixie Cups: There's no way this one wasn't making the list. It's the first song that came to mind when the Domestigals asked us to create a wedding-themed playlist. It's a quickie though, so use the full time to pick up your pace. By the last 30 seconds you should be at a moderate pace where you can still carry a conversation, but you're still strolling way faster than you will for the walk down the aisle.

(4:36) My Love, JT: Imagine JT singing to you about your honeymoon for this one. Shhh...No need to tell anyone that your mental honeymoon is with JT. For this song, amidst daydreaming, continue to pick your pace up. By minute four of the song, you should be at a hard intensity. Not a sprint, but you shouldn't be able to chat.

(3:28) Love Song, The Cure: Slow your pace back on down to moderate. Catch your breath and remember how awesome The Cure is. And still are. Just a like dream. Just like a dream.

(3:51) Ready to Run, The Dixie Chicks: Yea, so this one isn't really "I can't wait to start my life together" material, but the video makes me think of weddings and it involves a healthy activity: running. So, we're gonna squeeze it in as an interval. One minute sprint, one minute recover, repeat, and you're good.

(4:09) Let's Get Married, Jagged Edge: Forgotten about this one? Oh, it's a goodie. Let the smooth R&B sounds slow you down to a moderate then low pace. Enjoy the groove.

(3:55) Heaven, DJ Sammy and Yanou featuring Do: The original Bryan Adams' version is good, but this one is fantastic for working out. And getting married and finding "the one," is like heaven, right? Pick your speed back up to a moderate pace for a minute. Then sprint hard for 30 seconds. Do it three times (you'll end with a sprint).

(4:24) Luxurious, Gwen Stefani: Gwen says it all: "You're my Mr., and I'm your Miss. It's pure perfection when we touch." Wheee, right? Oh, I remember those days...again, digressing. My bad. For this song, just maintain your steady, moderate pace. This isn't a recovery song though, so don't slow too much.

(5:12) The Adventure, Angels and Airwaves: Because this song is a full five minutes long, we're going to break it up a bit. Sprint the first 45 seconds. Then recover for one minute. Next, use the remainder of the song to stay at a moderate pace. Feel free to use this time to imagine your "adventure" coming up. And, believe me, it's an adventure at times.

(4:52) Time of My Life, The Dirty Dancing Soundtrack, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes: This isn't about marriage, but the playlist just seems like it's missing something without it. (I would know because I put it in, deleted it, put it back in, deleted it again and then added it back.) Channel your inner Baby and feel free to sing along. For this final push, pick up your pace for the entire song, ending the last minute in a sprint. You can do it; it's the time of your life!

Cool Down

(2:33) Best is Yet to Come, Tony Bennett: Cool it on down as Tony Bennett croons. Maintain a slow pace and do a few stretches. You're good. You made it. And, yes, the best is yet to come!

Be sure to check out the Fit Bottomed Girls blog for more bridal fitness tips & playlists!

What songs pump you up? As for me, the Tootsie Roll never fails to get me up and dancing!

With all that Life has to offer,

Cicely

Funeral Fit For A King

Today marks the day when the official funeral for the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, will take place. A public memorial service will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles from 10am-12pm. I heard that approximately 700,000 to 1 million people will show up at the arena, in hopes of making it inside the building to attend the event. That sounds like either an event planner's dream come true or worst nightmare! I can't imagine planning an event for that many people. I think it would be a little overwhelming, but very rewarding and a lot of fun! With my Life Design Event Planning dream team at my side, we could definitely pull off an event like this.

Staples Center holds 20,000 seats, so hopefully everything will go smoothly and the massive crowd cooperates. Celebrities such as Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson will be serenading the crowd with their performances and warm wishes in honor of MJ. Attendees must have a ticket to get inside, though the cost is free to the public.

To view a live webcast of the funeral, click here.

If you can make it in time to Glendale's Westgate, the shopping center is broadcasting the service for the public. B.Y.O.Chair to listen live with many other fans.

Life Design Event Planning does offer event coordination and planning for funeral/memorial services. If you would like to contact us for more information, please email us or visit our website.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson!

With all that Life has to offer,

Cicely

The ABC's of Wedding Planning :: C is for Cakes, Wedding Cakes that is…

One of many, Sylvia Weinstock pieces of art

There isn’t a right or wrong way to plan for your wedding cake. Pick out the design then select from the flavors available. So what’s the big deal? The Wedding Cake can be, and traditionally should be, recognized as the “main act” at your wedding reception so why not spend a little bit more time when designing and picking it out?

Here are a few things to think about when pulling ideas for your wedding cake design.

1. Flavors :: You’re serving many types of people all with different preferences when it comes to cakes so why not give them choices to pick from? Many wedding couples think you can only provide one type of cake and one type of filling but it’s quite the opposite. Feel free to mix and match your cakes and fillings as much as you’d like and they don’t even have to compliment one layer to the next. Think of having a dark chocolate cake with a Kahula filling for the sweet tooth lovers and maybe having a light fluffy lemon cake with a raspberry filling for your fruit lovers! Depending on the size of the cake will determine how many combinations one can have.

Photo Courtesy of My Burning Kitchen {Check out their blog, it's pretty cute}

2. Conduct a Tasting :: Unless you have tried their cakes before and you are comfortable with your choice then don’t have a tasting. BUT, if you want to have a little fun, choose something that you decided on specifically for your event and enjoy a little free cake, then do a tasting. Most Pastry Chef’s will charge you a small fee for the tasting but ask them to take

the fee and put it towards the balance due on the cake if you choose them as your wedding’s pastry chef. Most will be happy to do so.

Photo Courtesy of My Burning Kitchen

3. Investigate Design :: You have researched through hundreds of pages of bridal magazines and think you have found the perfect cake. You take your designs to the pastry chef, they agree that they can “pull this one off”. It’s your wedding day and your cake looks nothing like the picture. What a disappointment. My suggestions? Look at the pastry chef’s past work. Is the presentation of the frosting (buttercream or fondant most times) smooth? If there are flowers added are they real flowers, store bought flowers or handmade flowers? All pastry chef’s have a strength. Some it is design, some it is taste and for a few lucky ones it might be both. So don’t just look at the pretty cakes, check out their overall design elements. Here are a few of my favorite local pasty chef's.

Sedona Cake Couture's Cake {yes, it's 100% edible} Photo Courtesy of Sedona Bride

A stunning design by Classic Cakes and Confections. Ella makes all her flowers by hand!

A whimsical and fun design from La Dolce Pesca

4. Draw your Design :: Wedding Couples are so visual, really, who isn’t? In turn, ask the pasty chef to sketch exactly what your cake will look like, including colors, height, dimension, etc. Then ask them for a copy of the drawing so you both have something to reference too.

Cake design by Chef Christopher Ivens-Brown

5. Ask for References :: “It’s just a cake!”, you may be thinking but what kind of cake are you going to spend a few hundred to several thousand on? Your wedding cake. So treat the pastry chef’s involvement just like you would any other wedding vendor. Ask your for their last 3 wedding clients. This way their client’s opinions are fresh, honest and most recent.

Does anyone have a cake story to share? What went wrong? What went right?

With all that Life has to offer,

Cicely

Fabulous 4th!

Happy Early 4th of July! I am so excited for this weekend, as 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. Relaxing with friends & family, beautiful fireworks, lots of delicious red, white, and blue colored food, some summer weather thrown into the mix, and you can't go wrong with that combination! Most importantly, 4th of July reminds me of how lucky and proud I am to be an American. Whatever your plans are, I hope your 4th is extra fabulous this year!

Wilson Pyro

If you're staying here in Phoenix, there are many different options to choose from to make your 4th extra fun. Here is a taste of some of the many events happening in town:


Tempe Town Lake Festival, Tempe


Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks Spectacular, Tumbleweed Park in Chandler


Grand Olde Fashioned Picnic, Scottsdale Stadium


July Fourth Celebration, Eldorado Park in Scottsdale


"Old Fashioned" Fourth of July Spectacular, Rocklin Ranch in Mesa


Star-Spangled Shootout, Rawhide in Chandler


Star-Spangled Fourth, Goodyear Ballpark


Peoria 4th of July All-American Festival, Peoria Sports Complex





Head on over to Sonoran Living for a complete list of the Valley's 4th of July events!

Have a happy & safe holiday!
With all that Life has to offer,
Cicely

Playboy's Giggliest Bunny Ties the Knot

Image from Us Weekly

The Playboy mansion made a spectacular backdrop for Playboy bunny Kendra's wedding to NFL player, Hank Baskett. Check out the clip below of Kendra's walk down the aisle and inevitable giggling when she flubs her vows:

The next celebrity to strut their way down the aisle? Kevin Jonas!

With all that Life has to offer,

Sarah