The Simply Luxurious Life®: April 2011

The Weekend . . .

No looking back. In two days May will be here and left behind will be April – a productive, yet stressful month. May to me feels truly as spring should feel – the perfect temperature – not too hot, nor too cold, peonies available from the local farmer’s markets and spring fashions truly can be displayed and pulled from the closets.

This weekend I am especially looking forward to because it is my first trek of the season to the local nurseries to choose what will adorn my front porch and terrace for the next handful of months. Digging in the dirt this weekend will be the perfect self-therapy for saying goodbye and embracing some wonderful plans that have been made for the month ahead.

So how does the the beginning of May find you? I hope you are well and that this last week in April has brought some exciting and smile-worthy news.

On a side note, bright and early Friday morning, I took in the festivities of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding with so many of my Twitter friends. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this. Even though I was not in London, I felt like I was as close I could come for being on the other side of the pond. Thank you to all of you for “tweeting” with me and enjoying this historical moment of celebration.

With that said, the overwhelming favorite post of this past week was the focus on the Royal Wedding. Full of the memorable photos of Kate Middleton’s dress, details about the dress and photos of the entire ceremony, view everything here.

For other posts that have captured reader’s attention, I’ve gathered together a few more post from the past week on The Simply Luxurious Life this week:

*What to Pack for a Luxurious Hotel Stay

*Why Not . . . Be A Successful Woman?

*Growing Pains – A Very Good Sign

*Rules of Style – Kate Middleton

*Buy In Season – Save Money, Be Healthy

*Style Inspiration – Beautiful Spring Fashions

*Vogue’s Five Days, Five Looks, One Girl

And a look at this week’s newsletter.

Bonjour and enjoy the weekend!

Images: (1) Musings In Femininity (2) The Glitter Guide

Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dress Unveiled

Despite the denial, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen’s design house is the designer of Kate Middleton’s much awaited wedding gown. With beautiful transparent hand cut English and French Chantilly lace overlay upon the shoulders and arms (per protocol that shoulder must not be bare) and a V-neck to a very tapered and tucked bodice, Kate looked the part of a queen in waiting. The train being a modest and perfectly suited almost nine feet in length, she did in fact wear a tiara which has been long speculated on by the media.

The Cartier “halo” tiara that Middleton wore was lent to her by the Queen who was given the tiara on her 18th birthday from her mother, and the earrings were given to her as a gift from her parents, Michael and Carole, created by Robinson Pelham inspired by the Middleton family's new coat of arms.

In a statement released by the palace announcing the choice of Alexander McQueen, "Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen's work. Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress."

At precisely 10:51 am, Kate Middleton stepped into the Queen’s Rolls Royce with her father for the drive to Westminister Abbey. Immediately it was clear she chose to let her beautiful hair fall upon her lace covered shoulders. Stunning indeed.

“Be who you were meant to be and you will set the world on fire,” a statement shared during the wedding ceremony by one officials. More truer words couldn’t be spoken about Kate Middleton and her electrifying effect on the world.

Many of you tweeting while the wedding was occurring live immediately pointed out that her dress was similar to that of Grace Kelly’s (a gift from the MGM Studio and designed by Helen Rose), and wow, what similarity indeed.

Kate was helped with her train by her younger sister, and maid of honor, Pippa (who also wore Alexander McQueen).

Now, officially we can call her a princess. The couple’s official title – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Congratulations – a beautiful ceremony and yes, they did kiss twice on the balcony.

Click here to view more of the fabulous hats and fascinators.

Image: (1)US Magazine (2) Source (4) Source and the rest Zimbio, The Daily Beast and AP, last image – Musings In Femininity

Labels: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Royal Wedding

Buy In Season – Save Money, Be Healthy

With farmer’s markets beginning and with my first official trip of the year to the local nurseries, I am reminded of the opportunities to save money that come with warmer weather and fresh, local produce.

Murielle Guiliano, author of French Women For All Seasons, emphasizes repeatedly the point that in order to eat healthier one should eat produce that is in season. Not only is this a healthy choice, but it is also a frugal choice. Seasonal produce is cheaper because often it is purchased from local farmers and the consumer isn’t paying for the extra mileage (read – gas) to transport it to a grocery store near them.

To help determine what to look for when you head out grocery shopping, check out this very handy website that makes it easy to determine what is in season based on where you live and what month it is. Click here to visit Epicurious’ website that will help you save money and eat healthy.

Image: Oh Fashion Model

Are You Ready?

Well, in just a few hours, Miss Catherine Middleton finally marry her prince and will no longer be a commoner, and while yes, technically she is a commoner, she clearly is in a class all of her own.

Having already set my alarm for 2 am, so that I can watch the hour leading up to the big event which will capture her stepping out of the Queen’s 1978 Rolls Royce revealing her much anticipating gown to the world, I look forward to tweeting with any of you who are also casting aside your beauty sleep to capture live an event of tradition to remember.

Sweet dreams until then!

~UPDATE – The wedding has taken place. Click here to view the dress, the details and the beautiful day of royal tradition.~

Images: (1) Source photographed by Mario Testino (2) Southern Sophisticate

Style Inspiration

The exuberant colors, the bare legs, the cropped pants and the wearing of dresses without bothering to wear a coat – all signs that spring has sprung. One of my many favorite things about blogging is this regular post – style inspiration – because I too find inspiration that sparks an idea of how I can add a little spunk and extra style to my wardrobe. There are many opportunities for inspiration today. Have a look.