We are not, we repeat NOT, succumbing to the false allure of the "Staycation". However, we do empathize with those who are choosing to enjoy the offerings of their own backyards, and our backyard is Seattle.

 

Everyone has her own list of favorites, and these are Holiday Golightly's Top 10 Best Things About Seattle:

1) Kerry Park - This is where most of your Seattle postcard photos are taken. The park sits on Highland Drive in the Queen Anne neighborhood, surrounded by multi-million dollar homes, and a sweeping view of Puget Sound and downtown Seattle. On a clear day you can see forever Mount Rainier.

2) Woodland Park Zoo - It's a zoo and a concert venue. It's a zoncert venue. One of these days we will resist the urge to combine words to make nonsensical labels. But Us Weekly will probably not. The zoo is a great day-trip, and a great diversion from "city life". The summer concert series' usually feature some good mellow, folksy artists, which are a nice compliment to your lawn picnic.

3) Greenlake - The 3-mile loop around Greenlake provides an open stretch of uninterrupted workout space for walkers, runners, roller-bladers, and bicyclists. Although we've said it before - the Greenlake bicycling should be left to kids under the age of 11. The lake also offers an actual lake, for rowing and the stray fisherman.

4) University Village Shopping - The city's premiere outdoor mall is a pristine, upscale playground for those in the mood to spend money. If it is raining, grab one of the mall's yellow courtesy umbrellas and continue on about your shopping. Mercer, Sephora, Blue C Sushi, and Crate & Barrel can keep us occupied for hours.

5) Theo Chocolate - A hometown favorite, Theo Chocolates creates organic chocolate treats in zippy, unusual flavors (like Chai!). They are located in the friendly neighborhood of Fremont, and offer chocolate tours. The word "tours" usually conjures up unappealing images of massive groups of badly dressed Septegenarians, but anything that starts with "chocolate" is okay by us.

6) Club Zum - No, it's not a dance club. But you could probably dance there if you wanted. Club Zum is a hip, quirky "modern day fitness mecca" in Belltown that offers the standard cardio machines, weights, spinning classes, as well as a few more creative options like the indoor sandpit, bungee cords, plyometric boxes, and a climbing rope.

7) Lake Union 4th of July Fireworks - okay, this one is fairly specific, and only happens once a year, but it really is one of the best things about Seattle. Lake Union is beautiful in and of itself, but garnish it with a spectacular fireworks display, on a clear night, and you have a recipe for pure visual bliss.

8) The view of Mt. Rainier when driving I90 from Seattle to Bellevue - possibly even more specific than #7, but chances are you can see it more often than once a year.

9) Mojitos at Cactus in Madison Park - Cactus is a solid restaurant, in the Madison Park neighborhood, with tasty offerings in the food arena. Their Mojitos deserve a category all their own. Delicious, refreshing, perfectly concocted, and very, very dangerous. They're so subtle, you forget you're imbibing. Until you try to stand up to use the restroom.

10) Pike Place Market - The most obvious, but also the most warranted. Pike Place Market offers a plethora of sights, sounds, smells and visual appeal with the myriad booths of produce, flowers, cheeses, pastries, you name it. And we can't forget the always-entertaining Fish Guys, who ham things up for the crowds while tossing 12-pound salmon across the counters.

If you are firmly opposed to the Staycation, and do not live in Seattle, we recommend checking it out!

Forget the standard full-body massage, or the typical spa pedicure. These are the spa experiences that are designed to not only relax you, but also to amaze and impress your friends. Or just gross them out.

Top 10 Crazy Spa Treatments:

1) Fish Nibble Pedicure - this treatment is extremely popular in Japan, and is starting to stir up a feeding frenzy here as well (sorry, couldn't resist). The Yvonne Nail & Spa Salon in the Washington DC area offers this organic treatment, where you soak your feet in a shallow, warm pool for 15-30 minutes while the little "doctor" fish nibble off the dead skin. This sounds a little gross at first, but if you think about it, it's totally natural!

 
2) Beer Bath - Chodovar Beer Spa in the Czech Republic creates a spa treatment straight out of a frat-boys' dream. The client is immersed into a bath, enriched by a batch of active beer yeast and a mixture of dehydrated crushed herbs, for 20 minutes. "The agreeable temperature of the water causes mild and gradual rise of the heart activity and activation of blood circulation in all the vascular system. The bath warms the cuticle and releases skin pores through which, due to moderate sweating, unhealthy substances are scoured away from the subcutis." We would recommend they serve brats and pizza to immersed clients, for supplemental nourishment.

3) Ear Candling - This is an unusual treatment that originated in Egypt around 2,000 years ago. A combination of pressure-point sinus massage and aromatherapy oils creates a treatment that is purportedly very safe and relaxing. The suggested result is that you will have a heightened sense of smell and taste and an ability to breathe and hear better, as well as diminished earwax, migraine headaches and sinus infections, and lessened allergies. Experience the miracle at Elemur Day Spa 56 in New York, NY.

4) Chocolate Fondue Wrap - NOW we're talking! The brilliant minds at the Hotel Hershey have created a number of chocolate-related treatments, one of which is the Chocolate Fondue Wrap. Of course, they don't wrap you entirely in chocolate (which would be my idea), but rather a mixture of healing mud and essence of cocoa. After the Vichy shower rinse, you can go find some actual chocolate fondue, that you haven't been able to stop thinking of since you first read about the treatment.

 

5) Fanny Facial - Put your best cheeks forward. This is a mis-named treatment, in that it has nothing to do with the face. So many of us delight in the fact that we rarely, if ever, have to look at our posteriors.  This treatment may help us embrace the view of the booty. The Smooth Synergy Day Spa in New York offers this process, involving exfoliation, microcurrent therapy, and a spray tan for your bum. The microcurrent therapy allegedly helps reduce the appearance of cellulite and tones your backside, and the spray tan enhances the tone. 

 

6) The Geisha Facial - Write your own memoirs after your Geisha Facial treatment at the Shizuka Day Spa in New York. The facialists use “traditional and natural Japanese ingredients” to make skin vibrant and soft. What might these "traditional and natural Japanese ingredients" be, you ask? Well, if you must know they include nightingale excrement, and we do hope that is the most unpleasant of the ingredients. Apparently nightingale droppings contain natural enzymes that act as exfoliants and skin brighteners, so what you try to avoid in your hair actually makes your face look great.

7) The 24-carat Gold Facial: The Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe uses gold to slow down depletion and to stimulates cellular growth. Eldorado means "the golden one" in Spanish, so this is a natural fit. Gold is supposed to calm inflamed areas and lessen the appearance of age spots.

 

8) The Flour Scrub: The spa at the Molino Stucky Hilton in Venice, Italy offers a cheeky nod to the hotel's past, as a flour mill, in the 19th century. The flour scrub is an exfoliating treatment, which uses Indian corn to polish skin. We would like to point out that corn is not the same as flour, but it's Italy and they gave us Gelato, so we won't complain.

 

9) Caviar Facial & Body Treatment: You can now be coated from head-to-toe with caviar at Rome Cavalieri Hilton’s Grand Spa (in Rome, Italy). The spa offers a Caviar Facial and a Caviar Body Treatment, both of which incorporate the skin-firming properties of caviar extract.

 

10) Snake Massage: If you suffer from ophidiophobia, this will not be your massage. For 300 shekels (around $70), clients at Ada Barak’s spa in northern Israel can have six non-venomous, but very lively serpents slither and slide across their aching muscles and stiff joints.  This sounds much more therapeutic than having spiders crawl around on you.  Potato, potahto. 

Sure, you can kick back with the girls and have beer or wine, but great summer cocktails make everything seem slightly more festive. Possibly because of the fruity drink colors, or possibly because you've garnished them with a lit firecracker. To each her own! Here are our Top 10 Summer Girlfriend Getaway Cocktails.

1) MOJITO - a personal favorite, and the ultimate in refreshing summer cocktails. Which we also drink in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

* 1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 lime, juiced
* 1 sprig fresh mint, crushed
* 1/2 cup crushed ice
* 2 fluid ounces white rum
* 4 fluid ounces carbonated water
* 1 sprig fresh mint, garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. In a highball glass, stir together the confectioners' sugar and lime juice. Bruise the mint leaves and drop into glass. Fill glass with crushed ice and pour in rum. Pour in carbonated water to fill the glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

2) MARGARITA - or as we like to call her "Old Faithful".

* 1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
* 6 fluid ounces tequila
* 2 fluid ounces triple sec

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill blender with crushed ice. Pour in limeade concentrate, tequila and triple sec. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

3) MUDSLIDE - the milkshake's naughty older sister. We love hanging out with her.

* 4 cups crushed ice
* 2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers vodka
* 2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers coffee flavored liqueur
* 2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers Irish cream liqueur
* 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
* 1/2 cup whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender, combine crushed ice, vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur. Drizzle in Chocolate syrup. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with whipped cream.

4) SANGRIA - por supuesto, que si!

* 1/2 cup brandy
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
* 1/3 cup orange juice
* 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
* 1/2 cup triple sec
* 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
* 1 orange, sliced into rounds
* 1 lime, sliced into rounds
* 1/4 cup white sugar (optional)
* 8 maraschino cherries
* 2 cups carbonated water (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pitcher or bowl, mix together the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec, and sugar. Float slices of lemon, orange and lime, and maraschino cherries in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. For a fizzy sangria, add club soda just before serving.

5) BELLINI - our most refined cocktail, which is perfect for brunch.

*1/2 ounce peach liqueur
*1 ounce peach juice or nectar
*Chilled champagne or sparkling wine

DIRECTIONS

Pour liqueur and juice into a chilled champagne flute. Slowly top up with champagne or sparkling wine.

6) LEMON DROP - Vitamin C is very important!

* 4 fluid ounces fresh lemon juice
* 2 fluid ounces vodka
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* crushed ice
* 1 lemon, sliced
* 4 sprigs fresh mint

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing glass, combine lemon juice, vodka and sugar. Stir until dissolved, then pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and sprig of mint.

7) BOURBON SLUSH - we loved 7-11 Slurpees when we were kids, and this is our reward for getting older.

* 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
* 1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
* 1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 2 cups strong brewed black tea
* 2 cups bourbon whiskey
* 1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl or container, mix together the orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice, sugar, tea, and whiskey. Transfer to shallow bowls or dishes, and freeze overnight.
2. Remove the frozen mixture from the freezer and let stand for about 10 minutes. Chop with a wire whisk or potato masher to make a slushy consistency. Place scoops of the frozen slush into glasses, and top off with the lemon-lime flavored soda.

8) KEY LIME MARTINI - the perfect substitute for the pie you're always avoiding.

* 5 ounces of Ciroc vodka.
* 1 ounce Rose's Lime Juice.
* 1 ounce heavy cream.
* 1 lime cut in half.
* 2 thinly cut lime slices.

DIRECTIONS

Pour the vodka, and Roses into a shaker 3/4 full of cracked ice and let stand for a minute.
Rim 2 frozen martini glasses with lime flavored cocktail candy and rub 1/2 a lime around the bowl of each glass.
Shake for several minutes. Add the heavy cream to the shaker and shake for another minute. Strain your Key Lime martini into your two glasses, and garnish each glass with a lime slice.

9) WATERMELON DAIQUIRI - watermelons are synonymous with summer, and should be incorporated into as many drinks as possible.

* 4 cups peeled, seeded, cubed watermelon
* 1/2 cup light rum
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
* 1/4 cup orange liqueur
* Ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

1. FREEZE watermelon in a shallow pan at least 6 hours.
2. PROCESS frozen watermelon and next 3 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Add enough ice to bring mixture to 5-cup level; process until smooth. Repeat procedure, if necessary, until mixture measures 5 cups.

10) WOO WOO - we couldn't have a complete drink list without at least ONE with a completely ridiculous name, that becomes more and more fun to say the more you drink.

*2 ounces vodka
*1/2 ounce peach schnapps
*Lime wedge
*Cranberry juice
*Ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Squeeze in lime, then add the vodka and schnapps. Shake, then strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice. Add the squeezed lime wedge and top up with cranberry juice.

As always - drink responsibly!

It's time, once again, for Top 10 Tuesday! If you were with us last week, you'll remember the "Ignore the Staycation Nonsense" post. Probably fondly. We are thankfully not the only travel-lovers with that perspective.

The sassy Mamas over at Traveling Mamas have created a "Boycott the Staycation" logo, which we adore:

They were also gracious enough to allow us to borrow a great Top 10 list post, to remind you where you could be going.

Courtesy of Mudslide Mama (which just makes me want to grab the Bailey's and some ice cubes), with the obligatory pithy quips from me:

Mudslide Mama says - In no particular order, the STAA Best Destinations for Travel in 2008:

1. Quebec City, in Canada: July 3rd marks Quebec City’s 400th anniversary, and the celebration will not only be festive, but also will recognize all the outdoor activities, festivals, culture and history that makes Quebec City a top vacation destination. This will be an eight month long celebration (you read that right - what a party!) with genuine French Canadian flavor.

(Ed note: we missed the July celebrations, but the autumn months are also truly gorgeous in Quebec - think colorful foliage).

2. Australia: Europeans are increasingly taking their holidays in Australia (the favorable exchange rate may have something to do with this), and resort hotels are correspondingly becoming more luxurious. But it’s not all luxury travel of course - there’s plenty of budget lodgings and eco travel opportunities in the Land Down Under. It ranks as one of my top places I’d like to see, as well.

(Ed note: This is my LAST continent, and it's nagging at me from the top of my "Must Go" list.)

3. Hawaii: Hawaii, and Maui in particular, is consistently voted the most popular tropical vacation island by those in the know (Conde Naste, Travel & Leisure, etc). It’s also the top honeymoon vacation state in the U.S., with each island offering its own unique take on what it means to be in Hawaii. Another plus: I’ve never had bad weather for more than an hour or two there. The weather is perfect.

4. China: The Specialty Travel Agents Association has chosen China as a best destination largely because of the upcoming Beijing Sumer Olympics games. However, more recently there have been some seriously disturbing issues - those that even make the news - regarding exactly how China is preparing for the games (prettifying a large, polluted urban area seems to mean dislocating a lot of long-time residents), and the country’s sanctioning of murdering monks in Tibet has led at least one country (France) to consider boycotting the Olympics. No country’s politics are perfect, of course, but with all the other great places to visit in the world, I know I have no travel plans for China in the immediate future.

(Ed note: Holiday Golightly's founder, Kerry, is currently in China. She scored an invitation to the opening ceremonies, and will hopefully use some of her free time to slap some sense into the government officials.)

5. The US Virgin Islands: Okay, I’m biased - my honeymoon was in St John, and in as such it remains one of my most favorite tropical vacation isles. St. John is 2/3 National Park land, and is the least developed of the three US Virgin Islands. St. Thomas has the most hotels and resorts, as well as the best shopping, whereas St Croix has tourism opportunities and what is considered the Easternmost part of the United States. The local saying goes, “Vacation on St. John, Shop on St. Thomas, and Live on St. Croix,” and that pretty much holds true.

6. India: It’s a large, geographically diverse country, so it would probably take more than one trip to truly get to know India. STAA recommends India for ecotravel - Bengal tigers are an endangered species, and there’s not much time left to see them in their natural state. And the Taj Mahal, needless to say, is also a huge draw.

7. Argentina: STAA recommends Argentina for those of us travel lovers who have been struggling with the dropping value of the American dollar. Rather than not travel at all, its suggested that Argentina’s bang for the buck combines well with many tourist friendly activities, top-notch restaurants, and boutique hotels.

Ed note: And Dulce de Leche.)

8. Vietnam: STAA suggests that Vietnam is the Next Best Thing in terms of luxury golf vacations, calling it the “next premier golf destination.” Really? Well, I’m not sure that golf travel packages in Vietnam will ever be on the same level as Scotland or Hawaii, but it has many other tourist friendly attractions. It’s a very affordable country to visit, for one, and two, the Vietnamese people are among the world’s nicest, most optimistic - Buddhism teaches kindness and forgiveness, and most people in Vietnam are Buddhist.

9. France: Ah, France! A Top 10 Travel list just wouldn’t seem legit without La Belle France. It’s the most popular country in the world for travel, and has everything any vacation lover could want. Luxury travel is practically defined by the French Riviera, and those of us who appreciate the fine arts go gaga over the Louvre and Orsay in Paris. 2008 is the 150th anniversary of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to a French peasant girl in Lourdes, and seeing that six million people make a religious pilgrimage there already, Lourdes is sure to be a top travel destination this year.

10. Alaska: Alaska is one of the most popular cruise destinations (with a pit stop in Vancouver, BC). Just as India’sAlaska Cruise, by Clark Misher Bengal tiger population is shrinking, so are those glaciers. Environmentally aware tourists are wanting to see the melting ice before it’s too late. The cruise ship vacations to Alaska are, of course, most popular in the spring and summer; it’s too cold for most travelers to come out of their cabins in the winter! The gorgeous scenery, combined with the summer home of many migratory species, makes cruising here an enormous draw.

Our biggest thanks and big hugs to the Traveling Mamas for sharing with us!

Ohh the failing economy! Ohhh the gas prices! Ohhhh the recession! Oh come on - it's not the Great Depression (although the gas prices really are astounding). A vacation is essential to the human spirit, and a staycation is just a bunch of hooey.

Top 10 Reasons To Ignore That "Staycation" Nonsense:

1 - Staycation is not even a word. Someone made it up. It's like "truthin'" or "winningest".

2 - You deserve a vacation. You work hard!

3 - You're not getting any younger. Well? Are you?

4 - What if the economy is WORSE next year? Seriously.

5 - There is nothing on TV. And don't you dare tell me you're looking forward to the newest installment of "Big Brother".

6 - Studies have shown that people who take vacations are more effective at their jobs. You have read those same studies.

7 - You don't have to read any studies on your vacation.

8 - You know if you stay home, you're going to spend as much money online shopping as you would on a good vacation.

9 - If you don't go away, how can we be expected to miss you?

10 - If you DO go away, you can gloat and lord it over everyone else who has fallen prey to the phony-sensible "allure" of the staycation.

The whole premise of a vacation is to GET AWAY, so don't let any of those recent stories about "just ignoring your household chores" and "getting to know your own town" fool you.

A "staycation" is nothing more than being grounded. And even though you have a TV and a computer in your room, it's just not the same as getting out and enjoying all the fun things a vacation has to offer!

At the beach you do not want to have to think too much about what you're reading. If the book is long and involved, with hundreds of family members with hard-to-remember names (I'm talking to you "Dr. Zhivago" and "100 Years of Solitude"), just leave it at home. You want fluffy, you want silly, you want racy. Yes, you do, admit it - no one is watching you.

These books are ideal beach reading for girlfriend getaways, as you can read them in an afternoon, then trade with your friends. There will be some chick lit, yes, and some oldies-but-goodies.

1) Bridget Jones' Diary (Helen Fielding): We dare you not to laugh out loud at this loveable British hot mess and her daily musings. The movie was funny, but the book is side-splittingly hilarious.

 

2) Hollywood Wives (Jackie Collins): Oh yes. Ms. Jackie Collins has her finger on the pulse of Hollywood's debauchery, and invites you into the insane world of excessive wealth, power, and deceit. And you can just be glad it's not your life. (many apologies to any actual Hollywood wives, because it might be your life...)

 

3) I Am America, And So Can You! (Stephen Colbert): This is an election year, after all, and no one does pretend-politics better than Stephen Colbert. This truly is one of the funniest books I've ever read, and it's formatted for the ADD-generation (i.e. no overly long chapters, and there are stickers!).

 

4) Scruples (Judith Krantz): An oldie, for sure - written in 1978 - but packed with page-turning plots, blindingly wealthy characters, and a LOT of Naughty, with a capital "N".

 

5) Can you keep a secret? (Sophie Kinsella): From the author of the "Shopaholic" series - this is a particularly entertaining read, about a girl who only has a bit more together than Bridget Jones.

 

6) Secrets of a Former Fat Girl: How to Lose Two, Four (or More!) Dress Sizes--And Find Yourself Along the Way (Lisa Delaney): The reviews of this are excellent, and finally someone actually addresses the internal emotional struggles that go along with trying to lose weight. It's rarely just about eating less and exercising more.

 

7) Mr. Maybe (Jane Green): You should really just buy this one for the cover alone.

 

8) Are you there vodka? It's me, Chelsea. (Chelsea Handler): Chelsea is totally our kind of girl. She is not afraid to be a little bawdy and a lot hilarious, and we've all turned to vodka to answer our prayers, from time to time.

 

9) The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal (Laurie Notaro): Having been a victim of the laser hair removal, myself, I feel a particular affinity for our Idiot Girl. It would not surprise me to hear that laser hair removal was utilized in the Guantanamo Bay torture fiasco.

 

10) Starring Sally J Freedman As Herself (Judy Blume): No, this isn't one of Judy Blume's adult novels. It's one of the classics, and it is SO summer!

 

Don't forget your sunscreen, and don't get sand in the popsicles.

 

We asked, and you answered! Many of you had been to some fairly standard bachelorette/hen parties, and there were others who stepped it up a bit with some very original plans. These are the top 10 responses we found, with some unique ideas we'll be borrowing!

1. River rafting/camping trip on the Colorado - we love this idea if for no other reason than you get to leave the makeup, hair-dryers, flat-irons, and high heels at home. Get back to nature.

 

 

2. Rock climbing with lingerie prize at the top of the rock face. - Anything that involves prizes is very big in our book. Although you'd really need to wait to cool down before putting on the lingerie.

 

3. Napa Getaway with the perfect house to chill at! Riding in a limo all over tasting great wine! - Wineries are our Happy Places, and are a failsafe celebration/party idea.

 

 

4. Can Can (a burlesque club) in Pike Place Market (Seattle). Not too raunchy like a strip club, but we weren't sitting around drinking tea getting our nails done either. - We would wholeheartedly endorse the burlesque show AND drinking tea and getting our nails done.

 

5. Running around Burning Man doing a cheesy scavenger hunt that turned into a night of extremely naughty insanity. - From what we've heard, Burning Man is fairly insane to begin with, so this must have been the ultimate in craziness!

 

 

6. Water theme - private boat party bridal shower followed by Austin Night life, then an all day float down the Guadalupe River, nursing hangovers the next day! Awesome! - We are envisioning "nursing hangovers" with margaritas. Is that wrong?

 

 

7. We went bowling. It was low key, there were drinks, and we were all equally horrible. It was great! - Bowling is hilarious, and we are suspicious of anyone who is actually good at it.

 

8. Wiggin Out. We all wore different colored and styled wigs the whole night. It was a sight. - We LOVE wigs! They really take the pressure off of finding a great outfit. No one looks at your outfit when you're wearing a turquoise bob.

 

9. We dressed up as men for a friends party. Suits, hats, fake cigars. It was hilarious! - This is a fantastic idea, and possibly the most unique we've heard. We are already trying to think of which suit we'd wear.

 

10. At one party I attended, the host had made a small photo book with "assignments" for the bride-to-be (eg. find a bald man, get a bartender to propose, etc.) We had a ball using the polaroid camera snapping up shots of the night and when we were done, the bachelorette had a fun souvenier of the night! - Assignments are a great way to cajole your bachelorette friend into doing truly embarrassing things, and having concrete proof of this? Priceless.

 

 

Thanks so much to everyone who participated!

 

If one of your girlfriends is planning a wedding, try to talk her into having the ceremony out of town. Destination weddings are becoming more and more popular, and if you're invited, that's an automatic vacation!

Top 10 Destination Weddings

1. Hawaii - Aloha, mahalo, melekeleke maka. These are all fun to say, and you'll get to repeat them frequently at the wedding in Hawaii.

 

2. Jamaica - who doesn't get that "One Love, One Heart" song, with the kettle drums, stuck in their heads when thinking of Jamaica. "Let's get together, and feel alright" - that's a great wedding theme!

 

3. Mexico - another destination with a great theme song. James Taylor's "Mexico" can be the first dance at the reception. Right after we play the piñata game.

 

4.Tahiti - sure, it's kind of far away, but what better way to avoid having those pesky "distant relatives", and colleagues of your parents usurping all your fun wedding time? Plus, those overwater bungalows are fantastic.

 

 
5. St. Lucia - often described as a "small, lush, tropical gem", which is precisely how the groom should refer to his new bride.

 

6. Italy -arguably the most romantic country in the world, where a glass of wine with breakfast is considered perfectly normal. Cheers to the happy couple!

 

 

7. Greece - one of my friends got married in Greece. Greece is stunningly picturesque and exotic and very high on my list of "places to visit". I wasn't invited - she said it was "just family". We're no longer friends.

 

8. Aruba - Aruba just sounds sexy, doesn't it? I mean, you just can't be frantic, stressed or uptight in Aruba. And frantic, stressed and uptight do not make for a sexy wedding anyway.

 

9. U.S. Virgin Islands - the perfect place for a white wedding. Ha ha ha. Please stop me.

 

 
10. Bermuda - if you want your wedding relaxed and casual, there really is no better place than an island that has a pair of shorts named after it. Plus it has beautiful, sunny, sandy beaches.

 

 

The majority of these were beach destinations, but all of them are definitely romantic, and we would be happy to attend any wedding in any of these spots. Just send us an invitation.

Playing dress-up is always fun, and there's no better excuse for it than a Bachelorette party. Whether you decide to take your theme out on the town, or keep it to a private girlfriend gathering, the photos will be hilarious and memorable. And probably embarrassing.

 

1) Slumber Party - jammies, bra-freezing, light as a feather-stiff as a board, M&Ms for breakfast. Being 10 again is awesome.

 

 

2) Cowgirls Gone Wild - giddyup! Grab your hats & boots & fake pistols and get ready to round up a good time!

 

 

3) Ball & Chain - marriage is a commitment! It should be taken seriously! Have all the girls dress as prisoners in orange jumpsuits, or the old-timey black & white stripes.

 

 

4) Toga - this is good for the lazy bachelorette. Or the Roman bachelorette. Throw a sheet on and go!

 

 

5) We're All Brides - everyone wears white/bridal-ish gowns. This will help everyone identify with the bride and what she's preparing for. This will also confuse everyone in the bars, and you'll all end up drinking for free.

 

 

6) Golf - if you've seen the movie "The Wedding Date" (with Debra Messing), you'll have an idea of how eccentric golf outfits can get. Bar golf is a great bachelorette party activity - no irons required.

 

 

 

7) Wig Out - save time doing your hair - everyone wears a wig to the Bachelorette party!

 

 

8) 80s Roller Skating - you will have a great time with your girlfriends, and get a little exercise too. Depending on how often you can "crack-the-whip". Crimp your hair, bust out the leg warmers and you're ready to roll.

 

 

 

9) Vegas Karaoke - have everyone dress up as her favorite Vegas singer (or just "singer"), and either rent a karaoke machine, or head to a karaoke bar. This bachelorette party has no room for self-consciousness. Who brought the video camera?

 

 

10) Tea Party - The tea party is the most refined option here. Just put on your garden party dresses and white gloves, and spend the afternoon bonding over tiny sandwiches. We didn't say you couldn't have mimosas and bellinis!

With drinks, without drinks, the Bachelorette party is all about soaking up your girlfriend-time. Make it special and just enjoy it!

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue." Why blue? Why not yellow? Why not pink? What is so wrong with aubergine? OH the other colors must feel slighted. But blue it must be - you know, it's tradition and such.

We have a list of the Top 10 "Something Blue"s for the bridesmaids to offer the bride. We're such conformists.

Top 10 Something Blues:

1) Garter - this is an easy one - tried and tested, but is anyone still wearing these?

 

 

2) Ribbon - Martha Stewart recommends discreetly pinning a blue ribbon to the inside of the bride's dress. She probably doesn't mean this kind, but we think it's far more entertaining:

 

 

3) Cosabella Thong - Slutty! Racy! And these really are very comfortable.

 

 

4) A lock of hair from Grandma - that Blue Rinse will really come in handy!

 

 

5) A cornflower - When Napoleon forced Queen Louise of Prussia from Berlin, she hid her children in a cornfield and kept them entertained and quiet by weaving wreaths of cornflowers. One of her children, Wilheim, later became the emperor of Germany. Remembering his mother's bravery, he made the cornflower a national emblem of unity. Get it? UNITY? MARRIAGE? We're all over this stuff.

 

 

6) Sapphire earrings - and our next question is "Will you be in OUR weddings?"

 

 

7) Bruise - Yep, it was a rough Bachelorette party. The bride bumped into the pool table, and her bruise is black and blue (and little yellow). It counts!

 

 

8) The bride's tongue - give her one of these before the ceremony

 

 

9) Pedicure - OPI Russian Navy (My mom hates this color - I'm wearing it on my toes right now)

 

 

or really easy (and we love easy)

10) MAC Prussian Blue eyeliner. Subtle, no? No. But then, the bride isn't supposed to be subtle. It's her day!

 

 

Many happy congratulations, and we're going to need our "Something Borrowed"s back soon!