Do you LOVE shoes? Do you LOVE art?

Whether you love one or both, the new coffee-style book Art & Sole by Jane Gershon Weitzman {husband to the famous Stuart Weitzman} will be a treasured keepsake. 

Inside this book you will find around 150 shoes from over 1,000 that have been commissioned for display in the store windows since the first Stuart Weitzman retail shop opened in the mid-1990's on Madison Avenue in NYC. Keep in mind, the shoes showcased inside this book are not meant to be worn. "Art shoes" are pure fantasy. You will flip through the pages of Art & Sole in amazement as you see shoes made from the most unique materials including feathers, paper, ceramic, metal, resin, playing cards, corrugated cardboard, Swarovski crystals, even fresh flowers {by Jane Carroll} and frosting {by THE Sylvia Weinstock}.

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Art & Sole is the perfect gift for any occasion including bridal showers and for gifting to the bridal party. The book is gorgeous even before it's opened as it features a vibrant red cloth hardcover with an elaborately embossed crystal shoe and gilded edging on the pages of the book. There's even a satin ribbon marker {not sure why exactly, but I love books that have this}. This book retails for $30, but right now you can purchase Art & Sole for just $21.77.

For the month of October, 100% of the profits from the sale of Art & Sole will go towards breast cancer research {Jane "spearheaded philanthropy for the Stuart Weitzman company by generating funds to support breast and ovarian cancer research and awareness}.

If you are looking for Stuart Weitzman shoes you can wear, you might like some of these . . .

Have you attended a barn wedding? Are you planning a barn wedding? As Maggie of Rustic Wedding Chic writes in her brand new book Barn Weddings, "A barn is a magical place for a wedding". I have to say . . . I totally agree. One of my favorite weddings I attended with my husband took place in a barn, in Vermont, on a gorgeous fall day. The barn created a cozy feeling and the twinkling lights and hanging chandelier added to the romance of the entire day. 

Barn Weddings is an absolute MUST-HAVE reference book if you are considering or already planning a barn wedding. Maggie provides you with an easy to follow guide that walks you through the steps of planning your dream barn wedding with 4 sections based on Styles, Inspiration, Décor, Real Barn Weddings and even Tips from the Pros. Her inspiration section is one of my favorites as it features something that I just LOVE . . . inspiration shoots. Maggie writes that wedding inspiration shoots are the "dreamy building blocks that often help couples define a wedding style and find creative ways to start planning and personalizing their own special day".

When Maggie writes about 'Styles' - she says "each barn is 100% unique". This is so true. And, because of this it makes barns perfect for weddings as you want your wedding day to be 100% unique to you as a couple.

One of my favorite décor tips from Maggie is the idea to bring in the color white. Adding white helps break up the dark wooden framework of the barn. It also adds a bright weightlessness to the space. Several ways to accomplish this include hanging long white drapes at the barn entrance or using white tablecloths. What is your favorite thing about Barn Weddings?

All Photos courtesy of RusticWeddingChic.com

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I'm going to start this post off by saying I've been "gifted" quite a few items from PR companies that claim they do this or do that. But, not many live up to the claims so I never write about them. But, today I have an absolutely AMAZING item to share with you. And, it's something any lady can use - brides, mother of the bride, wedding attendants and even us "just had a baby mom". That last one would be me {my 2nd baby girl will be 11 months ago tomorrow -- insert sad face here -- time is going by too fast}. The Almighty Cincher by AMIA is helping me re-gain my pre-pregnancy figure {and helping heal my diastasis recti... if you're interested in knowing what this is, wikipedia explains it well. I'll spare you the details here}.

Here is my before and after photo {yup, that's me}. I have to say that even after 2 days of wearing the "corset", it was actually already too late to take the before photo as my stomach had actually decreased from what it was {had started to look like I was 4-5 months pregnant}. The after photo shows you what I look like wearing The Almighty Cincher. 

Imagine what wearing this corset could do for you? You could actually wear that mermaid sheath wedding gown you've been dreaming of!

What can I tell you about The Almighty Cincher?
 - instantly provided me with a slimmer shape {which means I naturally feel better}
 - has improved my posture {I sit very straight at my desk now when typing}
 - my back doesn't hurt {I can now wear my daughter in the Baby Bjorn and not feel the weight of her, 18lbs}
 - my pants are actually a bit looser in the waist with the Cincher on
 - my mom is now wearing the small {she now has less back pain and finds it easier to get up from sitting}

I will say that I asked for the size small as I fit into the specs for that size, but there was no way I could close it. It comes with 2 vertical rows of hook-and-eye closures so you can cinch it closed over to the other row as your stomach size slims down. Luckily I was sent the medium and after some squeezing and "sucking it in" I got it on. OMG!!!!! I loved how my clothes looked!!!! And, already after just a week of wearing it every day for about 10-12 hours I can get it on without much squeezing at all.

PS: This particular corset features a PowerLatex Core which is a popular feature for post-baby bodies as they say overtime it reduces inches through increased perspiration. Not sure if it reduces inches, although I definitely get warm when exercising with it on. But, it's definitely making my stomach a bit smaller each day. And, of course I'm walking a mile each night {weather permitting} and starting a mini workout program as well.

PSS: Jessica Alba says she wore a corset post-baby to get her figure back in shape

Did you know that today is National Lighthouse Day? To celebrate, I have some AMAZING photos from real weddings that took place at lighthouses. Plus, I have a fun cookbook that is a combination of national history with regional yumminess. If you've ever been in a lighthouse you know that the staircases are narrow and they spiral around. When you combine these stairs with a bride and groom, you get the most stunning wedding photos in both color and black and white.  

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The American Lighthouse Cookbook is a "culinary journey across America to visit our country's most beautiful and historic lighthouses". As you go through the book by region {Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast Atlantic, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Gulf Coast, California and Hawaii, Northwest, and the Great Lakes} you will read about the history of 47 lighthouses and then you will find menus based on the local foods of the country's coasts {nearly 300 recipes total}. On my list of must makes: upside-down apple pandowdy {pg. 14}, cornmeal griddle cakes with maple syrup {pg. 27}, blueberry slump {pg. 37}, Maryland crab cakes {pg. 70}, and many others. Last night I had to try "my friend Cathy's easy peach cobbler" {pg. 106} - I of course had to convert it to use gluten free flour, but OH MY GOSH! This was delicious - definitely one of my top favorite desserts I've ever made. My daughter wanted to be sure there was enough left over for dessert tomorrow night - which there is :) This lighthouse historical/cookbook makes a wonderful gift for the couple that has a love of the beach {like myself and hubby}.

Note: this post contains affiliate links and while I did receive a copy of the featured cookbook, the views/thoughts shared above are completely my own.

Last week I started something new where I will share with you my top pins from the past week. And, this week? Many of my top pins were cake related and delicious looking. Maybe I had a bit of a sweet tooth when I pinned so many of them? If you'd like, you can see more in my wedding cakes board.

1. A seafoam-glitter cake accented with sugar flowers
2. Stairway of flowers - so pretty for the entrance to a ceremony or reception
3. Line your wedding dress with a fun pattern for a unique personal touch
4. Glass cloches covering mini cakes at each place setting
5. Watercolor designs on a wedding cake
6. Naked Red Velvet Layered Wedding Cake

Speaking of cakes {or desserts in general}, how about this brand new cookbook from Doughmesstic? It's The S'mores Cookbook which is perfect for your summer time parties and gatherings. Wedding S'mores Bar anyone?

And lastly today, to keep your party organized and answer all those RSVP's, you will need your phone. Or, maybe you'd like to give the fun gift of an iPhone case to your gadget-loving wedding party. When MAPI recently contacted me about receiving one of the cases for a review, I was definitely intrigued. I had been using a silicone case that I ordered from one of those flash sale sites and it had become super stretched out from every day use. I have been using the Smyrna iPhone 5 leather cover/bumper case in croco red from MAPI for the past 2 months and really love it. There's not a bit of leather that's worn off either and my phone goes everywhere with me as I never know when I want to capture a photo or video of my 2 girls. Whether it's a Mapi case for the iPhone, iPad or BlackBerry case, it's definitely a stylish and functional wedding party gift. Plus, some even come in white for the bride along with other colors in glossy and crocodile leather {depending on the case style that's chosen}. Each case is hand made in Turkey from the highest quality, 100% cowhide leather and some of the cases even serve as wristlets, stands and wallets.

PS: while I was gifted a MAPI iPhone case, the reviews and thoughts expressed above are completely my own