Friday, April 29, 2011

Mystique Hotel in Santorini

Perched almost precipitously on the rim of Santorini‘s caldera is the stunning Mystique Hotel. I want to go to Greece to witness these uninterrupted views of volcanic cliffs, the iconic white-washed villas, and the clear blue waters of the Aegean Sea. Does anyone have any suggestions of what to do while in Santorini? Please leave comments to let me know. 

 
(images from here and here)

Buzziest moments from the royal wedding

By Erin Carlson
This morning, an estimated 2 billion people tuned into watch Prince William marry Kate Middleton (now Princess -- Duchess, rather -- Catherine). As the grand affair unfolded on TV and social media, the conversation focused on everything from the dress (Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen!), to Maid of Honor Pippa Middleton's dark tan, to the fancy cars, to the newlyweds' balcony kiss(es). There was also a highlight on what we didn't hear in the broadcast. Behold, the Royal Wedding's biggest, buzziest moments:
What William said to Kate: When the bride and her father joined the groom at the altar at Westminster Abbey, the Prince mouthed these words to Middleton: "You look beautiful." According to some lip readers, he then quipped to Papa Michael, "We were supposed to have just a small family affair." Cheeky! Meanwhile, tweeting observers could not resist rewriting history with jokes at William's expense, such as this one: "We should have gone to Vegas."
What Prince Harry told William: As Middleton walked slowly down the aisle, Wills -- visibly nervous -- gazed stoically ahead, avoiding the urge to sneak a glimpse of his future wife. Not Harry. The flame-haired best man peered backward at his sister-in-law, informing his brother: "Right, she's here now." Flashing a roguish grin, he added: "Wait 'til you see her." Cue swoons from lovestruck Harry Hunters.
The kiss(es): The bride and groom smooched not once but twice on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. The crowd roared. Princess Catherine blushed, and Prince William beamed.
What Princess Catherine wore: As widely expected, McQueen's Sarah Burton, who took over for the late designer following his tragic suicide, scored major sartorial bragging rights as the bride's No. 1 pick to craft her gown. It's safe to say Burton has entered new levels of celebrity, thanks to the high-profile gig, and her creation will no doubt be copied the world over. The demure creation wowed wedding watchers who declared it a throwback to the timeless elegance of legendary princess Grace Kelly. Everyone oohed and ahhed over the long sleeves and lace bodice with the subtly sexy V-neck, the full skirt with embroidery that took hours to stitch. Middleton's Cartier "halo" tiara was on loan from Queen Elizabeth, and her earrings (in the shape of the Middleton family crest) were a gift from the bride's parents.
Hats galore: Forget love and tradition. Friday's theme might as well be "Hats, Hats and More Hats." All varieties of festive and colorful toppers popped up at Westminster, nearly stealing thunder from the newlyweds. Honorable mentions: the Queen's canary yellow hat with handmade silk roses, Victoria Beckham's dramatic black headpiece and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson's royal blue fascinator.
And so 4/29/11 will go down in history as one of the most important dates in the young couple's life. Amid all the buzz and pomp and circumstance, for one ecstatic moment the world soaked up the fairytale. Thirty years from now -- if the monarchy still exists! -- the cycle will begin anew with the next wave of Young Royals.
*I loved the second kiss. That was so cute! It really showed off the playful side of their love. He was blushing too.  

Pippa Middleton Wears White

posted by Michael Krumboltz 

Maid of honor Pippa Middleton wore white to the ceremonyPascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesEtiquette experts consider it bad form for anyone but the bride to wear white on the wedding day. Not the Middletons. Kate's sister Pippa wore a white maid of honor dress on the world's biggest stage.
Like Kate's wedding dress, Pippa's gown was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. The gown featured short sleeves, a low-cut neckline, and was form-fitting. Immediately following Pippa's appearance at Westminster Abbey, web searches soared.

A blog from the "Today" show explains that a white dress for non-brides isn't as rare as it used to be. Bridal designer Reem Acra told TODAY.com: "I like the idea that (Kate's) sister is wearing white... It makes the whole thing more thematic and looks clean and modern."

Tom Mora, J.Crew's vice-president for bridal wear, told TODAY.com that "there is something quite beautiful about it... there's a purity about her sister wearing white."

Pippa's dress had the same button detail and lace trim as Kate's wedding gown, according to PopSugar. In addition to looking beautiful, Pippa also did an excellent job with the young bridesmaids and took good care of her sister's train.

Below, some other buzzy moments to remember...

Kate remembers William's name
The curse is broken! Kate remembered William's full name! It might sound like a small victory, but it's far from it. William's full name is quite a mouthful. For the record, he is William Arthur Philip Louis. Imagine trying to remember that with two billion people watching.

The bride also wore white.Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesIn royal weddings past, Princess Diana and Princess Sarah Ferguson messed up when asked to recite their groom's full name. According to Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to the queen, Diana mixed up the order of Charles's names. Diana had a pretty good excuse: Charles's full name is Charles Philip Arthur George. Same deal with Fergie; she accidentally repeated Prince Andrew's middle name.

Not so with Kate. She nailed William's full name. A good omen if ever there was one.

Kate Middleton's delicate figure
Kate Middleton caught the experts' eyes for her dress as well as her slender physique. Barbara Walters began buzzing after she saw Middleton exit. "She's very slim. Look at that waist!"

James Middleton: expert reader
Kate Middleton's brother, James, gave a reading at the royal wedding, and though he would have had every excuse to be nervous or fumble over a phrase, the 24-year-old nailed the passages from Romans 12:1,2, 9-18. Pausing at the right times, never mispronouncing a word, and never losing his place, James was perfect with his high-profile task.

Michael Middleton's butter fingers
The father of the bride did a wonderful job of walking with his beautiful daughter down the aisle and standing at attention at the front of the church. He did make one small mistake, though. Right when he arrived at Westminster Abbey, he dropped his hat. Oops. It was all aces from there. No harm, no foul.

Photos: Kate Middleton's wedding dress

Kate's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. 







LONDON -- After months of secrecy, Kate Middleton's wedding dress got its grand reveal today as the Duchess-to-be stepped out of her town car at Westminster Abbey this morning.
Ellen Tailor, co-host of the "Gravy in the Morning" radio show on Hot-FM in Grand Rapids, was underwhelmed:
Although the dress is beautiful, I was very underwhelmed. I can't really describe what it was I was expecting but with all of the hype, I definitely thought there'd be more to the Alexander McQueen gown. Kate is sophisticated and simple so the dress fits her but this is a ROYAL wedding!
The incredibly moving moment when the new Duchess of Cambridge stepped out of her car in an Alexander McQueen dress was the fantasy everyone in fashion has been dreaming would come true.
The dress—pure and yet conveying the grandeur of its importance—is an exquisitely modern example of a personal collaboration between a bride and her designer.
Catherine has followed her own taste: a V-neck décolleté and a silhouette that stayed close to her torso, and long, delicate lace sleeves that evoked, perhaps, the wedding dress worn by Grace Kelly when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. ...
Technically faultless in its scale and construction, the dress allowed the bride to move with ease, carrying all the weight of British history and expectation without the slightest wrinkle or hitch.
Slate.com takes it even further, suggesting Kate's choice of a demure lace gown, not even strapless could help usher in a return to modesty, a concept foreign to young girls who have "grown up in a world of hair extensions, pneumatic hooters, and stripper poles."
Might the lovely Kate, with her modest allure, her natural bosom and her quiet mystery, have the power to stem the flood of boob-jiggling hooker style which has engulfed not just fashion, but our entire culture? Could April 29, 2011 mark the beginning of a whole new era of elegant restraint?

The dress has been dissected, now for the make-up: perhaps fearing the result of an unfamiliar hand, Kate Middleton chose to DIY on her wedding day, as has been widely reported in recent weeks.

Take a Look at the Royal Wedding Invitation!

Kate Middleton, Prince William Wedding InviteGetty Images, Mario Testino/Clarence House Press Office

by BRUNA NESSIF

We got the photo and the deets to go along with it.In case you were desperately wondering what an invite to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding would look like, wonder no more!

Well, it looks pretty much how you'd expect: 10 in. by 6 in. thick white cardstock, gilded edges and of course, gold lettering.

On the very top you see Queen Elizabeth's emblem in gold. The invitations, sent in the Queen's name, read, "The Lord Chamberlain has 
been commanded by the Queen to invite" the guest to the marriage at Westminster Abbey at 11 a.m. on April 29.
A whopping 1,900 invitations were sent, ranging the guest list from kings to charity leaders, to close family and university friends, old schoolmates and prime ministers around 
the world. Everyone you could imagine, in fact, except for the Duchess of York.

And in case you're also wondering what people are expected to wear to this event, male guests are asked to wear military uniform, a tailcoat or a business suit. As for the ladies, well, look ladylike.



Best & Worst of the Royal Wedding! Liveblogging Kate Middleton and Prince William's Huge Event

By: ERIK PEDERSEN

Wacky Hats
Though, really, you can. No judgment here, people.The wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William is here, but you don't have to be wearing one of those wacky hats to get all the best bits.
So after all the anticipation and time spent learning exactly what a "fascinator" is (so not what we thought), we're ready to bring you the pomp, emotion and, yes, fun. So read on...


Best TitlePrince William and Kate Middleton received brand-new titles with Wills getting His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. So that's a threefer, which has got to feel really good (though totally confusing for anyone trying to craft a respectful Tweet-length message to him).
Chelsy Davy Alert! Prince Harry's gal pal went in through the North Gate early just after 9 a.m., so for those of you who have her in the royal wedding entrance pool, score!
Worst Realization: If you're a royal guest seated behind some of those giant hats, you are now realizing you probably would have had a better view if you'd stayed at home.
David Beckham, Victoria Beckham


Best Becks: Now we're no etiquette expert, but we're fairly sure that no one is supposed to try to be prettier than the bride. So watch yourself, David Beckham. Not cool!
Blue Our Minds: We're going to leave the style talk to our experts, but Tara Palmer-Tomkinson immediately caught our eye for the fascinator attached to her head. Is it a blue canoe or something else entirely? We have a feeling that it's a hatmakers' Rorschach test, so we're not about to tell you what we thought it looked like.

More to come...






Things I Love on Fashiolista!!!


Disclaimer:_____________________I do not own any rights to any images on HoneyBEE Billi unless stated so. Most images are derived from google image search and the sites it leads me to. Seek permission for images that belong to me before use.