Her story: Jaclynne Elizabeth Murk, 27, was born in Baltimore and grew up in Monkton. She works as a marketing manager for Experis Technology Group in Bethesda. Her parents, Chris and Susan Murk, live in Monkton.
His story: Robert Dean Hart Jr., 27, was born in Columbia and grew up in Clarksville. He works as a health care benefit consultant at Lockton in Washington. His mother, Annette Hart, lives in Clarksville.
(Photo:yellow prom dresses)Their story: The two met in August 2011 in Federal Hill. They discovered that Jackie lived across the street from one of Dean’s college friends in Baltimore, and Dean lived a few streets from her best friend in D.C.
After hanging out a few times, Dean asked Jackie to a restaurant for their first date; a few short weeks later, they officially began dating.
“I thought he was so much fun,” she said. “I really liked hanging out with him. We really got along really well. It’s easy when a person is attractive and fun.”
They live in Arlington, Va.
The proposal: On March 15, 2014, Dean took Jackie to Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington for dinner. The restaurant was perfect for the two because they both love steakhouses.
“The restaurant is also located very close to where we spent one of our favorite days,” Jackie said, reminiscing about the time the two got caught in a heavy downpour and sought refuge in a bar. They were soaking wet but still had a great time.
“Dean picked this restaurant for that reason,” she added.
After dinner, Dean brought Jackie to the front of the Capitol, and when no one was around, he proposed.
“I absolutely knew that it was coming,” she said. “I was nervous all day long. I was hoping he wouldn’t do it at dinner. But we were able to have a glass of wine and enjoy a really awesome dinner.”
When he finally asked her, Jackie was in a state of bliss.
“It was pure happiness,” she said. “It was the cutest thing ever. I missed what he said at first. I dropped to my knees, too. We sat there and hugged each other.”
They later met up with friends at a piano bar in Georgetown.
Venue: One hundred fifty people attended the reception at The Belvedere in Mount Vernon.
Flowers and decor: Flowers — which consisted of baby’s breath, hydrangeas, roses and peonies — were from Floral Impressions. The colors were white, gold, navy and green. Jackie came up with the color scheme and inspiration after looking through “hundreds and hundreds” of options in magazines and online.
“The Charles Room at The Belvedere is very intricate, so we wanted colors that matched and wanted flowers that didn’t distract from the detail of the room,” she said. “We wanted simple, beautiful and elegant.”
Jackie had a large bouquet of peonies, hydrangea, roses and ranunculus.
Her dress: Jackie wore a silk taffeta ballgown by Amsale from Garnish Boutique in Ruxton. “I wanted simple and elegant,” she said.
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Bridesmaids wore long gold, sequined dresses by Adrianna Papell from Garnish Boutique.
“I wanted something different. Something that stood out,” Jackie said. “I wanted the style to match the elegance of a ballroom.”
Men’s attire: Dean wore a tuxedo with white dinner jacket from Men’s Wearhouse. The groomsmen wore matching attire.
Music: The Bachelor Boys Band provided the music. The couple’s first dance was to “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King.
Food and dessert: Truffles Catering provided the food. Appetizers included crab dip, a salmon platter, a vegetable display, chicken wrapped in prosciutto, mini crab cakes and shrimp St. James. Dinner consisted of seasonal berry salad, a filet and chicken topped with jumbo lump crab meat.
For dessert, La Cakerie provided the red velvet cake and cannoli cake. They also served chocolate-covered strawberries.
Favors: After the reception, the couple served pizza in the Owl Bar, located in The Belvedere, for everyone. Macaroons were given as favors.
Special touches: Jackie and Dean honeymooned in Italy, where they visited Sorrento, Capri, Positano and Rome.Read more at:orange prom dresses
(Photo:orange prom dresses)A woman who designs clothing for people all over the world has headquarters in tiny Rives Township, north of Jackson.
Desiree Ferraro, whose maiden name is Spice, creates couture wedding dresses, formal gowns and hats for people from as far away as North Carolina, California, Hawaii, Canada, Australia and Germany. One of her main clients is a princess from Saudi Arabia.
“This is my passion,” Ferraro said. “The fabric is my canvas and I let it speak to me by the way it moves and drapes.”
Ferraro, 26, spent a year studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She later studied in Paris for a month, where she learned couture skills. She has one assistant: seamstress Debbie Mesick.
Following are five things you didn’t know about Desiree Spice of Rives Township:
• A fashion designer is much different from being a seamstress, because of the additional creativity involved, Ferraro said. “Someone will call me and they’ll say they want a custom-made wedding dress,” she said. “They’ll send me pictures or they’ll tell me the sorts of things they’re looking for. Then I’ll sketch up the designs, go over it with them with fabric options and things like that.”
• Ferraro has designed six wedding dresses in the past year. Prices start at $1,500. “Usually my clients will give me a budget and then I will work with them in that budget.” She said the average price of her wedding dresses is about $3,000. Almost all of her wedding dresses have built-in corsets, a feature that most other designers do not offer, she said.
• Clients will be pleased with her work, Ferraro said, because her dresses are “couture,” which means fashionable and made-to-fit. “My dresses are not off the rack,” she said. “You’re going to go to a store, you’re going to look for a wedding dress, and if you find that perfect wedding dress, it’s not going to fit right. My dresses are 100 percent custom made to each individual client’s bodies, and, of course, their styles. Couture requires lots of hand sewing.”
• Originally from Jackson, Ferraro started sewing when she was 7. She said there was a stuffed Eeyore donkey in a store that she wanted, but her parents wouldn’t buy it for her. “So I went home and made it and I was like, ‘Oh, hey, I can sew.’ When I was 9, I started making clothes for Barbies. Then when I was 16, I made my first formal gown for a customer, and when I was 17, I made my first wedding gown.”
• In addition to making dresses, Ferraro sells custom-made hats, fascinators, bridal veils and birdcage veils. She said she is currently designing 45 peppermint-glitter headpieces for a high school performance in California.Read more at:grey prom dresses
(Photo:graduation dresses)Kirsty Foster, from Chalmers HB in Wells, talks about her love of sewing and why working in Wells is great
Tell us about yourself:
I’m 32, married and from Street but I work in Wells.
As well as working at Chalmers HB I create hand sewn gifts and home ware items that I sell through my online business the Pink Gerbera, which can be found at facebook thepinkgerbera
When did you start sewing?
I did GCSE textiles years ago when I was at school but didn’t really do much after that.
Then my mother in-law gave me one of her old sewing machines and I decided to see if I could still remember all the skills I learnt years ago.
That was back in 2012 and it kind of when from there.
What do you enjoy making?
I prefer making home ware items such as personalised cushion covers rather than making clothes – it’s just more relaxing although I have made a couple of little girls dresses in the past.
I can even turn a mum’s favourite babygro into cushion cover if requested.
At the minute I’m working on personalised Santa sacks for Christmas already – it might sound too early but I’ve already made a couple, when it comes to getting orders ready for Christmas it’s never too early.
What’s the best thing about sewing?
I just find it really relaxing.
I can put the TV on a sew at the same time which is really nice because most of the time I’m doing it after a full day at work.
You work in Wells in the week – what’s your favourite thing about the city?
Wells is such a peaceful and picturesque place. It’s lovely being able to eat lunch on Cathedral Green or down by the Bishop’s Palace.
(Photo:sexy prom dresses)Serena & Lily is bringing its fresh California point of view to the world of fashion. Serena Dugan and Silicon Valley veteran Lily Kanter founded a novel direct-to-consumer home goods company twelve years ago. Last week the eponymous design brand launched its first fall fashion collection featuring distinct Serena & Lily colors, patterns, textiles, and design details, all with the professional woman on-the-go in mind. This marks the second apparel and accessories collection this year for the Sausalito-headquartered design duo.
The 39-piece fall collection offers a range of classically designed dresses, tops, pants, outerwear, belts and scarves. Each incorporates Serena & Lily’s West Coast aesthetic – dynamic colors, unique patterns, and original textiles. A tailored thatch print shirtdress, a pair of eucalyptus pattern pencil pants, and a graceful herringbone alpaca cape all uniquely reveal Serena & Lily’s California style.
The brand is making room for its fashion line amongst its laid-back rattan chairs, seaglass-bead chandeliers, and plethora of patterned throw pillows featured in the company’s carefully curated California-style catalog distributed to around 5 million customers per year. The fall collection will also be available for sale online. Price ranges: apparel $250-$595 and accessories $88-$128.
Serena Dugan leads the creative vision for the brand. Her experience as an independent artist and designer for major home retailers along with her education at the Lorenzo de’ Medici School in Florence, Italy, gave her the foundation for the company’s designs. Lily Kanter steers the business as CEO. She worked as an executive at IBM and Deloitte & Touche before leaving Microsoft with a nest egg at age 35. Kanter created the first Microsoft flagship retail store in downtown San Francisco, earning her the Chairman’s Award from Bill Gates. Companies that have invested in Serena & Lily include Protea, Forerunner Ventures and Battery Ventures.
Serena & Lily Co-Founders share more:
Kristina Moore: Why add fashion to your product line now?
Lily Kanter: Since Serena and I launched the company back in 2003, we’ve always seen Serena & Lily as a lifestyle brand because we have a point of view on style across many categories, including fashion and home. Women’s fashion is a natural extension of that vision.
Serena Dugan: And I felt like there was something missing in the market from an apparel perspective. All of our categories have been derived from a sense that there’s more to say in that category. We have such a distinct point of view of design, it felt like a category that could bear our stamp, so it just felt like a natural foray for us.
Moore: How do your collections address the needs of the professional woman?
Dugan: The approach for our fashion line is about updating classic styles for today’s woman. The shirtdress is the central axis of our apparel collection regardless of the season, because it really bears the hallmarks and attributes of the brand. Not too fussy, clean, fresh, and the wearer or person can express themselves because they are wearing their clothes, their clothes aren’t wearing them, which is perfect for the professional woman.
Kanter: Serena has designed our fashion collection with a modern woman in mind. The dresses have just the right combination of fit and flare to take you from day to night. The pencil pant and boatneck top are a great look for the office, and the colors and textures allow them to be great party-wear as well.
Moore: Serena & Lily is known for its original textiles. What are some of your favorite uses in the new fashion line?
Dugan: The eucalyptus print is featured on several home items, including napkins and wallpaper, but it takes on a whole new life in the fashion line with luxurious fabrics and rich textures.
Moore: Where do you draw design inspiration? Is it different for apparel versus home décor?
Dugan: Not to sound trite, but inspiration really is everywhere – from the streets of Morocco to my own backyard in Sausalito. It’s a matter of maintaining a curious eye and open mind. That said, I get a visual infusion by traveling the world to get a fresh perspective on colors, patterns, textures and techniques. Then I find ways to incorporate those concepts in our designs and make them work for our customers. Ultimately, designing for home and designing clothing is complementary. Our point of design differentiation for both categories is our attention to detail, quality construction, and our timeless silhouettes. We’re able to apply much of our knowledge of textiles and construction and production to apparel, while bringing a more feminine sensibility and fashion aesthetic.
Moore: Any tips to quickly update a room? A wardrobe?
Kanter: I love to play with color and pattern in unexpected places using paint and wallpaper. It’s such an easy way to make a room feel fresh and new. In our library, I added bright colors of paint and pops of coral, lime and pink, and put our Lamu wallpaper in the coffers on the ceiling.
Dugan: Accessorize! A great piece of jewelry or a new pair of shoes do for an outfit what a new range of pillows do for a sofa. Invest in something timeless (like a dress or a piece of furniture), then freshen it up with your accessories.
Moore: What is Serena & Lily’s formula for success?
Kanter: We are a design driven business with complementary partners that each have very clear domains. We balance the needs of both creativity and business with mutual respect. The healthy tension between business and design has been both our biggest challenge and our greatest advantage.
Dugan: I agree with Lily. I think our partnership has allowed us to be more than the sum of our parts and conquer a lot. Neither one of us could have started or could maintain Serena & Lily without the other. Additionally, it’s SO much more fun to have a partner in crime to celebrate the successes with, and laugh through it all!
Moore: If you were going to give advice to an aspiring entrepreneur what would it be?
Kanter: I think Jim Collins is one of the most brilliant business mentors of all time. Some of his advice that I’ve found helpful and carry with me is to get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off, try new initiatives in small doses, and that hubris is the first sign of failure. And, finally, never ignore your gut feeling!
Dugan: Start with a strong view of what you want to say in the world. Make sure it isn’t being said already. Know your mission, never waver from it, and stay fueled by that purpose. You will need to return to it over and over again and be reminded of why you keep pushing uphill. Be alive with the notion that you can make a distinct and personal mark on the world, and make that your North Star.
Moore: What future plans for Serena & Lily excite and energize you?
Dugan: Getting in a rhythm and flow with fashion that is just as smooth as home, so that we can break down our barrier between home and fashion. I believe our brand is more spirit than product. If we collectively capture this notion, then the lines between fashion, home, child, adult – blur. Designing products becomes a means of storytelling about life and living. These are my hopes for the brand and business. And, I’d like to finally find that perfect storefront for an NYC Store!
Kanter: I’m really excited about our retail plans. We’re opening this year in Los Angeles and Westport, CT, and a handful of additional locations in 2016. We are developing our retail format in these major cities, and our strategy is to create locations that are unique to the area, so the architecture and design of each store will be a little bit different. Each of our stores will be special, one-of-a-kind expressions of the Serena & Lily brand.
Moore: What activities allow you to replenish your creativity and energy?
Kanter: Playing tennis has always been a way for me to clear my mind and challenge myself in a physical way. And I love traveling the world. I just returned from a month in Africa with my family. I appreciate the perspective and time away from the regular day-to-day.
Dugan: Anything and everything outdoors. I love the mountains and the beach year-round. Activity, exploration and wonderment – whether my own or my children’s – is where I derive my creativity and energy.Read more at:prom dresses uk
(Photo:evening dresses)The importance of dental hygiene has been taught to us right from school times.
Good dental health not only makes your appearance pleasing but it also affects your overall health. Many people associate poor dental health with tooth loss or cavity problems. Stephen D’souza – Dental Practitioner and Student, Mumbai, says bacteria present in the mouth can lead to serious health problems like diabetes and respiratory problems.
Today, we list a few of these health problems caused by the body-mouth connection…
1: Periodontal disease
Bad dental or oral health can lead to periodontal or gum disease. It is a condition that starts out as gingivitis, which causes red, swollen and bleeding gums. When not treated it can become more severe, and can destroy both the gum tissue and the bones that support the teeth.
2: Endorcarditis
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart. This is caused by bacteria present in the mouth. The bacteria enter in your bloodstream through minor gum disease or cut in your gums.
3: Cardiovascular disease
When untreated, the bacteria that causes Periodontitis and is present in the mouth, can cause various types of heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke.
4: Memory loss
Bad dental health not only affects your heart, but it also affects brain. Poor dental hygiene is connected to the narrowing and blocking of brain arteries. When the arteries of the brain are affected by the bacteria, it can lead to memory loss or dementia.
5: Diabetes
The relationship between diabetes and poor dental health is the strongest. The irritation that starts in the mouth weakens the body’s ability to control blood sugar. People with diabetes have trouble processing sugar because of a lack of insulin, the hormone that converts sugar into energy.
6: Difficulty in conceiving
A recent study conducted by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology stated that women with bad dental health or any gum disease can take a long time to become pregnant. The best way, to avert this consequence is by preventing gum disease through brushing and flossing.
7: Pregnancy problems
Women with gum disease are twice as likely to have pregnancy related complications. The complications are low birth weights and premature babies. This is because the chemical that induces labor is present in oral bacteria. As the gum problem increases the level of this chemical increases, leading to pregnancy complications.
8: Cancer
Recent studies have found a link between poor dental health and certain types of cancer. It includes head, neck, esophagus and lung cancer. The risk of developing these types of cancer is due to poor brushing habits, tooth decay and periodontal disease.
9: Lung problems
Periodontal disease may make pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worse, possibly by increasing the amount of bacteria in the lungs.
10: Obesity
Studies have found a link between obesity and gum problems. It appears that periodontitis develops more quickly in the presence of higher body fat.Read more at:cheap prom dresses
