Olivia Luca on Style Me Pretty!

Our very own lovely and talented Terri of Olivia Luca is featured under fashion week on the fabulous wedding blog Style Me Pretty. We love Style Me Pretty. They were a big inspiration in starting this blog. 

Check out her beautiful gowns and the rockin' photos of them by none other than Jasmine Photography. 

Visit Style Me Pretty here.

Real weddings.

Did you recently get married this year in Oregon and want to share it with our Simply Chic bloggers? We would love to hear from you. What made your day unique, fun and inspired by the Northwest. 

Email me at lxs@jasminephotography.com with a few words that describe you day, list of your vendors,  and up to 4 images that best showcase it. If we choose your wedding we'll contact you for more information. Put "Real Weddings Simply Chic" in the header.

Thanks! Can't wait to see what you submit.

Little Pink Card.

While scanning one of my many magazines I came across a tiny ad for something called "The Little Pink Card." Cute name but what exactly is it? As it says on their website: "It's a nifty wallet-sized card that assists your boyfriend or soon-to-be husband in always buying you the perfect gift! No more excuses!"

How can a tiny little card do this? Does it read your mind? Does it call your boyfriend or fiance with ideas? No, none of these. It's so simple it's genius. The card has the answers to all the questions your man needs to remember in order to make a thoughtful purchase. He'll be able to pull out his wallet, reference the Little Pink Card and he'll have access to your birth stone, your ring size, your dress size & shoe size.

Imagine getting a new pair of shoes from your man instead of a bouquet of flowers he picked up on his way home at the grocery store. How amazing would that be?! I think I'll be ordering one of these for my husband. I know a select few of you out there don't have to remind your man but for the rest of us this tiny card is a great idea. For a grand total of $14.45 I think this little card will pay for itself with the first gift you receive. Visit their website here: The Little Pink Card.

Tanning. Good or Bad?

Your wedding day is a few months away and you're toying with the idea of either getting a spray tan or starting to tan in the bed. Is one better than the other or should your avoid it all together?

If you are getting married during the summer and tend to spend a lot of time outside in the sun be sure to think about your style of dress and avoid the dreaded tan lines. So if you have a strapless gown don't wear a t-strap swimsuit! Even if you get a little bit a of tan line and don't think it looks "that" bad, it will always look worse in the photos. If you end up with with some lines it's time to make a few appointments at the tanning booth to even it all out but don't over do it. Keep your look sun kissed and golden. 

Above: A nice golden glow on her skin. Tanning done right.

Above: tanning gone bad...very bad!

If you're wondering to add some color to your skin or stay au natural, I will always recommend you stay natural. If you tan too much, your skin can look orange. Put on a white dress and you're going to look like a Umpa Lumpa! Yikes. Add a bit of color with a bronzer on your shoulders and neckline. Remember, less is more. 

Above: Umpa Lumpa's having a group hug.

I'd stay away from self tanner's all together. No matter what they advertise they will end up streaking or staining your hands. I once had a groom whom used some self tanner and turned his hands bright orange! He was scrubbing as hard as he could to try to get it off before photos. 

If you feel your skin is very pale don't worry, you have a lot of shades of white to choose from in fabric for your dress so be sure to try on a few different shades. Wearing white will always make your skin look darker. When it comes to keeping your skin healthy, remember that "No Tan is a Safe Tan". 

Back and ready to post!

Hi Ladies and maybe a few gentelmen! I'm back in town from a busy trip back to the midwest to shoot a wedding and see family. It was great but exhausting and we're happy to be home with our dogs and to sleep in our own bed! I know I've neglected you for far too long and will get you some yummy posts very, very soon! 

Out of town.

Hi Ladies, just wanted to give you the heads up that I will be out of town the rest of this week for a wedding in Minnesota. It's going to be an action packed trip with visits to both my family and my husbands, a rehearsal dinner Friday nite, wedding ceremony Sat. and our 7th year wedding anniversary on the 15th! We were married back in St. Paul so we're hoping to go visit our ceremony site and have some sushi at one of our favorite places on Grand Ave. 

I'll report back soon with more ideas and inspiration for all you simply chic ladies! 

Add a touch of vintage to your day.

After talking about borrowing new and shiny couture jewels and clutches let's chat about one of a kind, beautiful and vintage. Brooches are popping up everywhere; on shoes, in the hair, attached to sashes or simply pinned to your gown. They are an easy and chic way to add a touch of vintage to your wedding day. Check out Decades Vintage 328 SE Stark St. They have a good sampling on their website but head into the store to find more treasures. They do a great job describing different designers and the year their work was prominent on their site.

The hunt to find that perfect vintage piece is part of the fun. Grab your girls and take an afternoon to hit some of our local shops. Try Lived in Lover on 3619 SE Division St. Then head on over to Gilt on 720 NW 23rd Ave. This is the spot for a large selection of antique and vintage accessories for men and women. While you're shopping for yourself pick up a pair of cuff links for your man.

Check out Shop Vintage Portland, a great local blog, to find the latest info on sales and all the hidden spots to find your one of a kind piece.

Something borrowed.

The tradition of wearing something new, borrowed and blue on your wedding day is one tradition that brides have decided to keep doing. It is always fun to see how each bride has decided to add these touches to their day. The borrowed part can be something special from your grandma or mother but what if you love designer labels but don't want to commit to owning it? Well, there is a new way to borrow for your wedding day. Now having a Prada clutch or diamond & pearl bracelet by Chanel is only a click away. If you haven't heard of this website by now, you'll soon have it book marked. Bag Borrow or Steal is the newest way to spice up your accessories for your wedding day.

Yup, you read that correctly, you can now rent beautiful jewels and modern handbags for the week or the whole month. Let's look at some of their fab offerings.

Add this Gerard Yosca Butterfly Pearl Necklace set to your gown and everyone will be talking!
For $23 a week who could say no?

Gucci chandelier earrings in 18kt gold are yours for $107 per week.


Add some sparkle with a clutch from Badgley Mischka for $46 a week.

Add your something blue with Vera Want Double Diamond Earrings.$171 a week.

Try to stop staring at your hand while wearing this David Yurman Blue Topaz ring. $83 a week.

Now nothing is out of reach to make your day sparkle and shine. Add some bling bling that will make everyone go "Wow! Where'd she get that?"