JUSTUSTWO

Thanks for sharing those! I sooo can't wait to go back!

They came out great! That was a nice idea taking some outside. Can't wait to see the others from inside!

Great pictures! Looks like you guys had a wonderful day. Love your BM & GM in their shade of blue. Michael really did a good job. The pics with you guys in the water & holding the parasols jumping are really cute. Seeing your pictures make me want to go back like tomorrow! Congrats again & glad to hear that all went well.

Its veryyy pretty! Looks great on you & the back is amazing. Congrats!!!

Oh, I just found this, seems like great info to have, we definitely don't want to over condition...a little blurb about deep conditioners & reconstructors & how they should be used: Deep Conditioners vs. Reconstructors - MotownGirl.com - Natural Hair Care - Natural Black Hair Care - Black Natural Hair

Quote: Originally Posted by Tiffiney01 OMG sounds like my hair..I have been using optimum for years and like you said I believe my hair has gotten use to it..The SHEDING (sigh)I swear I'm sweeping up hair everyday and night dont let it be time for a perm! my FI jokes with me like " Damn do you have any left on your head" lol I have pretty long hair and I would like to keep it that way. So I will be buying the Emg TOMORROW and alternate like you said. So Dudley's DRC thats a deep conditioner also? I'm going to have my own beauty supply store smh. Oh boy, I totally understand the shedding!! I used to be so embarrased by how much hair was on the floor after I wrapped it at night or unwrapped it in the morning. Luckily DH didn't complain too much & is used to it now! But it is really ridiculous. My beautician said its totally normal, especially when the seasons change. I could never understand how it was normal to lose so much hair! And yeah, relaxer time...THE WORST!!!! DRC...It's like a deeeeeep, penetrating treatment. I used that when it was realllllly bad. Can't really explain it but here's a description of Dudley's DRC: Amazon.com: Dudleys DRC 28 Hair Treatment and Forifier: Health & Personal Care Product Description Dudley's DRC 28 is a deep-penetrating advanced hair treatment and fortifier that is concentrated with most of the hair's own natural protein and amino acids. This rich formula works from the inside out - nourshing, restoring and repairing severely damaged or weakened hair to a stronger, healthier state. It prevents & repairs damage & provides protection from heat. Directions: Shampoo and rinse the hair. Towel blot to remove excess water. Fill an applicator bottle with 1/2 to 2 oz. of Dudley's DRC 28. Saturate each strand of hair thoroughly. Place cotton along the hairline to prevent dripping. Cover hair with a plastic cap and put client under a warm pre-heated dryer for 15 minutes (no heat before curl chemical applications). Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and towel blot. Use a Dudley moisturizing conditioner to soften the hair. Rinse with lukewarm water. Towel blot the hair.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tiffiney01 Yes Yes Yes she did mention Emergencee also I just couldnt remember the name. so you seen a difference using both? Yup, more so with the Emergencee. I used the Penetrate for a bit but then stopped but really don't remember why! LOL The Emergencee I use regularly, especially now that the weather has changed. It seems like my hair sheds like crazy now & the Emergencee definitely helps with that & my split ends. Now, I deep condition with Emergencee maybe about every 3 weeks. I also noticed that I HAVE TO get my ends trimmed every 6 weeks...sometimes I skip a month, but I can see a diff when I stick to the time frame. I think that not trimming regularly contributed to my breakage. I think you would be good with using either, or maybe both from time to time. Maybe alternate. You know they say that sometimes your hair gets used to a shampoo/conditioner that you use regularly & that you should switch up. But I haven't had that problem with the Emg. Oh, I also had good results with Dudley's DRC. It stinks like crazy, but it does work!

Quote: Originally Posted by JulieG That was very informative, thank you. I would never have thought they did this, and I am guessing most people don't know and would totally pay the price assuming its a deal. That is so wrong. No problem at all. I was totally surprised & then outraged when I saw the story. I had no idea at all that the company gets taken over by an outside liquidation company. It stinks to know how we as consumers get taken sometimes!

Quote: Originally Posted by Tiffiney01 Thank you ladies for all your help I'm going to try this deep conditioner my beautician recommended called Penetrate by Sebastian. I go to a dominician salon and I love how she does my hair it just feels and looks wonderful when she's done.she said its great! I use Penetrate occasionally & love it too. I also alternate that with Nexus Emergencee. The Nexus is a little pricey but it really works!

I thought that this was worth mentioning since I've seen it on the news twice today. Lots of stores are having going-out-of-business sales but sometimes they are not really "sales". A hidden camera investigation revealed some deception. Anyway here's the link to the story & the video: ABC News: Going-Out-of-Business Sales Not Such a Bargain Going-Out-of-Business Sales Not Such a Bargain ABC Investigation Shows Why You Need to Shop Around By ELISABETH LEAMY and VANESSA WEBER Nov. 25, 2008 Several big chains have announced they will go out of business by the end of the year. So now come the liquidation sales. Could their bad luck be your lucky day? "Good Morning America" went shopping to find out. The Liquidators What many people don't realize is that outside liquidation companies run most going-out-of-business sales. Their job is to get as much money as possible for the inventory. So, for example, the sign says Linens 'n Things, but it's really not. Six of the largest professional liquidators own the company now: Hilco Merchant Resources, Hudson Capital, Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, Great American Group, SB Capital Group and Tiger Capital Group. For these companies, going out of business is a business. Labels on Top of Labels When we shopped at the Linens 'n Things liquidation sale, we noticed something strange. On product after product we could peel back the surface price tags to reveal the old prices below. For example, the surface price tag on a Calphalon saucepan said $124.99. But the one underneath said $109.99. Rachael Ray cookware? $199 on the new label, $179 on the old. The tag on a curtain scarf said $39.99 on the top, but peel it back carefully and there was another price tag for $27.99 below. Carrying a hidden camera, we asked a clerk why there were price tags on top of price tags. She said that they were instructed to cover up old Linens 'n Things prices and replace them with the liquidators' prices. Liquidators hire many of the original store clerks like her to stay on, so they are familiar with how the pricing changes. When we pointed out that the product originally was cheaper, the clerk said, "It used to be when it was on clearance. Right now, it's not clearance, it's just a discount. Not great deals at all." How It Works Several clerks explained that the liquidators come in before a going-out-of-business sale and raise all prices up to the regular selling price. Then they discount from there, starting with small percentages off and deepening the discounts as the sale goes on. "We had [the] best deals before," a clerk told us. "Now, 20 percent, 10 percent, it's nothing." Raising prices before lowering them again can result in some odd situations. We found a curtain that the liquidator priced at $79.99 minus 40 percent, so we paid $47.99 for it, which seemed pretty good. But when Linens 'n Things had that same curtain on clearance, we could have gotten it for $19.99, according to the hidden price tag. "Contrary to popular belief, liquidation sales aren't a great deal for the consumer," said retail industry analyst Stephen Baker of the NPD Group. "The liquidator is there to make money." Baker explained that liquidators have less leeway than regular retailers in pricing their products because they have no factory-to-dealer incentives to fall back on. In other words, when manufacturers are trying to get their products onto store shelves and gain market share, they may discount the price they charge to retailers or provide factory rebates. Retailers can then advertise those rebates and pass the savings along to customers. Liquidators don't have options like that because their store is not going to stick around. Despite what the public might think, Baker said liquidators rarely sell merchandise at a loss, even near the end of the sale. He said there are other ways to sell it off, like to overseas markets hungry for merchandise. So rather than trying to empty a store to the bare walls, Baker explained that going-out-of-business sales are more of a play upon human psychology. "Retail is all about excitement, to get people into a store and get them into a mood to spend money," he said. Outside Goods Liquidators often try to take advantage of that excitement by bringing in extra outside goods that were never sold at the store that is closing. We spotted one example at a Linens 'n Things in Fairfax, Va. Hundreds of handmade Oriental rugs were brought in as the rest of the store was emptying out. A salesman told a member of our undercover team, "They ship it after going out of business." Problem is, even though the rugs were never sold at Linens 'n Things, they still came with tags that said what the price supposedly "was" and what "you will pay." There's a law against making misleading price comparisons but it's rarely enforced. "If I can sell it, they send some more," the salesman told us. He even offered to bargain over prices and make us a deal. So we found two things never before seen at Linens 'n Things: hand-knotted Oriental rugs — and haggling. Store Closing Sales We also visited a Circuit City store that is closing. It's a different situation there. Only 21 percent of Circuit City stores are going under, while the rest of the chain tries to stay afloat. In that case, Circuit City has hired two liquidation companies, Hilco and Gordon Brothers, to run its going-out-of-business sales. At Circuit City you could see where the old price tags had been cut out of the product displays with a pair of scissors. Once again, just asking as regular shoppers, we spoke to a clerk and asked why they had gotten rid of the old prices. "We don't go by the Circuit City price anymore," she told us. "It's the liquidators' prices now." By now the description sounded familiar. She said the liquidator had raised rates up to the regular price before the sale began, "and then deducted the, like, 30 [percent] to 20 [percent] or 10 percent," she told us. So how do the liquidation prices compare overall? Because only part of the Circuit City chain is going out of business, it was a rare opportunity to compare prices at regular stores run by the company with those at closing stores run by the liquidators. The two are not connected. One example: We saw a Samsung HDTV that was only available as an open box item at the liquidation store and cost $1,799 with all sales final. But at Circuit City's regular stores it was available for $1,599 brand new — $200 less, plus we could return it. The clerk in the liquidation sale TV department gave us some advice. "To be honest, I would go to a normal Circuit City for bigger TVs," she said. "But you didn't hear it from me." Of the 60 electronics products we compared, a third were the same price or less at regular Circuit City stores. And the majority of those that were cheaper at the liquidation sale were only 5 percent to 15 percent less. When we told consumers outside of a going-out-of-business sale about our findings they were amazed, but not surprised. "What does going out of business mean if you are jacking up the price rather than lowering the price?" said one woman. "I think anything that they put a 'sale' sign on, people are going to be more inclined to buy," another said. The Companies Respond Circuit City told us its closing stores are in the hands of the liquidators now and directed us to them. Linens 'n Things sold itself in bankruptcy court and doesn't exist anymore. Hilco Merchant Resources spoke for the six liquidators that now own Linens 'n Things and the two running the Circuit City liquidations. Hilco said, "Federal and state laws exist to guide liquidators in going-out-of-business sales and they abide by these laws in every respect." Hilco acknowledged that liquidators often raise prices back to the regular selling price and then discount from there. To explain why we found prices at regular Circuit City stores were the same or lower for a third of products we checked, Hilco said, "[Circuit City is] continuing to price their merchandise to be as competitive as possible with other retailers. As a result of aggressive pricing by Circuit City, it is very possible that prices on certain items in the closing stores could be higher..." Hilco acknowledged it is common to bring in outside merchandise for a going-out-of-business sale. Liquidators call it "product augmentation." Hilco said it was not aware that the Virginia Linens 'n Things we visited was using "before" and "after" comparison prices on its rugs. Bagging a Bargain So what's the best strategy to bag a bargain? It's not that you can't get good deals at going-out-of-business sales. You can. Just don't assume the prices are lower there. You need to shop around as you would with any other purchase. For the products we priced, we often could find cheaper deals online. Sometimes competitors that are not going out of business will drop their prices to compete with the liquidation sale, so check them out too. And keep in mind that the discounts get deeper as the liquidation sale goes on, but the merchandise gets thinner too, so it's a balancing act. If you have gift cards for Linens 'n Things or Circuit City, both chains are still accepting them at their liquidation sales.

Quote: Originally Posted by Destination08 Did anyone try and make that happen? This would've been nice to come back to on the night of the wedding, but I totally forgot about it & no one arranged it for us either. I do know that other brides had a friend or family member do it for them sometime during the reception, which was really nice. I'm sure that you could speak to Chandlyn about it & arrange to have it done.

Oh, good thread Abbie. I have an old Gameboy Advance Sp & was considering trading it in for a DS, especially when I found out that I can still play my GBA games on the DS. My coworkers went on a DS rage & they bring theirs in & play while at work. I just started playing Million Heir & I like it alot. My coworker just brought Brain Age & she likes that too.

Beautiful Celina! Love the pic with you & the kids! Looks like you really had a great day!

Welcome back! Your title almost scared me...i thought you were gonna say you're back but had a horrible time or something!!! Glad to hear that everything went well! Ofcourse you know we can't wait to hear allllll about it & see your pics! Congrats!!!! (Hope your daughter gets thru everything ok)

Lovvvveeeee #1!!! The detail is amazing on it & it really shows your figure.

Beautiful!!! Looks like it fits you perfectly!

Welcome to BDW Nita! Congrats on being a ROR bride! All of us were flustered at one time or another but it will eventually all fall into place! Happy Planning!

Beautiful! You look amazing in it! I love how sassy you look in every picture, especially with your hands on your hips! LOL.. You can tell that you love it with your smile! Can't wait for your day to see the entire look.

After we got initial RSVP's, we followed up with an informational letter. It had the hotel & air rates. I have the wording at home but it was very basic. You could simply say: Dear Family & Friends, Thank you so much for deciding to travel with us to Jamaica for our wedding. We are very excited that you want to share this special moment in our lives. Based on your response, we are providing you with some preliminary travel info. As of today, the rates for the hotel are......per person, per night. We are flying on .... airline & currently, the airfare is......roundtrip. We have a dedicated travel agent who will handle all of your travel arrangements. Please contact (put his/her name here & the contact #) Initial deposits of.....must be made no later than (put date here). The last deposit must be made (put date here). If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us or ....the ta. Love, Bride & groom. I hope this helps. Again, very basic, just jazz it up here & there! LOL Ohhh, ok, I found a letter that I still had. Here is an excerpt of what I sent out: As a travel agent with ...Travel, Jane Doe is able to coordinate your travel plans for our destination wedding. Discounted group rates have been negotiated. Your travel price will include: accommodations, all meals, drinks, alcohol, water sports, land sports, taxes and roundtrip airfare. Transfers to & from the hotel are not included in the package, but can be arranged through our designated vendor for a nominal fee. Please contact Jane Doe at (999) 999-9999 as soon as possible to guarantee your space. Price availability will vary according to actual date and length of travel. Travel dates for guests are Jan 1st – Jan 5th. Also, PASSPORTS ARE NEEDED for traveling to Jamaica!!!!! Love, Bride & Groom

Welcome to the forum Tina! Congrats on being a Jamaica bride! Happy planning!

Quote: Originally Posted by Morgan ahhh they are all sniffing it & sniffing his butt. stop puppies stop. go back to being cute Another coworker was outraged by that...she was like "stop doing that"...to the screen. I was like, wow, talking to the computer huh? And here I thought I only had it bad!

Welcome to BDW Ashley! Congrats on being a Jamaica bride! Happy planning.

Quote: Originally Posted by Morgan it's a new camera angle. i don't think i like the change. maybe this is old footage? i'm so confused. they are out of the frame so i can't see them. i want my puppies!!! I was just thinking that about the angle! Yeah, this says pre-recorded at the top of the screen. Are they in a diff time zone? My coworker said something about that yesterday but I'm not sure how she came to that conclusion.

Quote: Originally Posted by Alyssa with this tough economy we have been trying to buy household products based on good deals instead of brands but this AM i realized that i am hating this new toilet paper LOL. i told DH and he laughed and was like you are so brand loyal to certain things i am not surprised - i really didn't even realize how much i was. i told him i would rather clip coupons than switch from the brands i like again!!!! what brands are you loyal too? here are mine: Toilet Paper - Cottonelle Double Roll Paper Towels - Viva or Bounty no print tear away (so you take 1/2 piece) Soap - Dove Toothpaste - Tom's of Maine Razors - Intuition Oh man, have you hit the nail on the head. We always argue about the name brand things that I buy. I just have to get the brands that I like. He totally doesn't understand & just looks at me & shakes his head. We went to BJ's on Monday night. I wanted to get Cottonelle specifically the ones with the aloe but they didn't have those. He was like, is your butt really gonna know that the tissue doesn't have aloe? I was like, why ofcourse it will-LOL. Then he pointed towards some generic brand, and asked why we couldnt get that. Ofcourse I refused. I told him Cottonelle is all we're gonna ever use cuz its nice & soft! The same thing happened with the paper towels. I always get the Bounty select-a-size. He wanted to get something else cuz it was $1 dollar less. I just couldnt do it. Sometimes I'd rather go shopping by myself so I don't have to hear him or see how he shakes his head, but most times I need him to go with me. So this is a great thread & I'm glad that I'm not alone. Here's mine: Toilet Paper - Cottonelle Double Roll, preferably with aloe Paper Towels - Bounty, select-a-size Soap - Dove, with the exfoliating beads Toothpaste - Colgate Razors - Intuition Dish Washing liquid-Dawn Direct foam Aluminum Foil-Reynolds Wrap Household cleaning products-Clorox clean up, Mr.Clean Detergent-Gain, Clorox bleach, Downy fabric softner

Quote: Originally Posted by ErinB here's the article. The new owners better follow the rules and tape them! ?Puppy cam? is latest Web sensation - TODAY: Pets - MSNBC.com I love that they crawl all over each other. They should wake up again when the people come home and play with them. Thanks Erin...I'll be sharing this update with my coworkers tomorrow!