The Duchess of Cambridge has helped give the economy a serious boost by ￡1 billion because of the girls trying to get their hands on copycat outfits, dresses, tights, jewellery, shoes and more.
According to a new report, sales of nude tights similar to those worn by the Duchess have increased by 65 per cent at Debenhams, that also sells copycat versions of the bridal and bridesmaid dresses that Sarah Burton designed for the Royal wedding.
High street shops have become to sell replica sapphire rings similiar to Kate's engagement ring, and nude patent court shoes similar to the L.K. Bennett 'Sledge' that the Duchess favours.
According to The Mirror, sales of sapphires have gone up 300 per cent, with M&S revealing that its ￡18 replica is its best-selling item of jewellery ever.
Not only are women trying to get their hands on Kate's dresses - with her high street numbers selling out all over the country - but women are also copying her hair colour too with sales of hair dye rocketing and showing no signs of slowing down.
Yesterday, we wished Kate a happy 30th birthday with some of her best moments from the past year... have a look through and tell us which was your favourite - aside from 'the kiss'!
2012年1月10日星期二
2012年1月9日星期一
Austin author looks ahead to book signing, European tour
If you got your dream job or won the lottery, what would be one ridiculous item that you "just had to buy"?
For me, it would be the auto-lace-up Nike shoes from "Back to the Future II."
For author Amanda Hocking, of Austin, it was a life-size replica of Han Solo, from Star Wars.
"It's not the real deal, but the replica is pretty awesome," she says.
Hocking, 27, has sold more than 1 million copies of her self-published e-books. Now she's hitting another milestone in her career: her first print book and a $2 million book deal.
Following a book signing of the first book in her Trylle Trilogy at Barnes & Noble, 15 First St. S.W., Rochester, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Hocking will head off on an international tour to England, Italy, Spain and Ireland.
"The only 'book signing' I've had so far was sitting outside my mom's garage sale selling books and signing them, trying to raise money for a new pool in Adams," Hocking says. "My very first official book signing was this week in New Jersey, but I'm even more excited for the book signing in Rochester."
The Trylle Trilogy is coming out in print this year, and has also been optioned for film by Media Capital Rights with Academy Award Nominee Terri Tatchell adapting the screenplay.
To learn more about Hocking and her other upcoming books, go to www.worldofamandahocking.com.
It's official!
Alexander Skudlarek, 17, first broke a world record in October after playing "Dance Dance Revolution” for more than 16 hours. Now it’s official!
The Century High School junior recently received the official letter and certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records.
How much dance-danc-ing does it take to break a world record?
Skudlarek danced for 16 hours, 18 minutes and 9 seconds (with a 10-minute break every hour). The previous record was 15 hours, 17 minutes and 44 seconds set by Carrie Swidecki of West Virginia.
Skudlarek says he hasn’t played the game since he broke the record; he just wanted to beat a world record for video games and figured this was one he could beat.
Silly Santas
Rochester resident Ryan Mihalak and his 5-year-old German Shepherd, Jade (a rescue dog he adopted in 2007), recently appeared on a website for a national magazine, The Week, for a slideshow of silly Santas.
Only seven pictures nationwide made it into the slideshow! Mihalak said the shot took about 15 tries, and even then, Santa still looks a little scared of Jade.
For me, it would be the auto-lace-up Nike shoes from "Back to the Future II."
For author Amanda Hocking, of Austin, it was a life-size replica of Han Solo, from Star Wars.
"It's not the real deal, but the replica is pretty awesome," she says.
Hocking, 27, has sold more than 1 million copies of her self-published e-books. Now she's hitting another milestone in her career: her first print book and a $2 million book deal.
Following a book signing of the first book in her Trylle Trilogy at Barnes & Noble, 15 First St. S.W., Rochester, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Hocking will head off on an international tour to England, Italy, Spain and Ireland.
"The only 'book signing' I've had so far was sitting outside my mom's garage sale selling books and signing them, trying to raise money for a new pool in Adams," Hocking says. "My very first official book signing was this week in New Jersey, but I'm even more excited for the book signing in Rochester."
The Trylle Trilogy is coming out in print this year, and has also been optioned for film by Media Capital Rights with Academy Award Nominee Terri Tatchell adapting the screenplay.
To learn more about Hocking and her other upcoming books, go to www.worldofamandahocking.com.
It's official!
Alexander Skudlarek, 17, first broke a world record in October after playing "Dance Dance Revolution” for more than 16 hours. Now it’s official!
The Century High School junior recently received the official letter and certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records.
How much dance-danc-ing does it take to break a world record?
Skudlarek danced for 16 hours, 18 minutes and 9 seconds (with a 10-minute break every hour). The previous record was 15 hours, 17 minutes and 44 seconds set by Carrie Swidecki of West Virginia.
Skudlarek says he hasn’t played the game since he broke the record; he just wanted to beat a world record for video games and figured this was one he could beat.
Silly Santas
Rochester resident Ryan Mihalak and his 5-year-old German Shepherd, Jade (a rescue dog he adopted in 2007), recently appeared on a website for a national magazine, The Week, for a slideshow of silly Santas.
Only seven pictures nationwide made it into the slideshow! Mihalak said the shot took about 15 tries, and even then, Santa still looks a little scared of Jade.
2012年1月8日星期日
French label names shoe after Bollywood
The French seem to be soaked in Bollywood, right from tip to peep-toe. French luxury shoe designer Christian Louboutin's latest line has two staggeringly tall designs named Bollywoody and Devidas — both inspired from Indian films.
“I love Bollywood and all those films. The women there are
very feminine. And I love saris,” the designer had said recently. The embroidered shoes that seem to have incorporated typically Indian motifs, beads and strass embellishments are high on the kitsch factor, and their presence has created a stir in global fashion circles. He now plans to enter the Indian market with stores in Delhi and Mumbai.
Fashion experts back home are thrilled. Shoe designer Swati Mehrotra says, “I am a huge fan of Christian Louboutin, and it's very exciting to see international labels getting inspired by our country.” Mumbai-based designer Archana Kochhar adds, “Such designs put India on the global fashion map.” Delhi-based Nancy Minhas, 22, an assistant at fashion house Gemma Carver, says,
“Everybody is doing it, even Chanel, Hermes and Victoria's Secret. I like how they blend worlds.”
Others see it as a mere business move. Designer Narendra Kumar says, “Designers abroad have done India-inspired collections before. Just because it's made by a foreign brand does not make it special. It is what has been done with the inspiration that counts.”
“I love Bollywood and all those films. The women there are
very feminine. And I love saris,” the designer had said recently. The embroidered shoes that seem to have incorporated typically Indian motifs, beads and strass embellishments are high on the kitsch factor, and their presence has created a stir in global fashion circles. He now plans to enter the Indian market with stores in Delhi and Mumbai.
Fashion experts back home are thrilled. Shoe designer Swati Mehrotra says, “I am a huge fan of Christian Louboutin, and it's very exciting to see international labels getting inspired by our country.” Mumbai-based designer Archana Kochhar adds, “Such designs put India on the global fashion map.” Delhi-based Nancy Minhas, 22, an assistant at fashion house Gemma Carver, says,
“Everybody is doing it, even Chanel, Hermes and Victoria's Secret. I like how they blend worlds.”
Others see it as a mere business move. Designer Narendra Kumar says, “Designers abroad have done India-inspired collections before. Just because it's made by a foreign brand does not make it special. It is what has been done with the inspiration that counts.”
2012年1月5日星期四
Shoe-in for a world record? Woman owns 733 pairs of Converse sneakers
For about the last eight years of a 20-year teaching career that ended with her retirement in June, Penny Gold would play a game with her students that started on the first day of school.
She would wear a brand new pair of her favorite sneakers, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, and then wear a different pair of them every single day for the rest of the school year while her students would try to catch her wearing the same sneakers twice.
"The kids would have laptops or iPads and they would write a journal to try to catch me wearing the same ones,"she said. "They would joke that they got me, but they couldn’t fool me because I know I always had a different pair on."
Her former students may have another story to tell about their old teacher as that collection of Chucks, which is now up to 733 pairs, has the 63-year-old Florida woman in line to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest collection of Converse sneakers. On Thursday, she had help from family, friends and former students as she went through a crucial part of the process by publicly documenting her collection to be recognized as a Guinness record.
Her shoes were removed from their usual spot in her walk-in closet in her home, photographed in pairs of 24 and then loaded in plastic crates of 24 into a U-Haul rented by her husband. He and a friend then unloaded them in the multi-purpose room at the Jewish Academy of Orlando in Maitland, Fla., where she taught for 20 years. Part of the Guinness verification process is having a public showing where community members are enlisted as witnesses to a record. The only other alternative is if the person going for a record wants staff from Guinness to personally come to verify it, which Gold said can cost between $8,000 and $10,000.
Seven people helped officially count the sneakers, marking up tally sheets that are required to be sent to Guinness. The seven counters also have to submit handwritten notes to Guinness that they counted the sneakers and all came up with 733. The current record is 403 held by Joshua Mueller of Lakewood, Wash.
Behold, $19K for shoelaces... made of real gold
A spokesperson for Guinness said they have received the claim and are waiting on the evidence of the witness statements, photos and log books to verify each pair is different and a Converse shoe. It can take up to 12 weeks to verify after the documentation is received.
"It was crazy and so much fun,"said Gold, who jokingly autographed pictures of the sneakers for the students. "My family all thinks I'm crazy, but they love it, and they support it because I won't spend regular price on the sneakers. If you’re going to have to have a habit, this is at least a clean, healthy habit."
Gold’s infatuation with Converse Chuck Taylors started when she was a teenager growing up in Brooklyn in the 1960s, when Chucks were the signature shoe of members of the New York Knicks. The shoe fit, so she decided to wear it 700 different ways, with it officially becoming an obsession about 15 years ago after three Converse outlet stores opened in the Orlando area about 25 minutes from her home. Now she is on a first-name basis with employees at the three stores, who set aside several pairs of unusual new ones for her when they come in. Employees from two of the stores were there in person during the public showing on Thursday.
Every pair she has purchased has been done in person, as she has not bought any off eBay. She usually gets sneakers that are normally $60 for about $25 a pair, and the longest she can remember going without snatching up a new pair was a month hiatus this past summer.
Gold has pairs ranging from music-themed sneakers featuring Metallica and the Doors to comic-style Chucks with Batman and Robin on them to ones with a red-and-white tablecloth design and a 3-D fried egg on them. Her prized pair is designed with a map of the New York City subway system on them that shows the stops where she used to get on and off while attending Baruch College.
She would wear a brand new pair of her favorite sneakers, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, and then wear a different pair of them every single day for the rest of the school year while her students would try to catch her wearing the same sneakers twice.
"The kids would have laptops or iPads and they would write a journal to try to catch me wearing the same ones,"she said. "They would joke that they got me, but they couldn’t fool me because I know I always had a different pair on."
Her former students may have another story to tell about their old teacher as that collection of Chucks, which is now up to 733 pairs, has the 63-year-old Florida woman in line to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest collection of Converse sneakers. On Thursday, she had help from family, friends and former students as she went through a crucial part of the process by publicly documenting her collection to be recognized as a Guinness record.
Her shoes were removed from their usual spot in her walk-in closet in her home, photographed in pairs of 24 and then loaded in plastic crates of 24 into a U-Haul rented by her husband. He and a friend then unloaded them in the multi-purpose room at the Jewish Academy of Orlando in Maitland, Fla., where she taught for 20 years. Part of the Guinness verification process is having a public showing where community members are enlisted as witnesses to a record. The only other alternative is if the person going for a record wants staff from Guinness to personally come to verify it, which Gold said can cost between $8,000 and $10,000.
Seven people helped officially count the sneakers, marking up tally sheets that are required to be sent to Guinness. The seven counters also have to submit handwritten notes to Guinness that they counted the sneakers and all came up with 733. The current record is 403 held by Joshua Mueller of Lakewood, Wash.
Behold, $19K for shoelaces... made of real gold
A spokesperson for Guinness said they have received the claim and are waiting on the evidence of the witness statements, photos and log books to verify each pair is different and a Converse shoe. It can take up to 12 weeks to verify after the documentation is received.
"It was crazy and so much fun,"said Gold, who jokingly autographed pictures of the sneakers for the students. "My family all thinks I'm crazy, but they love it, and they support it because I won't spend regular price on the sneakers. If you’re going to have to have a habit, this is at least a clean, healthy habit."
Gold’s infatuation with Converse Chuck Taylors started when she was a teenager growing up in Brooklyn in the 1960s, when Chucks were the signature shoe of members of the New York Knicks. The shoe fit, so she decided to wear it 700 different ways, with it officially becoming an obsession about 15 years ago after three Converse outlet stores opened in the Orlando area about 25 minutes from her home. Now she is on a first-name basis with employees at the three stores, who set aside several pairs of unusual new ones for her when they come in. Employees from two of the stores were there in person during the public showing on Thursday.
Every pair she has purchased has been done in person, as she has not bought any off eBay. She usually gets sneakers that are normally $60 for about $25 a pair, and the longest she can remember going without snatching up a new pair was a month hiatus this past summer.
Gold has pairs ranging from music-themed sneakers featuring Metallica and the Doors to comic-style Chucks with Batman and Robin on them to ones with a red-and-white tablecloth design and a 3-D fried egg on them. Her prized pair is designed with a map of the New York City subway system on them that shows the stops where she used to get on and off while attending Baruch College.
2012年1月4日星期三
Steve Jobs action figure is eerily realistic and unlicensed
Chinese toy manufacturer, In Icons, has unveiled a remarkably striking "action" figure which will both pay homage to and attempt to cash-in on the legendary Apple CEO. According to In Icons, their goal is to "honor the American icon and great visionary Steve Jobs". Now you can re-enact all of those heart stopping keynote moments from the comfort of your own home.
So detailed it is creepy, the 1:6 replica of Jobs sports blue jeans complete with black leather belt, New Balance shoes and an oddly familiar black turtle neck. Also included are two pairs of glasses, an apple, three pairs of hands and socks. Sorry folks: iMac, iPad and iPhone miniatures sold separately.
If that were not enough, bundled with the figurine is a backdrop lovingly printed with the iconic phrase "One more thing..." Simply seat Jobs onto the included stool and stage an poignant discussion with the tech visionary any time you please.
Despite this particular plastic homage displaying the most uncanny semblance of Jobs to date, previous unsanctioned action figures bearing his likeness have been mercilessly crushed by Apple. This one may meet a similar fate as the doll appears to also be unlicensed. There is no question that both Apple and the Jobs Estate remain very protective of the iconic CEO's image, even posthumously.
While the Chinese government has cooperated with Western companies many times to stamp out past intellectual property violations, their resolve is not always judicious. Also, despite periodic crack downs on pirated software and products in China, it continues to be a well-known hot bed for such gray-market goods.
The action figure is set to be released in February.
So detailed it is creepy, the 1:6 replica of Jobs sports blue jeans complete with black leather belt, New Balance shoes and an oddly familiar black turtle neck. Also included are two pairs of glasses, an apple, three pairs of hands and socks. Sorry folks: iMac, iPad and iPhone miniatures sold separately.
If that were not enough, bundled with the figurine is a backdrop lovingly printed with the iconic phrase "One more thing..." Simply seat Jobs onto the included stool and stage an poignant discussion with the tech visionary any time you please.
Despite this particular plastic homage displaying the most uncanny semblance of Jobs to date, previous unsanctioned action figures bearing his likeness have been mercilessly crushed by Apple. This one may meet a similar fate as the doll appears to also be unlicensed. There is no question that both Apple and the Jobs Estate remain very protective of the iconic CEO's image, even posthumously.
While the Chinese government has cooperated with Western companies many times to stamp out past intellectual property violations, their resolve is not always judicious. Also, despite periodic crack downs on pirated software and products in China, it continues to be a well-known hot bed for such gray-market goods.
The action figure is set to be released in February.
2012年1月3日星期二
A holiday from books, but not from boredom
You might have heard it in recent days -- a collective sigh or snore from bored school kids with yet another day of free time to fill during winter break.
Maybe they'll head to the beach or mall. Or maybe they'll simply stay in bed and imitate Rip Van Winkle, getting up only to change a video game.
"Yeah, I'm getting bored. There's nothing to do around here," said Andrea Roberts, 14, a Calvary Christian Academy eighth-grader, as she left an Ormond Beach park. "I'm looking forward to going back to school."
But Zeke Lemos, a 15-year-old Seabreeze High School freshman, is in no rush to break out the books again.
"No, I'm good with this," he said of this year's almost three-week break, longer than usual by two days. "I've been sleeping in, catching up on my Z's and playing basketball."
Public school calendars are set two years in advance and shaped by many factors, including the mandate of 180 days of instruction, said Nancy Wait, Volusia County's school district spokeswoman. Because no inclement weather days were needed during hurricane season, she said Tuesday was tacked on to the end of winter break.
So, Volusia students return to school Wednesday. In Flagler, classes will start again Thursday.
As for other mini-breaks, Wait said some calendar juggling occurred this year to ensure a full week would be available in the spring for state mandated end-of-course exams. So April 30 also was added as a student holiday to break up the period between spring break and the end of the school year.
But that's then, and this is now -- winter break 2011/2012.
Van Truong, a Spruce Creek High School junior, said being able to drive a car this year opened up many options that lessened the tedium. One of the highlights was a replica of da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting she made of seaweed on the beach with a friend. The beach has been almost a daily stop during the break, offering a place for reflection and relaxation.
And artistic inspiration and expression for the young artist.
"Most people see seaweed as hideous. I wanted to make it enjoyable," she said. "The idea came completely out of the blue."
So she called up a copy of the painting on her iPhone and went to work with a friend. An hour later, people were stopping and gawking at the temporary piece of art.
"People were pretty amazed," she said. "One couple from Ohio told me they'd never seen so much seaweed."
There were no encores, given the incoming seaweed diminished in the days that followed.
"I do look forward to going back and finishing my junior year," Van said. "But at the same time, I wish there was more time off. But of course, it's a break for the kids, not the adults."
Rod MacIntyre, a Daytona Beach dentist and father of four, knows that long winter and summer breaks can impact a family's routine, especially when both parents work.
His oldest daughter is grown and his two sons attend Father Lopez Catholic High School, where one is a senior and the other is a freshman. They can be left on their own, unlike his 11-year-old daughter.
"Luckily, we can shuttle her between grandparents," MacIntyre said. "Otherwise, she'd have to come to work with us."
Hogan, his youngest son, said he's been spending a lot of time at home, watching TV or playing outside.
"I'm looking forward to going back to school," he said of the private school that reopens Tuesday. "There's nothing to do around the house."
But some high-school students are appreciative of the long break, and the additional hours and money that it brings during the holidays.
Sarah Liebman, a Seabreeze High School senior, works as a cashier at a Winn-Dixie grocery store in Ormond Beach.
"It's not too long. It's never too long. It's not taking away from anything," she said of the extended vacation this year. "I get most of my hours during the break."
In addition, Sarah said she was able to catch up on sleep and hang out with friends, especially Sophia Maia, 17, who visited for a few days from Rockville, Md.
Maybe they'll head to the beach or mall. Or maybe they'll simply stay in bed and imitate Rip Van Winkle, getting up only to change a video game.
"Yeah, I'm getting bored. There's nothing to do around here," said Andrea Roberts, 14, a Calvary Christian Academy eighth-grader, as she left an Ormond Beach park. "I'm looking forward to going back to school."
But Zeke Lemos, a 15-year-old Seabreeze High School freshman, is in no rush to break out the books again.
"No, I'm good with this," he said of this year's almost three-week break, longer than usual by two days. "I've been sleeping in, catching up on my Z's and playing basketball."
Public school calendars are set two years in advance and shaped by many factors, including the mandate of 180 days of instruction, said Nancy Wait, Volusia County's school district spokeswoman. Because no inclement weather days were needed during hurricane season, she said Tuesday was tacked on to the end of winter break.
So, Volusia students return to school Wednesday. In Flagler, classes will start again Thursday.
As for other mini-breaks, Wait said some calendar juggling occurred this year to ensure a full week would be available in the spring for state mandated end-of-course exams. So April 30 also was added as a student holiday to break up the period between spring break and the end of the school year.
But that's then, and this is now -- winter break 2011/2012.
Van Truong, a Spruce Creek High School junior, said being able to drive a car this year opened up many options that lessened the tedium. One of the highlights was a replica of da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting she made of seaweed on the beach with a friend. The beach has been almost a daily stop during the break, offering a place for reflection and relaxation.
And artistic inspiration and expression for the young artist.
"Most people see seaweed as hideous. I wanted to make it enjoyable," she said. "The idea came completely out of the blue."
So she called up a copy of the painting on her iPhone and went to work with a friend. An hour later, people were stopping and gawking at the temporary piece of art.
"People were pretty amazed," she said. "One couple from Ohio told me they'd never seen so much seaweed."
There were no encores, given the incoming seaweed diminished in the days that followed.
"I do look forward to going back and finishing my junior year," Van said. "But at the same time, I wish there was more time off. But of course, it's a break for the kids, not the adults."
Rod MacIntyre, a Daytona Beach dentist and father of four, knows that long winter and summer breaks can impact a family's routine, especially when both parents work.
His oldest daughter is grown and his two sons attend Father Lopez Catholic High School, where one is a senior and the other is a freshman. They can be left on their own, unlike his 11-year-old daughter.
"Luckily, we can shuttle her between grandparents," MacIntyre said. "Otherwise, she'd have to come to work with us."
Hogan, his youngest son, said he's been spending a lot of time at home, watching TV or playing outside.
"I'm looking forward to going back to school," he said of the private school that reopens Tuesday. "There's nothing to do around the house."
But some high-school students are appreciative of the long break, and the additional hours and money that it brings during the holidays.
Sarah Liebman, a Seabreeze High School senior, works as a cashier at a Winn-Dixie grocery store in Ormond Beach.
"It's not too long. It's never too long. It's not taking away from anything," she said of the extended vacation this year. "I get most of my hours during the break."
In addition, Sarah said she was able to catch up on sleep and hang out with friends, especially Sophia Maia, 17, who visited for a few days from Rockville, Md.
2012年1月2日星期一
A busy month for popping the question
The heck with lovey-dovey Valentine's Day. Turns out December, with its holiday cheer, romantic winter backdrops and family gatherings, is among the busiest months for popping the question.
"It's a pretty time of year," said Jake Nyberg, 31, a video producer in Minneapolis. He chose Christmastime to drop to one knee in a gorilla suit while teetering on ice skates in front of his beloved. "You know you're going to be around a lot of family. You're going to be seeing all the people you'd like to see after something like this happens."
Sarah Pease, a professional proposal planner in New York, usually gets one or two inquiries a week from nervous grooms-to-be, but once Thanksgiving rolls around, it's more like one or two a day, with most guys looking to propose in December.
While she specializes in elaborate surprise proposals, she says the simple engagement-ring-under-the-tree trick is still popular. "That's a great way to have it as a family affair," she said. "It's dreamy. This is definitely the busiest time of the year."
Winikka's on board. Her fiance, Benjamin Bullington, proposed Dec. 20 by matching a fantasy she'd had "as a child that on my very first date ever I would wear a red dress and we would go to Red Lobster in a red car." Bullington sent a red dress and shoes to her office, then whisked her off in a red car to dine on red lobster.
With help from Pease, the wedding planner, Matthew Fowkes surprised his honey with an impressive yellow diamond on a romantic Christmas week getaway to New York.
"We thought it would be a magical time in the city with all the lights and everything - and it was," said Fowkes, 35, a website founder in Pittsburgh.
Fowkes took Melissa Barnickel, 25, to a French bistro in Brooklyn on Dec. 2 where they were the only guests. The evening included singers belting "Marry Me" by Train, a videographer and photographer recording it all, a tiered proposal cake and a bottle of wine identical to one the pair drank during their first trip together, to Canada.
Fowkes had the wine placed in a box made of Canadian wood, carved with their names. They'll fill it with remembrances at their Sept. 29 wedding and seal it as a time capsule to be opened on their 10th wedding anniversary. And they might just duplicate the proposal cake for their nuptials.
"I was completely surprised," said Barnickel, an analyst for an insurance company. "It was such a fairy tale. Everything was just so thought through."
Brad Carlson, 41, a production executive for Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, went for the fake-out.
He and Allison Koeppe, 34, had been talking marriage for a while. She thought it might be nice to get engaged the weekend of Dec. 16, when he had business in New York, but he held her off, suggesting they wait until they could figure out a plan.
"She was, like, ‘A plan? What do we need a plan for?'" Carlson recalled. What she didn't know was he had hired Pease months before to make every moment meaningful when he proposed that Saturday.
They stayed at a fancy downtown hotel and strolled through Washington Square Park on their way to dinner at Babbo. Along the way they encountered a painter in the park whose easel bore a replica of a favorite photo Koeppe had taken on a trip to Italy. As she realized what was about to happen, a guitarist materialized and played "Reminiscing" by Little River Band: "How to tell you girl/ I wanna build my world around you/ Tell you that it's true/ I wanna make you understand/ I'm talkin' about a lifetime plan ... "
Carlson let Koeppe's closest friends in on the secret and presented her with a video featuring their congratulations back at the hotel. That gesture moved her to tears.
"It's a pretty time of year," said Jake Nyberg, 31, a video producer in Minneapolis. He chose Christmastime to drop to one knee in a gorilla suit while teetering on ice skates in front of his beloved. "You know you're going to be around a lot of family. You're going to be seeing all the people you'd like to see after something like this happens."
Sarah Pease, a professional proposal planner in New York, usually gets one or two inquiries a week from nervous grooms-to-be, but once Thanksgiving rolls around, it's more like one or two a day, with most guys looking to propose in December.
While she specializes in elaborate surprise proposals, she says the simple engagement-ring-under-the-tree trick is still popular. "That's a great way to have it as a family affair," she said. "It's dreamy. This is definitely the busiest time of the year."
Winikka's on board. Her fiance, Benjamin Bullington, proposed Dec. 20 by matching a fantasy she'd had "as a child that on my very first date ever I would wear a red dress and we would go to Red Lobster in a red car." Bullington sent a red dress and shoes to her office, then whisked her off in a red car to dine on red lobster.
With help from Pease, the wedding planner, Matthew Fowkes surprised his honey with an impressive yellow diamond on a romantic Christmas week getaway to New York.
"We thought it would be a magical time in the city with all the lights and everything - and it was," said Fowkes, 35, a website founder in Pittsburgh.
Fowkes took Melissa Barnickel, 25, to a French bistro in Brooklyn on Dec. 2 where they were the only guests. The evening included singers belting "Marry Me" by Train, a videographer and photographer recording it all, a tiered proposal cake and a bottle of wine identical to one the pair drank during their first trip together, to Canada.
Fowkes had the wine placed in a box made of Canadian wood, carved with their names. They'll fill it with remembrances at their Sept. 29 wedding and seal it as a time capsule to be opened on their 10th wedding anniversary. And they might just duplicate the proposal cake for their nuptials.
"I was completely surprised," said Barnickel, an analyst for an insurance company. "It was such a fairy tale. Everything was just so thought through."
Brad Carlson, 41, a production executive for Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, went for the fake-out.
He and Allison Koeppe, 34, had been talking marriage for a while. She thought it might be nice to get engaged the weekend of Dec. 16, when he had business in New York, but he held her off, suggesting they wait until they could figure out a plan.
"She was, like, ‘A plan? What do we need a plan for?'" Carlson recalled. What she didn't know was he had hired Pease months before to make every moment meaningful when he proposed that Saturday.
They stayed at a fancy downtown hotel and strolled through Washington Square Park on their way to dinner at Babbo. Along the way they encountered a painter in the park whose easel bore a replica of a favorite photo Koeppe had taken on a trip to Italy. As she realized what was about to happen, a guitarist materialized and played "Reminiscing" by Little River Band: "How to tell you girl/ I wanna build my world around you/ Tell you that it's true/ I wanna make you understand/ I'm talkin' about a lifetime plan ... "
Carlson let Koeppe's closest friends in on the secret and presented her with a video featuring their congratulations back at the hotel. That gesture moved her to tears.
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