My darling friend Sharon has started a blog called Diva Daily where she dishes about all things fabulous.

Sharon is one of those people that you feel at ease with immediately and can pick up where you left off when you haven't seen each other in a while - and since she lives far away, this is an important trait. She was visiting for a short time last month and I grabbed a free Sunday to drive to Tucson and spend an afternoon sipping vino and catching up on life.

This vivacious red head has killer style, makes a mean cosmo, and is an opera singer. No really. A real life opera singer. Her voice is ridiculous.

If all that doesn't define diva, then I don't know what does. And sorry fellas - she's married.

So you're in love with the Trash the Dress concept, (which you may have heard about again today on NPR's Talk of the Nation) but maybe you can't yet wrap your mind around getting your dress sooo dirty or drowning it in a sea of salt water. Don't worry, you can do a mild trashing and still have fabulous photos, like these from Darby Elizabeth Photography.

Rikki, The Invitation Lady herself, has joined the addicting world of blogging. Mosey on over to her blog and give her a warm welcome.

The Trash the Dress trend was featured this weekend on Good Morning America. Check out the segment:

"I spent a lot of years climbing the corporate ladder only to get to the top and find out that it was leaning against the wrong wall."

The above quote was shared with an industry colleague of mine by one of her family friends. The sentiment it expresses is exactly why I hated working in Corporate America.

I recently came across Michelle Goodman's blog, which is chock full of advice for women (or anyone really) who want to pack up the typical 9-to-5 lifestyle and work for themselves. She has also written a book called The Anti 9 to 5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube, which I will be reading soon.

The blog covers tons of stuff from how to negotiate, to balancing life and work, to interviews with other anti 9 to fivers.

Starting my own business is by far the craziest thing I have ever done in my life. It has also been the most rewarding so far and it has been great to read about other women who are in the same boat.

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Did you know that in addition to our desert weddings (can anyone say 300 days of sunshine each year?), Blue Orchid Designs plans weddings on Maui? It's true.

So I first saw this over at Cicely's blog (an uber fun woman and fab planner), but it is just so good that I have to share it with you too: True Bride Confessions.

On Saturday, we talked about trashing the dress and the feedback I've received is the most ever in the history of this blog. So this week I am going to be featuring some different twists on this new tradition by some very talented Arizona photographers.

"Day-after" shoots are great for destination weddings, especially if there is a beach involved, or just for the couple who wants some non-formal pics of just the two of them. Sometimes these involve the wedding dress, sometimes they don't - most people opt for a combination of both.

The pics below are by the lovely Kimberly Michelle of MichelleAllen Photography and a recent day-after shoot she did for a couple in Texas. Note: if people in love make you cringe, don't keep reading.

You can see more from this shoot here and you can check out more of Kim's awesome work on her blog and her website.

I have been having issues with my email server, and while I thought I had them fixed, apparently they have not been. I have been receiving some but not all of the emails being sent to me.

If you are still waiting for a reply, chances are I did not receive it or my server is not sending my response out. Please resend your email to blueorchiddesigns @ gmail.com, my alternate web-based account. If you had an email bounce back and you still have that notification, please forward that to me at the gmail address as well.

I apologize for all the confusion this is causing! Hopefully it will all be straightened out soon.

One of my favorite new wedding traditions - trashing the dress - was just featured in the New York Times.

Instead of boxing up and preserving their dresses, brides are trashing their dresses in ultra glam and fun high fashion post-wedding photoshoots. I love it because it gives you a set of more fun memories to preserve. Boxed dresses take up space and they will never be worn again, especially not by any of your daughters.

A big congrats to Mark Eric and the crew over at Trash the Dress for landing such a high-profile article, which you can read here.

The green movement is picking up steam, even having a hand in landing the vice president an Oscar. I like to call it the "being a responsible human being" movement. Is that too politically incorrect? C'est la vie.

The creative minds over at Domino magazine have put together a list of their favorite green resources. The list is long and fabulous and rather than trying to recreate it with my own, I am just going to point you to theirs.

Many of the companies carry items made by women who are paid a fair price for their skill instead of being exploited in sweat shops. Some of the other companies invest a portion of their earnings back into the communities.

You'll find sites for all your home projects from the flooring to the paint on the walls, pretty things to adorn your shelves, as well as organic wines, vodkas and teas to sip on as you enjoy being a socially responsible adult.

Who knew caring for others could be so pretty? We'll drink to that.

This is the 100th post on the Blue Orchid blog and it is also the last article in the Some Like It Hot series some friends and I have been doing for the Arizona Republic.

This last week I flew back into town on a jet plane, ran some errands and then met my friends for some old-fashioned Southern cooking at Baby Kay's Cajun Kitchen. We were disappointed in the spice factor, or lack thereof, but the desserts were divine. A little slice of key lime heaven anyone? Yum.

Writing for the online and print versions of a major paper have been interesting. The editorial process has produced an end result that, honestly, was better off the first time around. We learned a lot about the red tape involved in mainstream media; a lesson that I'm sure will come in handy again in the future. Aside from the bureaucratic headaches, we relished our chance to be public gourmets and I much enjoyed the conversation and laughter we shared.

You can read our final article here.

It's no secret that I am not much of a DIY-er (that's a handy acronym for "do it yourself" in case you need to brush up on craft world lingo). I like to do what I'm good at and pass the rest along to others who excel in those areas. My brides tend to share my distaste for gluing a bajillion rhinestones, using tweezers, on to pretty paper, and so all that actual hands-on stuff gets outsourced to people who can take our vision and make it look as glam as it does in our heads.

Well the time has come to don the tiara and title of DIY Diva. I am planning my sister's baby shower for next month and since I do not have to foot the bill and the budget is modest, I am rolling up my sleeves and getting my craftiness on.

I will be channeling my inner Martha and enlisting the advice of the ultra fab and savvy Khris Cochran of DIY Bride to help me in this endeavor. Yes, yes, I realize this is a baby shower and not a wedding, but the woman's a genius; surely I'll be able to tuck some tricks up my sleeve under her tutelage. Shameless plug: Khris has a new book coming out this year called The DIY Bride: 40 Fun Projects for Your Ultimate One-of-a-Kind Wedding which you can pre-order now. I'll have a copy (hopefully autographed, *ahem*, Khris) and it will sit blissfully on my shelf next to Emily Post and the Anti-Bride Guide.

The baby shower projects will be chronicled here along with the dirt on just how doable each one is from a non-Barefoot Contessa's point of view. Any and all tips, suggestions, horror and/or success stories, and of course, margarita recipes (for me, not the mom-to-be) from your own experiences are welcome.

So grab your lemonade and put on your DIY Diva tiara and come join us. It is going to be a fun summer!

Sometimes my job is really hard.

Take a couple of weeks ago for example when I had to attend the Platinum Publishing Party for Arizona Weddings.

The cocktail party was held at a luxurious resort in Scottsdale and the entrance was lined with posh ice curtains from Innovative Ice similar to the one on the left. Once inside, we dined on crabcakes and shrimp delightful things (that is my oh-so-official name for them), enjoyed a mashed potato bar and then sipped martinis on the patio.

There was a live band, a magician, an oxygen bar and of course the Arizona Photobooth Company, among other features that I missed while I was busy chatting. There was also a fireworks display that rivaled many of the July 4th ones I've seen.

The party is held annually to launch the current year's issue of Arizona Weddings Magazine. This year however, they stepped it up as they were celebrating their 20th anniversary as well as the first issue under the leadership of new publishers (and uber fun and competitive "name that tune" players) Betsy and Taudra. I'd say they succeeded.

At the right is a pic of Mary from My Wedding Film and I pretending to laugh uproariously in the photobooth. I am sure I will look back on it in 20 years and wonder what in the world was going on with my hair. Or in 20 minutes. Whichever.

Yes, it is a rough life.