Put a Ring on It

Yes, I am now the proud owner of my very own "Royal Heirloom Ring".  Thanks to my friend Irene, who felt that this exquisite piece of jewelry was a bare necessity for my voyage to the Royal Wedding.  The accompanying "Certificate of Authenticity and Assurance" is quite impressive and it is even signed by Michael C. Travis of the Sterlington Collections.  Who the hell is he anyway?

The certificate states that the center stone is a "faux Ceylon Sapphire" (is that some special type of sapphire?) and surrounded by 14 flawless diamond-x4 hand cut CZ (starting to sound too good to be true to me).  Because Irene had to wait so long for this special order, my ring has been upgraded to a finished sterling silver plate - I think the original version was unfinished.

And although my ring wasn't presented in the Kenyan wilderness and never adorned Di's hand, it will forever hold a special place in my heart.  Because, after all, it does make me feel like a Princess!

There is an APP for That

Having recently experienced some "blog fog" on the Royal Wedding, I turned to iTunes for inspiration (that and a good dose of YouTube are always great distractions).  As of today, there are 20 apps for free and purchase related to the Royal Wedding.  Since we have 38 days to go, I am anxious to see if the number does increase.

I downloaded all the free apps and while not totally inspired I have been momentarily entertained.  The "Create Shake Wedding Dress Design" is probably one of the most entertaining; a word to the wise - turn the sound down - the music sounds like something from a bad porn movie (I must say I don't think there is any such thing as a good porn movie but being the mother of 4 lads those tunes are somewhat familiar).

It's quite another tune on the "Royal Wedding" app by Neonplay.  The music is quite liturgical and the information is concise.  However, I really am starting to get tired of seeing Kate in that same blue dress!!  Can't we get some new "official" photos people?

My favorite has to be the "Hello Magazine" app.  It has a little more sizzle and the photos do seem to pop - however, there is no musical accompaniment to entertain while perusing the photos.

My real hope was to see an app for the royal wedding route.  Guess I will have to rely on good old Google to fill that gap until someone latches on to my idea and creates the app.

See you on the sidewalk in 38 days!

Dunkin Donuts vs. Crumpets for Tea

Will you soon be eating a Royal Wedding Donut with your afternoon tea?  This heart-shaped confection will be filled with jelly and topped with vanilla icing and a chocolate drizzel and is coming to Dunkin Donuts from April 24-29.  And although Will and Kate might be experiencing their own form of bliss, this tasty treat will certainly get the American television viewers extra incentive to wake up and watch the early morning version of the Royal Wedding.

One of the most interesting aspects of this marketing endeavor is that although Dunkin' Donuts has a Londoner for its CEO, Nigel Travis, it appears that there are no Dunkin' Donuts in the United Kingdom!  No wonder the Brits like their tea and crumpets.  If you haven't experienced a hot cup of coffee and a big fat bite of a Dunkin', you don't know what your missing.  It appears that Dunkin Donuts empire might be farther reaching than that of the British empire - United States, Qatar, Honduras, Bulgaria and India to name just a few of the 31 countries that know a good cup of coffee when they taste it. 

Personally, this American plans to enjoy a cuppa tea at Fortnum & Mason (and a crumpet or two) but it is good to know that the masses will can sink their teeth into a sweet treat.





Royal Wedding Crasher: ROYAL WEDDING TEA

Royal Wedding Crasher: ROYAL WEDDING TEA: "Springtime arrived in Virginia today and the southern belles gathered to toast the great British tradition of high tea. And while ..."

ROYAL WEDDING TEA

Springtime arrived in Virginia today and the southern belles gathered to toast the great British tradition of high tea.  And while sweet potato biscuits were not on the menu, we did sneak in some new favorites including cheddar and dill scones, cucumber tea sandwiches along with smoked salmon and much more.  The "ladies-in-waiting" seemed to prefer Sneaky Pete's (made with the universal alcohol of vodka) to the Earl Grey tea with a lump.


Visit our Facebook Fan Page (Royal Wedding Crasher) to view the complete photo album.  Here you will see the gorgeous hats designed by the guests and being donated to St. Francis Home here in Richmond.  It is our hope that the chapeau's will grace graying hair on the morn of the Royal Wedding.  And, much to our surprise Will and Kate were available for photo opps with all the guests.  You will see that one of our friends even arrived with her British teeth in place.  And, it wasn't surprising that only 2 grand dames donned their gloves.  Some southern ladies never forget their manners.


It was a great day and everyone is excited about the upcoming nuptials for Will and Kate.  Perhaps more so than our friends across the pond.  Perhaps our Sweet Virginia Breeze will sail across the sea and put more romance to our British friends as the day grows closer.

Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?

Imagine my shock, when much to my chagrin, I should find Will and Kate in my bed tonight.  I knew that they were having a hard time deciding on their honeymoon and did not realize that they were considering my hometown.  

Yes, Midlothian Virginia is the site of the first commercial mines in the United States which harkens to Kate's ancestors and yes, we have the Edgar Allan Poe museum as well as lots of statues on Monument Avenue.  Who knew that Midlothian and Richmond would be a contender?  


All this time I have been focusing on my trip to London when I should be focusing on how I can help the royal pair choose a suitable locale for their trip to wedded bliss.  Meanwhile I hope that they change the sheets in the morn.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING

Paul Revere isn't riding down the lane but my tweets and blog indicate that the British are coming...not by land and not be sea but via social media.  It seems that the Brits are amazed at the overwhelming interest we Americans have in the Royal Wedding (I wonder if the Brits call us Americans by another name?)  They appear amused at our overwhelming interest in the the magic of the marriage to be.  Could it be that the last generation of matrimonial royalty have cast a pall over the English translation? 

We don't have royalty in the colonies and we seem to be sorely lacking on national idols so what could be better than a Royal Wedding?  Bieber Fever is great but doesn't appeal to the masses.    Especially at a time like this,  the promise of pomp and the notion of romance, allow everyone to focus on the frivolous instead of nagging about the negative.  It gives us the opportunity to regale in the regal.  Most of us don't know the difference between a dame and a damsel but we do know a classy lassie when we see one.  And the notion of Prince Charming is charming well beyond our storybook years. 

So bring it on Brits!  Show us your best hats and remind us of our royal roots. And, although we won the Revolution you win this one!