Penelope Parasols has re-conceived this iconic fashion accessory and re imagined it for today’s world, creating a product that is both stylish, functional, timeless, contemporary, casual and elegant.

Made with Quality materials, in timeless colors with understated designs, Penelope Parasols will be a lasting addition to any women’s wardrobe. In development is a limited edition collection, as well as a custom line of parasols incorporating handmade silk prints, carved handles and semi precious stones individually crafted for their clients.

The Parasol was first used as protection against the sun. “Para” meaning stop or shield and “Sol” translating to sun. Like any personal accoutrement, the parasol quickly became both a fashion statement and status symbol. The perfect parasol for the modern woman: the ideal combination of form and function, style and substance. 100% silk fabric, a shaft of solid hardwood with metal framework and brass-finish handle, ferrule and tips.

The dimensions are 21-5/8″ in length with a 23-1/2″ canopy diameter. Weighs less than half a pound.
Available in Noir, Crimson, and Nutmeg.
$189 + $12.00 shipping within the U.S.

www.PenelopeParasols.Com

Enter to win the perfect accessory just in time for Summer! For a chance to win this stunning  Parasol please leave a comment below.  A winner will be chosen on Friday, May 6th, 2011. Colors: Noir, Crimson and Nutmeg  are available for the winner to choose from. Good Luck Fashionistas!

UPDATE: Congratulations Amanda!

No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years of age to enter. Not open to employees or family members of employees of TarynCoxTheWife. TarynCoxTheWife.Com will pick the winner using Random.Org. TarynCoxThewife.Com will email the winner and notify the merchant of the winner. The merchant will ship the prize.  If we don’t hear from the winner within 48 hours, we will pick another winner. No substitutions for cash are permitted with this giveaway.

Taryn Cox with Penelope Parasol at Coachella

This cake is so good that Prince William chose it as his groom’s cake for the royal wedding.

Top 10 Wedding Ceremony Music tips.

I’ve been playing the violin since the age of three and played my first wedding at the tender age of twelve. I’ve played for countless weddings, as a soloist and as a member of a quartet, and my experiences as a professional wedding musician certainly helped me in my professional career as a soloist, arranger, and composer in Los Angeles. It took me years of experience to learn how to maximize my potential as a wedding violinist, and I’d like to share these 10 tips with brides that want to make sure their wedding ceremony music is the best that it can be. – Ann Marie Calhoun for TarynCoxTHEWIFE

1. Choose a group that fits the environment:

When you begin to look at your wedding ceremony music, you need to consider how the environment will inform the group that you choose. Make sure the acoustical environment is appropriate for the group you choose. For example, a string quartet is perfect in an intimate chapel while a brass band will overpower guests. Also, be aware that outdoor weddings create unpredictable environments for fragile instruments. No violinist will be willing to play in direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.

2. Understand the musical moments:

Most wedding music will fall into the categories of prelude, processional, recessional, and postlude. The prelude sets the tone for the ceremony and starts right before guests arrive. The processional is for the seating of the mothers, bridesmaids, flower girls, ring-bearer, and of course the bride. The recessional is for the exit of the newly married couple and the wedding party. The postlude accompanies the exit of the guests. Some couples also choose to have “special music” to highlight moments in their ceremony, such as an intentional moment of reflection or a candle lighting ceremony.

3. Choose appropriate pieces:

While every couple wants their music to be special and unique, it is important to choose music wisely to have appropriate tone and tempo. Prelude music is usually gentle and reflective, allowing for the processional to have greater impact. The processional music should be chosen at a tempo that allows for a natural walk. We are hard-wired to walk in rhythm to music, and a too-fast tempo results in an awkward gait. While it is fine to have one processional piece, it is also highly impactful to choose a new processional piece for the bride to make for a grander entrance. Skilled musicians can suggests processional pieces that cadence and segue logically. The recessional music is celebratory in tone and should also be chosen with a faster exit-walking tempo. The postlude should also be up-beat and energizing.

Most groups will have a demo recording that will aid in selecting your wedding program. It is important to listen to the specific suggestions of your musicians. They have valuable experience and will instinctively know if a suggested piece will be a good fit for your ceremony. If you ask your musicians to learn a new piece for your ceremony, you should aid in providing music (sheet music and recording) and check in on how the piece is going a few days before the ceremony. If the piece doesn’t rehearse right, there is still time to make a change.

When choosing all your pieces, it is also important to factor in the implications of a religious ceremony. It would be inappropriate to play “Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring” or “Ave Maria” at a Jewish wedding.

4. Rehearse your musicians:

Professional musicians do not need to practice and rehearse specifically for your wedding. Most will be able to sight read perfectly on site and are already familiar with the wedding classics. However, it is important that they are familiar with the logistics of your particular wedding. It is a good idea to have a member of your musical group attend the rehearsal and take notes on the number of bridesmaids, flower girls, etc… It is also helpful for the musicians to know the last words of the ceremony so that the recessional music starts exactly on time (it is a disaster if it starts early and awkward when it starts late). If the musicians are unable to attend a rehearsal, make sure that they are given specific instructions when they arrive. Appoint a bridesmaid to run through the logistics of the wedding with the musicians.

5. Check for a back-up plan

Most musical groups factor in a back-up plan in case a member of the group gets caught in an emergency situation. Quartets often sub-out membership so if a violinist drops out at the last minute, a new one fills in. Check for this kind of a back-up plan. If you hire a soloist, it becomes even more important to make sure another musician is on call.

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