Lawrence Kasdan  was once among the most promising talents in American filmmaking. The guy wrote “The Empire Strikes Back”  and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,”  and the first three films he directed were “Body Heat,”  “The Big Chill,”  and “Silverado.”  Not a bad resume for a 36-year-old. Now, though, with “Darling Companion,”  his first film in nine years, Kasdan confirms that the storytelling gifts which served him so well in the 1980s are no longer his to command.

Though the fur on the movie’s titular canine isn’t very long, this is still one hummer of a shaggy dog story. When Beth (Diane Keaton)  finds a stray pooch along the roadside, she keeps him, despite hubby Joseph’s (Kevin Kline)  reservations, and names him Freeway  (which, an informed source tells me, was also the name of the dog on “Hart to Hart”  for the same reason). Flash-forward a year: While the family is gathered in th…………… continues on OregonLive.com

May 15, 2012 12:09 am

By Mary Ann Wellener

DEAR MARY ANN: I have a friend who married in New York City recently after dating her new spouse for about six months. The wedding was fairly spontaneous; they spread the word informally via their respective public Facebook statuses (no paper invitations or personal messages) a couple of weeks prior for the ceremony in the city and dinner to follow at a nearby restaurant. I was asked to be in her bridal party, but I live several hours away from Pittsburgh and was unable to gather the time and money for an impromptu trip home, let alone to New York. I expressed my regrets for being unavailable and was told to be prepared for word about a reception to be scheduled later for family and friends.

The bride [recently] took to Facebook once more to spread the word about a bridal shower — which she is throwing herself — to take place in two months. They are also still planning a traditional ceremony and reception here at home sometime next year, where wedding gif…………… continues on Pittsburgh Post Gazette

TORONTO (Reuters) – Planning a wedding? A new web app lets the bride and groom-to-be create a social website that connects guests with each other before the big day.

Called Weduary, the web app provides a simple way of creating a modern-looking wedding website, and allows the couple to invite guests using Facebook.

The site tells guests which of their Facebook friends will also be attending and points out people at the event who may have common interests and mutual friends.

If a guest is attending alone, the Flirt section of the site shows other singles who will be there.

“We’re giving people a cheat sheet on who to meet at these big wedding events,” said Brit Morin, CEO of Brit & Co., the digital lifestyle brand behind Weduary.

In addition to connecting guests, the site provides details about the date and time of the wedding, hotel information, and a link to the couple’s registry.

JACKSON, MI— Mother’s Day happens once a year, and every year, it is a special day for moms everywhere — even moms who are not able to get out and about.

The Summit Park Assisted Living Center teamed up with the Ella Sharp Museum to bring a Mother’s Day celebration to its residents Sunday.

They created the Weddings Across Times display.

“We’re bringing the museum to them,” Summit Park Director Cathy Zakrzewski said. “We wanted to do something more.”

Wedding dresses from different generations were on display Sunday afternoon. Each item has a story, each item is part of history.

The residents and their families browsed the di…………… continues on The Jackson Citizen Patriot – MLive.com

Last year, as my husband and I were about to celebrate our first anniversary, I asked for another ring to complement my engagement ring and wedding band.

So he bought me one, but what he bought was far from the ring I wanted, and let’s just say my rejection of the ring didn’t go over too well. That made for a memorable first anniversary.As our second anniversary approached, my husband asked me what I wanted. Friends think I should get the ring that I had originally asked for, but after thinking about the last two years together, I simply said, “nothing.” Not because there was a chance I wouldn’t get what I asked for, but because I’ve come to realize that jewelry, flowers, vacations or dinners may be great ways to commemorate a special time in our lives, but those types of gifts just aren’t that important to me anymore.Before my husband and I got married, we met with my pastor, who spoke candidly with us about the realities of marriage. He basically told us it wasn’t always going to be fun, easy or romantic. There were going to be some tough and trying times, frustration, arguments and times when you just downright don’t like each other. He has been married for more than 50 years, so I guess he knows a thing or two about the subject.Recently, I thought about his talk with us. One of the last things I remember him saying was that despite the ups and downs of marriag…………… continues on Kansas City Star

(ARA) – They’re the same bonds you remember getting as a child, but with a digital twist. U.S. Savings Bonds are making a comeback, just in time for the graduation and wedding gift-giving season.

“Since the January 2012 transition from paper to digital savings bonds, account openings on Treasury’s retail website, TreasuryDirect.gov, have increased 9 percent,” says Jerry Kelly, national director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Ready.Save.Grow. campaign. “In many cases, people are opening an account for themselves as well as their children to give relatives and friends a convenient way to give gifts.”

Ready.Save.Grow., a Treasury educational effort to encourage more people to save for their future, provides information on how to open a TreasuryDirect account for you and your children. The campaign also offers these timely tips as you prepare for the upcoming season of graduations, weddings and other gift-giving occasions:

Tip 1: Invest in savings bonds for your child’s future by opening a free TreasuryDirect account.

For as little as $ 25, you can buy a safe and affordable savings bond – a guaranteed investment – for your child. To enable your child to receive savings bond gifts, open a child’s account within your own TreasuryDirec…………… continues on News Banner

(ARA) – They’re the same bonds you remember getting as a child, but with a digital twist. U.S. Savings Bonds are making a comeback, just in time for the graduation and wedding gift-giving season.

“Since the January 2012 transition from paper to digital savings bonds, account openings on Treasury’s retail website, TreasuryDirect.gov, have increased 9 percent,” says Jerry Kelly, national director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Ready.Save.Grow. campaign. “In many cases, people are opening an account for themselves as well as their children to give relatives and friends a convenient way to give gifts.”

Ready.Save.Grow., a Treasury educational effort to encourage more people to save for their future, provides information on how to open a TreasuryDirect account for you and your children. The campaign also offers these timely tips as you prepare for the upcoming season of graduations, weddings and other gift-giving occasions:

Tip 1: Invest in savings bonds for your child’s future by opening a free TreasuryDirect account.

For as little as $ 25, you can buy a safe and affordable savings bond – a guaranteed investment – for your child. To enable your child to receive savings bond gifts, open a child’s account within your own TreasuryDirect account at www.treasurydirect.gov/readysavegrow…………… continues on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

I, for one, would be relieved if from now on, brides included only family in their wedding parties.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my friends and enjoy celebrating them. In fact, when assigned a bridesmaid task, I’ve often spent time and money beyond what was expected. 

Yet how does honoring a couple’s decision to wed translate into responsibility for organizing, patronizing, attending several parties, buying multiple gifts, and purchasing expensive dresses worn only once?

In fact, bridesmaid101.com lists no fewer than 21 responsibilities to be shouldered by a bridesmaid. The daunting workload includes such activities as scouting locations, addressing invitations, and registering for gifts because “many times the groom does not want to go register with his bride-to-be.” (Suck it up, groom!)

The dreaded dress
Of course, bridesmaid dresses are notorious, and griping about them is par for the course. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, they’re compelled clothing, suited to someone else’s taste, not your own. Besides, the dress may be extremely pricey, and rarely will it see repeat wear.

It might even be hysterically hideous, like the corseted, lace-up-sided purple gown that Rochelle Thomas, a 33-year-old New York City real estate manager, wore f…………… continues on msnbc.com

by Cathy Marshall / KGW

KGW

Posted on May 8, 2012 at 12:39 PM

PORTLAND — It used to be when you got engaged you went to a department store to register for china and silver.  Today you can go online and register for help with your honeymoon or even house payments.

Yahoo Finance recently reported a rise in the number of couples using alternative registries.

Yahoo also identified some of the most popular, beginning with Honeymoonwishes, where guests can register to cover a meal or round of golf during a couple’s getaway.

“From the honeymoon register you actually do get cash. They take all the money that’s been donated and send you a check minus whatever their cut is,” said Bridal Bliss Wedding Planner Nora Shields. The Lake Oswego business owner said that “cut” can range from 5 to 15 percent.

Other options identified in the Yahoo Finance report were Newlywish, where you can send a couple on a “staycation” at a local winery, for example.

Home Improvements are another possibility through the site continues on KVUE

Mystery M’sian’s RM1m Ferrari gift at centre of Kardashian split

Kuala Lumpur: An unknown Malaysian businessman’s US$ 325,000 (RM993,525) white Ferrari wedding gift to Kim Kardashian and her husband Kris Humphries has become the centre of attention as the couple’s 72-day marriage head towards the divorce courts.

Kardashian’s 27-year-old basketball player husband wants to know what happened to the sports car gift from an unnamed wealthy Malaysian businessman reported to have attended their wedding last summer and why the reality star left it out of a charity donation list for the amount of their wedding presents, Britain’s Daily Mail reported.

The buzz over the lavish gift has been spreading over the Internet since late April when the 31-year-old American celebrity socialite hit the headlines for donating twice the value of her wedding gifts to the Dream Foundation instead of returning the presents.

Humpries’ lawyers were reportedly planning on asking Kardashian – now said to be dating artiste Kanye West – about the gift at their divorce trial, and sources claimed that there will absolutely be a trial, despite Kardashian trying desperately to avoid it.

…………… continues on Daily Express

Mother’s Day is undoubtedly the hardest holiday for gift ideas. Diamonds will always come to the rescue for wedding anniversaries. Flowers and a sheepish smile get a passing grade for birthdays. But what gift do you give to the person that gave you the gift of life (not discounting dad’s two-minute contribution)?

Here are a motherload of gift ideas to show your appreciation to mom on May 13.

SOLES FOR THE SOUL: El Naturalista Shoes

PRICE: Spring/Summer 2012 Collection: $ 159-$ 244

WHERE TO BUY: Elnaturalista.ca

Mom’s been on her feet taking care of you all of your life, now it’s time to take care of her feet with a pair of colourful and handcrafted shoes from El Naturalista. If you have a mom that cares about being stylish and socially conscious, she’d be pleased to know that the shoes are not only comfortable and fashionable, they are environmentally friendly and promote social responsibility.

El Natura…………… continues on CANOE

Your friends are headed to the chapel and they’re going to get married—great for them, bad news for your pockets, Men’s Health reports.

 Deciding to share in your loved one’s big day costs an average of $ 339 a wedding, according to a survey from America Express Spending and Saving Tracker.

The gifts, travel and clothing, the related expenses can really put a damper on your enthusiasm, but the guys at Men’s Health have offered some ideas to ease up the financial pressure so you can enjoy those summer unions.

Hold off on the gift

Apparently, showing up to the shindig without a gift is ok. You have up until a year to get the goods, according to wedding consultant Amy Frugoli.

Shop for the discount

If you need a new jacket or shirt, don’t search every inch of a store, just head to the back. Why? Because that’s were the sales are. Most retailers put discounted clothing in the hardest places to go, which are the far rare corners of the store .

For more tips, click here: http://bit.ly/IzsKJM

NEW YORK CITY - Kim Kardashian and her brand new boyfriend Kanye “Mr. Microphone” West were spotted at Manhattan’s Giggle Giggle Comedy Club.

According to a reporter for LaLaLand Limelight formerly The Showbiz Gazette, the couple, who was dressed all in black, resembled two-thirds of an Oreo cookie. Macadamia Honeysuckle with LL noted that all that was missing was Nicole Kidman or Marcia Cross.

Kim and Kanye had front row seats as they sat and listened to stand up comic Zydeco Dupree.

As soon as Dupree spotted the Tinsel Town couple he remarked that he was glad to see that…………… continues on The Spoof (satire)

Kim Kardashian reportedly received a $ 325,000 Ferrari as a wedding gift which was not included in her original charity calculations.

The reality star had announced that she was going to donate $ 200,000 which would be “double the value” of the wedding gifts received following the implosion of her 72-day marriage.

But RadarOnline claims that Kim’s estranged husband Kris Humphries is seeking to have her testify under oath as to why she did not include the value of the luxury car when she counted up the cost of their presents.

“Kris’ lawyers are going to ask Kim why she didn’t include the Ferrari in the wedding gift total when she made the donation to the charity of her choice, for which she also received a tax deduction,” a source told the site.

“Kris was at Kim’s house when the Ferrari was delivered and the car was absolutely meant for both of them.”

Insiders claim that the basketball star believes their wedding presents were worth over $ 700,000 meaning that Kim should have donated around $ 1.5 million.

The divorce is set to go to trial as they have not reached a settlement. Kris apparently wants “the truth to come out” and is not after money.

© Cover Media

Building your wedding registry online is incredibly easy, and allows brides to better utilize their time.

The Gift Registiry 360 allows couples to register for products from multiple retailers onto one simple registry list. Do you like the mixer from Macy’s, but the towels from Target? No problem! It also has a convenient application, which allows you to scan items with your phone, and add them to your list!

With HoneyFund , couples can select honeymoon-related gifts guests can purchase for them. Like airfare, brunch for two, snorkeling, the sky’s the limit with HoneyFund.

With the I Do Foundation you can choose a charity registry, so guests can gift donations directly to your selected charity. You can also create an “I Do” gift registry, which is partnered with your favorite department stores to donate up to five percent of the spending on your gift registry to your selected charities.

Email to a friend Permalink continues on GoLocal Worcester

Kris Humphries‘s legal team is set to question Kim Kardashian about an expensive wedding gift she reportedly failed to declare, it has been claimed.

The 31-year-old recently donated $ 200,000 (£123,260) to charity, an amount which she said to be double the cost of their presents at the time of getting married.

However, her basketball player estranged husband, who she announced she was divorcing after only 72 days of marriage, believes she didn’t take into account a $ 325,000 (£200,260) car.

According to Radar Online, they were given the Ferrari vehicle by a wealthy Malaysian businessman who attended the ceremony.

Humphries does not want his owed value of the motor, but his attorneys apparently want to question Kardashian about why it was not mentioned.

A source said: “Kris was at Kim’s house when the Ferrari was delivered and the car was absolutely meant for both of them even though Kim has retained ownership and co…………… continues on Digital Spy

Leading jewelry manufacturer, Anjolee, offers their go-to-guide for getting the perfect gift for a newly engaged couple. Gifts include a pair of sparkly hoop earrings, or a wedding set. Thousands of customizable jewelry designs are available at http://www.anjolee.com.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 30, 2012

Give the newly engaged some jewelry gifts to treasure a lifetime!

Leading jewelry manufacturer, Anjolee, offers their go-to-guide for getting the perfect gift for a newly engaged couple. With the current wedding season about to start, there are many newly engaged couples waiting to complete their vows later in the year. With months of planning ahead, a simple gift of jewelry can be exactly what is needed. The gift of jewelry is a way to celebrate an engagement while building more excitement for the wedding day.

A great pair of channel set Diamond Hoop Earrings can be given to the bride to complete the wedding day look or as a pre-wedding delight. A traditional prong set pair of hoop earrings is a low key addition to classical wedding style attire. For modern brides, a pair of diamond and gemstone hoop earrings might be a better option. Customized with any birthstone,…………… continues on Seattle Post Intelligencer