Duchess of Cambridge opens Buckingham Palace exhibition with Her Majesty

Posted by Jessica Jewett 1 Comment »

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Remember watching the royal wedding in your pajamas on April 29? Well, now you can get up close and personal with the bridal items worn and used by the new Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

American explanation:
Every summer, Her Majesty opens Buckingham Palace for tourist season with the annual summer exhibition. The exhibitions are usually different every year. This summer, we are lucky enough to have items from the royal wedding on display. It’s like going to a museum and paying extra to see a special temporary but utterly epic exhibit, such as when I went to see the Egyptian exhibit, the Titanic exhibit, the Lincoln exhibit, etc., at various museums. My favorite exhibition was when the Louvre loaned a lot of things to the High Museum of Art here in Atlanta. I geeked out for about a year after the exhibition ended. It was that epic. The Duchess’ wedding things in an exhibition is making my head explode too.

Back to the goodies:
Today, the Duchess gave Her Majesty a private tour of the exhibition and then they will (or they might have already) open the exhibition to the public this afternoon. For about $30 (that’s about average for any special exhibition here), tourists can have their tour of Buckingham Palace and see the Duchess’ wedding items on display in the ballroom where her wedding reception was held. In addition to her stunning wedding dress, you will also be up close and personal with her silk veil, the diamond Halo tiara, the earrings that were a gift from her parents, the shoes, a replica of her bridal bouquet, and the royal wedding cake. The wedding dress, veil and tiara are not even in a display case, which is interesting, because they wanted the public to be able to really look at the intricate detail work.

There appears to be a little bit of a tense moment, however, as the Queen came close to the dress and was heard to tell the Duchess that it was “horrible” and “horrid” that the mannequin had no head. As you will see in the pictures, the wedding clothes are displayed in the center of the ballroom on a circular platform with ghostly lighting illuminating a Kate-sized mannequin with the tiara and veil suspended over a headless body. It does look a little bit ghoulish and foreboding. The Duchess, eager to diffuse the situation, responded lightly that the display gives the dress a “3-D effect”. Good thinking, Kate! Still, I side with the Queen. It looks a little ghoulish to me, as if memorializing a woman who has not died.

The Royal Collections website describes the dress: “The design shows the influence of Victorian dress in details such as the cinched in waist, the padded hips and the bustle at the top of the train. The dress also looks to the aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts movement with the dress’s emphasis on hand-crafted detail. These historic references are blended with a modern cut in a modern fabric – satin gazar.”

It continues to the veil: “The veil is made of fine silk tulle which is embroidered with lace around its outer edge. The lace appliqué was designed by Sarah Burton and embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. The veil was designed to fall between the panels of appliquéd lace on the train of the dress and its shape echoes the arches at the top of the train.”

Additionally, the shoes: “The shoes were made at Alexander McQueen and are covered in the same ivory satin gazar as the dress, which is applied with the same lace appliqué as the dress and veil.”

And her earrings: “The earrings were commissioned by Mr and Mrs Michael Middleton for their daughter on the occasion of her marriage to Prince William. The earrings were made by the London jewellers Robinson Pelham. Their design is derived from the acorn and oak leaves which form part of the Middleton family coat of arms and they were also designed to complement the ‘Halo’ tiara which The Duchess wore on the day of the wedding. The earrings are made of 18 carat white gold and diamonds in the form of a curled diamond set oak leaf top and a pear-shaped diamond set drop with a central articulated pave set diamond acorn.”

Something borrowed: “The Duchess of Cambridge’s veil was held in place by the diamond ‘Halo’ tiara, which was made by Cartier in 1936 and purchased by The Duke of York (later King George VI) for The Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth). The tiara is formed as a band of 16 graduated scrolls set with 739 brilliants and 149 baton diamonds. The tiara was presented to Princess Elizabeth (now The Queen) by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday. The tiara was lent by The Queen to The Duchess of Cambridge for the occasion of her wedding.”

Replica flowers: “Made specially for the exhibition is a replica of the bouquet carried by The Duchess of Cambridge at the wedding which was made by the florist Shane Connolly. In keeping with other elements of the wedding including the dress, the cake and the floral scheme both at Westminster Abbey and at Buckingham Palace, the bouquet draws upon the tradition of the language of flowers.”

Yummy: “The royal wedding cake for Their Royal Highness’s The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was made by the Leicestershire bakery Fiona Cairns.”

Can’t hop on a plane and pop in on Buckingham Palace? Fear not! I have collected the best pictures of the special exhibition for you. Put on your fanny packs, tourists. Here we go!

The Duchess and the Queen arrive at the exhibition.
The Duchess and the Queen looking at the dress. The Queen thought the headless mannequin was “horrible”.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wore this dress on her wedding day.
A profile view of the Duchess’ wedding dress, veil and tiara.
Detailed view of the gorgeous lace along the waist of the Duchess’ wedding dress.
The Halo tiara lent to the Duchess by the Queen for her wedding.
The Halo tiara displayed with the Duchess’ veil on the headless mannequin.
The Duchess’ acorn and oak leaf earrings worn on her wedding day.
The handmade shoes the Duchess wore to her wedding. She is a size 5 1/2!
A replica of the Duchess’ wedding bouquet.
Most of the wedding cake is original! Top two tiers were saved for the christening of the first child.

Here you can see where the Duke and Duchess cut the cake.

Isn’t it all gorgeous? Who’s coming to London with me?!

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Hate Mail 101

Posted by Jessica Jewett 3 Comments »

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Sometimes I get some really interesting email. I operate two websites, a Twitter page and a few Facebook pages, so the occasional troll is to be expected, especially when I’m rather public about reincarnation research and paranormal investigation. That’s not always a popular topic among certain types of people. I’m quite used to the usual, run-of-the-mill, “You’re a crazy devil worshiper!” mail bombs that come my way multiple times every month. I delete things like that and pretend like they never happened.

Occasionally, however, there are some rather … erm … interesting emails I get from time to time. The interesting ones tend to ramble and not make much common sense, let alone grammatical sense. I never understood what possessed people to waste the time and energy attacking someone they don’t know – or in this case – multiple people they don’t know and how they choose to express their beliefs. If I encounter a website I don’t like, I just click away from it and move on to something else. Makes sense, right?

Here is an example of a very recent piece of hate mail delivered to my inbox. You might need a map to follow the logic in this one. While the hate wasn’t directed at me per se, it was by proxy because it’s my website.

I have something – ever so – well NECESSARY to say about THIS SUBECT, any MORON who claims to be Mozart reincarnated – especially a woman is a FRAUD,I’m quite sick of people claiming to be he reincarnation of peple they can study – possibly lie-laden historical details of BUT IT IT QUITE SIMPLE, if the GHOST OF SOMEONE IS STILL AROUND then anyone claiming to be the REINCARNATION of the GHOST IS A LYING FRAUD, and Mozarts ghost was seen – in four nations in the seventies, SHE”S TOO OLD to be what she’s LYING ABOUT. he is an inersting ghost, his medium seemed to be a teenager, french-gypsy. due to this fact, people were way more likely to learn more about Mozart’s teenage years. A suspectgerman parapyscholist called Wolfgang was suspeced by some trying to establish the full range of teh event to be the ghost – OR channeling him.

…. Huh?

Yeah, that’s what I said.

I’m pretty sure this email was in reference to the Mozart reincarnation case (click the link) profiled over at Historical Figures Reincarnated, a research website operated by my friend, Nellie, and me. Unlike the lovely person above, I actually know the people involved. I never associate my name with cases that I don’t know for certain to be true. That’s why such hate doesn’t really bother me – it doesn’t change the truth – but I do get a little curious about why people are that way. My uncle thinks I should be a psychiatrist.

What do you do when you encounter such intense negativity? Do you let it seep into your soul and fester like a rotting wound or do you wash it away?

I will certainly get hate mail as long as I’m working publicly in the paranormal field. That doesn’t bother me so much. Delete is the best button ever invented. What does bother me is the fact that there are people so mired down in their own negativity that the only way they know to cope is to lash out at everyone else. It’s always easier to judge other people when you really should be looking in the mirror and examining yourself. Nobody wants to face it when they do wrong, behave unfairly, etc., but that is really the only way to grow and develop a more evolved soul. Of course, in order to become a more evolved soul, a person has to be willing to go through the process of admitting they need to rethink the way they behave and interact with the world. Those who are not willing and seek shelter on the false security of a high horse will always look down their noses at everyone else, even when they engage in the same behaviors they claim that they can’t stand. That kind of thing runs rampant in the paranormal community especially.

What lessons can we draw from this example of hate mail?

We should all take a closer look at the way we respond to things we don’t like, whether it’s behavior, beliefs, etc. If you find yourself responding with either passive-aggressive or direct judgment, consider whether that response is really necessary or not. Everybody is different. Everybody has different beliefs, tastes, lifestyles, manners of doing things, and so forth. What may seem crazy and weird to you is perfectly fine to someone else. Is the behavior or belief hurting you directly? If not, then it’s not your place to pass verbal judgment on another person. The golden rule applies even when you’re an adult! If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all. Why? Because if it’s not hurting you directly, then being rude and passing judgment is just creating more negative energy around you. Once you get surrounded by negative energy, you can no longer take pleasure in life and you will be alienated from your loved ones because they will eventually retreat in order to protect their own energies. It’s instinctive.

Think about the purpose of your words before you react. The hate mail didn’t accomplish anything except making me stand up for the credibility and integrity of my very dear friends.

Let’s calm our nerves with my beautiful Nettl’s signing voice, shall we?


Mozartballs/ Abendempfindung

Lynette, (Nettl no “e”) | Myspace Video

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The Beauty Blog – Bath, Body and Hair

Posted by Jessica Jewett 1 Comment »

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Another important aspect of putting your best beauty foot forward is the process of bathing, taking care of your body, and maintaining the health of your hair. Much like maintaining the health of your skin and taking steps toward age prevention, the same attitude should be applied to your body’s skin and your hair. Where your skin is concerned, the rule is simple: moisturize, exfoliate, moisturize and exfoliate!

I have quite long hair, as you can see from my picture on the left, and I’ve tried a lot of different things to protect it from being over-processed. Hair will become drier, more brittle, and thinner as you get older. People constantly put heat on it every day, color it every four to six weeks, sew in and rip out extensions, etc., while they are young and the hair is healthy and they think they’re not doing any damage but they will see it as they age. It’s important to choose the right products for your hair type, not just grab whatever is on sale at the supermarket.

Here are my favorite bath, body and hair products.

Avon Naturals Cherry Blossom 5-Piece Bath & Body Collection, $11.99

Refreshing Shower Gel: Moisturize your skin while cleansing your entire body. Less drying than soap, and infused with natural extracts, it’s a soothing way to cleanse and hydrate skin. Moisturizing Hand & Body Lotion: Provides 24-hour moisturization for soft, smooth skin. Refreshing Body Spray: Leaves skin cool, refreshed and lightly scented. Daily Refreshing Shampoo: For all hair types. Daily Refreshing Conditioner: For all hair types.

I buy this set for everything except the shampoo and conditioner (it’s cheaper to buy the set than individual pieces). I like the feminine but not too overpowering scent of this product line and how the fragrance ingredients don’t make me itch like others do.

philosophy Lilac Blossom™ Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath, $16.00

An all-in-one shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath with the refreshingly uplifting scent of lilac blossoms. This multitasking gel provides a rich, foaming lather to cleanse and condition, leaving skin and hair feeling hydrated and soft. The sweet floral scent of lilac blossoms captivates the senses and makes a lasting impression.

I found this on one of my many excursions to Sephora. I went to Miami without any soap and found this line of all-in-one shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath products from philosophy. There were some crazy varieties like fudge and red velvet cake but the lilac scent and other floral scents smell fresh and light. Lilac is a very Victorian scent and doesn’t overpower people around you. I used it as a shower gel and a shampoo and I was very pleased. My skin felt clean and my hair felt clean. Highly recommended.

Avon Foot Works 5-Piece Fabulous Foot Care Collection, $9.99

Restorative Milky Foot Soak with Epsom Salt – Soak away the aches after a long, hard day. Frothy formula provides feet with immediate relief from stiffness and discomfort, for a soothing at-home treatment. Unique formula enriched with milk protein and Epsom salt to provide instant relief to tired feet. Pumice Cream – Exfoliating formula helps keep hardened skin and calluses at bay, softening skin for super smooth, touchable feet. Contains pumice and walnut shell powder to help remove rough, dry skin. Intensive Callus Cream – This effective treatment is infused with natural aloe, rice bran oil & peppermint, delivering noticeably soft, smooth and touchable results. In just 2 weeks, see dramatic improvement! Bonus Size Therapeutic Cracked Heel Relief Cream – Helps to soften calluses, leaving feet feeling smooth and moisturized. Heals dry and cracked skin, fights infection. 24-hour moisturization. Provides first aid relief with soothing lidocaine. All Day Deodorant Foot Cream – Long-lasting deodorizing formula with natural peppermint absorbs wetness and controls odors. Helps keep feet feeling dry and smelling fresh all day.

Stop everything. Buy this foot set right now. It’s vital to the health of your feet!

Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion, $11.99

Discover Aveeno Active Naturals. Simply put, Active Naturals are ingredients derived from nature and uniquely formulated to reveal skin’s natural health and beauty. Essential Active Naturals: Skin-soothing natural colloidal oatmeal. The naturally nourishing, non-greasy lotion absorbs quickly and contains no added fragrance. The unique oatmeal formula locks in moisture to help prevent and protect dry skin, leaving your skin soft, smooth and naturally healthy-looking. The Aveeno brand has been dermatologist recommended for over 60 years. – Clinically proven to relieve dry skin. – Moisturizes for 24 hours. – Fragrance free. – With natural colloidal oatmeal.

This is the best lotion ever made. I have nerve damage in some parts of my body that causes my skin to look like a reptile if I’m not diligent about taking care of it on a daily basis. This lotion will rid your body of dry skin and make everything feel nice and soft. Sometimes the best finds are the things you buy in drugstores!

Matrix Shade Memory Vivid Red Shampoo & Conditioner, $15.29 ea.

Matrix Shade Memory Vivid Red Shampoo is specifically formulated to reduce fading of your salon red. Helps strengthen & mend damage. Protein counteracts environmental damage and revitalizes your hair with Micro shine.

I just started using this shampoo about a month ago. I got it from a woman who does hair for a living and recommended it to keep my hair from fading and bleeding. When you have color treated red hair, the pigment does not hold as well as blondes or brunettes and you have to do what you can to seal it in before it bleeds everywhere. This shampoo and conditioner does not leave behind an oily film in the water when you wash it out and I haven’t felt any residue in my hair either. I have gotten a lot of compliments about how good my hair smells after using these products too. Also, if you are a bottle red head, stop washing your hair in hot water. That makes it fade and bleed faster. Start washing your hair in cool water and use shampoos and conditioners made for redheads, or at the very least, color treated hair in general. Unfortunately they are slowly discontinuing this shampoo, so I’m going to switch to the next one.

TIGI Bed Head Colour Combat, Colour Goddess Shampoo & Conditioner, $35.75

Color LockDown Technology prevents premature fading every colour goddess suffers. Shampoo smoothes & shines while helping to protect against UV damage. Conditioner will boost shine & softness, while locking in essential moisture. Beautiful hair is your dream come true! Deep those rich dark chocolate & sweet cherry hues looking delicious! Therapy for racy red heads or bodacious brunettes.

I haven’t used this one yet but this is what has been recommended to me after the Matrix shampoos are discontinued. I’ve heard good things about Bed Head products from other people too and they make products for women who are bottle blondes and bottle brunettes as well. Again, if your hair is colored red like mine, stop washing it in hot water because you’re letting it bleed and fade faster. Use cool water and shampoo for color treated hair.

Aussie Cleanse and Mend Shampoo & Conditioner, $3.00

Infused with Aloe, Guava and Desert Lime, Cleanse and Mend Shampoo conditions to nourish your hair, rinse away dirt and buildup, then soften and smooth frazzled tips.

My mother and I swear by Aussie products. Every two weeks, I use this shampoo to wash away any buildup of dirt, oil and residue from anything that the other shampoo doesn’t catch. It is advisable to switch shampoos once in a while to freshen up your hair. I like Aussie because it has a different formula for every type of hair and, in my case, it actually does what it advertises. The best part is it’s inexpensive and you can buy huge jugs of it if you’re that in love with it. I listed Aussie here because it’s a good alternative for those who don’t need to use color treated shampoos and conditioners like I do.

It’s a 10 Miracle Leave in Product, $9.00

Does 10 Things Instantly – Repairs dry, damaged hair, adds shine, detangles, controls frizz, seals & protects hair color, prevents split ends, stops hair breakage, creates silkiness, enhances natural body, flat iron spray & thermal protector.

No matter what type of hair you have, you should be using some kind of nourishing leave-in conditioner every time after you wash it. This is the one I have been using lately. Wash and condition your hair as per your normal routine, and then towel dry your hair. Spray this leave-in conditioner all over your hair three or four times over, make sure you cover all of it, and blow dry it like you usually would. You will immediately notice that it helps control your tangles and eliminates poofiness and frizziness. With my super long hair, I need it for frizz control and detangling the most. I love it.

Bumble and Bumble Tonic Lotion, $7.00 – $19.00

A nutrient-rich detangler and styling primer. This product is formulated with a rich mix of vitamins, herbs, and tea tree oil that tames tangles, refreshes your head, feeds your hair, and soothes your scalp. This product was inspired by old school barbers’ elixirs and created with our male clients in mind.

This is an alternative to the spray in the above listing. Even though it says it’s made with male clients in mind, I used it and I found it to be an excellent detangler and defrizzer. I don’t use it much anymore because it’s kind of expensive since I have to use a lot on my long hair. It is a good preparation product for styling with heat tools and it helps the comb pass through the hair easier.

Miss Dior Cherie, $60.00 – $90.00

Discover the scent that inspires love and romance. Miss Dior Cherie, with its captivating charm and elegance, is full of joie de vivre! A sensual blend of Italian mandarin, Egyptian jasmine, and patchouli truly captures the dazzling Dior spirit in a modern, fruity-floral fragrance.

No lady is complete without some sort of fragrance. This one is my absolute favorite at the moment, which was a hand-me-down from a more earthy friend who prefers less feminine scents. Body chemistry makes perfume smell different on every person, so what works for me might not smell the same to you. I like this one because it’s soft and ladylike without being too overpowering, although you can make it overpowering by wearing too much. I also have this one as a body wash.

Dior J’adore, $22.00 – $98.00

Radiant, sensual, sophisticated, J’adore is a fragrance that celebrates the renaissance of extreme femininity and the power of spontaneous emotion with a brilliant bouquet of orchids, the velvet touch of Damascus plum, and the mellowness of amaranth wood.

This is another one of my favorite perfumes. Can you tell I have a thing for Dior? This one is a little more floral on me than the previous perfume. I save this one for special occasions because I don’t have as much of it and it’s a little more expensive. You might not like it if you’re not interested in super feminine scents, so I suggest you try it on before you buy it.

Marc Jacobs Daisy, $20.00 – $75.00

Enter the world of Daisy: fresh and feminine, with a playful innocence. At the heart of Daisy is a floral with vintage edge: violet. Sophisticated, with a touch of whimsy, violet captures the eclectic, vintage flavor of Marc Jacobs’ feminine, edgy designs. Always elegant, always enchanting – but not too serious – Daisy is a sparkling floral bouquet, spirited and fresh, wrapped in comfort and warmth.

This perfume is a new favorite that I discovered at … wait for it … Sephora! And I don’t just like it because my dog is also named Daisy either! This one is probably more of a universal favorite than the Dior fragrances. It’s a little fresher and lighter. Dior can be a little heavy if you don’t wear it right but this is nice and light no matter how you wear it. I think of this one as a summertime fragrance.

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