Hopelessly devoted to who?

My husband need not worry, it is not another man....I'm hopelessly devoted to shoes!

My love affair with shoes began very early in life. I recall playing for hours with my mums shoes. I have fond memories of wearing black wooden heeled mules, with matching chunky platforms - just like the ones worn by Sandy (aka Olivia Newton-John) in Grease - as I strutted around the house, dreaming I was being swept off my feet by Danny!

In reality I've been rowing upstream for weeks, working long hours, combined with sleepless nights, due to baby snuffles, really I should have given in to an early night, but the lure of seeing Carrie's closet brimming with Manolo's, had me running to the movies last night, to lust over the heels adorning the big screen in Sex and the City!

I am surprised!!! I have now written a few blog posts, without the mention of shoes.... yet my whole life revolves around my love of footwear.

Shoes may not change your life, says who? but boy they certainly change the way you feel!

I have a whole wall closet dedicated to my precious shoe collection, I kid you not. Until recently the only souvenir I ever brought back from any trip was a pair of shoes, I must have over 300 pairs and I can tell you the exact history of each and every pair, I can also remember the emotions I have felt at wearing each pair for the first time.

It's true, no matter what size we are, we can usually find a pair of fabulous shoes to make us feel sexy, sassy, feminine, confident, powerful and pretty.

No other accessory can transform a look, or the wearer with such intensity.

Girls and their shoes—it's a curious love affair that leaves men utterly baffled. Why do we women love shoes so much? More importantly, why do we collect dozens of pairs that are often, uncomfortable, expensive, and above all, take up so much space.

We girls don't need a rational explanation for our relationship with shoes. Sometimes it's just for pleasure, sometimes it's for necessity and sometimes it's, well, just because!

When I get a new magazine I immediately scan through it to get a look at the shoes, not just for me you understand, but are there any suitable for brides.

The first thing I look for from any collection, is what a specific designer is doing, and which if any may be ideal to walk up the aisle! Whilst browsing the photo's of the latest celeb weddings, forget the dress I am zooming in on the feet.....looking out for the Gorgeous Gina's, the Lustworthy Louboutin's, the Divine Dior's, and the Vivacious Vivier's!

My husband, still fails to understand such longings, even after 10 years of marriage, he still says " haven't you got a pair like that already?"

So next time your partner says " haven't you already got a pair exactly like that" just say with a wry smile, "you don,t understand and I doubt you ever will".

Keeping the balls up in the air!

Most mum's use their maternity leave to settle into the newly acquired motherhood role, becoming accustomed to baby's feeding times and the needs of their new baby, all the while battling sleep deprivation!

Not me!!...and do you know what? This is my third baby and I have only just realised I have never had the "traditional" maternity leave. Whilst my "mummy" friends are all discussing their return to their workplace over the past few weeks, I realised I never left mine :-)

All my babies have been breastfed at the laptop whilst I've planned weddings or discussed various business opportunities with my fellow wedding planners across the globe! I have to say I don't think my kids have suffered for it either.

Newborn babies tend to nap a lot so I find myself sneaking to another room to tap away at the keyboard, and whisper down the phone. I can often be found deep in conversation on my mobile phone, Filofax balanced on top of the pushchair, to take notes, whilst strolling along the seafront.....any woman reading this will identify this as multitasking and us female species are experts at it. Only recently have I decided to "embrace the chaos" of motherhood, rather than fighting against it!

Ok, so my new found laid back state is still hard to get to grips with, but hey as I have no cleaner at present I find this the perfect excuse for an untidy dwelling! My eldest two children think it's great the "one in one out" rule on the toy box seems to have gone astray. My Orangery resembles a multi coloured assault course of plastic and wood, but I just take a deep breath and look past the mess out to the garden, which is so much tidier than the toy room :-)

My mantra is I am passionate about everything, and I mean everything! I strive to be the best at whatever I do and sometimes I should cut myself a little slack. However my "Mummy Mantra" this week shall be - "In order to succeed, my children and I sometimes have to accept failure"

The glamorisation of mums feels empowering to some, yet others feel the yummy mummy title is totally unrealistic for today's women anxious to appear to have it all. As much as I would love to be the yummy mummy, I struggle to find the balance between the single sexpot (I think!) I used to be, the woman I've become, the professional I work hard to be, the wife I aspire to be, and the mother I have to be. Basically, today's wannabe yummy mummy's, like me are confused and exhausted!

I like to think all yummy mummy's are a myth - my friends and I all tried to think of one, just one mum we know that we would call a true yummy mummy and between us we couldn't think of any! Yes we all know plenty of mums who we think have it all, but none like the celebrity-led trend of mums with matching designer clad babies and bags.

Yet perhaps that not so suprising as deep down all of us aspiring yummy mummy's know in reality that the celebrity "yummy mummy" has a whole host of support that we don't see, yet still we dream, and so we should!

MTV Casting Call - Destination Wedding Brides Needed!

MTV Casting Call...

You don't have to be a celebrity to get married like one! Destination weddings are becoming more accessible to couples looking to add a "twist" to their big day. Make your wedding more unique by having MTV document your adventure, from the planning process down the aisle.

Do you have a unique love story?

Are you between the ages of 18-28?

Do you plan to get married in July or August?

If so, tell us about you and your plans for the big day!

Email: married2@mtvn.com


Deadline for submission: June 20th

Coleen and Wayne are married - An Italian Dream Wedding!

Wayne Rooney married childhood sweetheart Coleen McLoughlin yesterday, in a lavish Italian ceremony that cost a reported £5 million.

The couple started the day with a 20-minute civil ceremony at the Villa Durazzo, where they were married in front of a small group of close family and friends.

SEE COLEEN AND WAYNE'S WEDDING GALLERY HERE

The bride wore a white strapless dress, with fitted bodice and full chiffon skirt. She topped off the look with a pair of white Christian Louboutin court shoes. The groom went tie-less in a brown suit.

Although the couple jetted to the sunny Italian Riviera for their nuptials, Coleen faced every bride's worst nightmare as the day saw heavy rain and thunderstorms, and she made her way to the bridal car flanked by huge umbrellas.

The bride was reportedly tearful as she was pronounced Mrs Rooney, by Santa Margherita Vice Mayor Gianni Costa.

Click here to read the entire article

Will you marry me at the airport?

Harriet Baskas writes about travel etiquette for MSNBC.com and is the author of Stuck at the Airport

It's June and wedding season is officially underway. Look around and you'll start noticing folks getting hitched in churches, formal gardens, backyards, courthouses and hotel function rooms.

And once in a while, in airports.

Yes, airports. For many travelers, an airport may be the least romantic spot on earth. But airports have played an important role in plenty of love stories. Many couples first meet while working at an airport. Others meet while flying on an airplane or while hanging around at an airport. Some folks then get engaged or married at the airport because that's where they fell in love. Others just find the airport a convenient jumping off point for the rest of their – married – lives.

Click here to read the entire article