Jusstine Kenzer - give the gift of clarity....

Every retailer from Sephora to Saks have stockpiles of bridal booty to help you glitter and glow.  Exercise, diet, gallons of water, and relaxation will also ensure that you are looking your happiest and healthiest on W-day. But here’s the question: how are you looking and feeling on the inside? Are you balanced, clear, and feeling confident about moving forward in your new life with your betrothed? Or are you feeling held back by some indescribable reservation or blockage: a past conflict or old boyfriend/girlfriend/family (or even past life!) issues? If you were given the chance to get some vexing question answered, or try and find a better path, would you do so? Would your life be more rewarding if only [fill in the blank] was resolved? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, I have someone very interesting to introduce you to…

Enter Jusstine Kenzer, a striking brunette, and ‘it girl clairvoyant’ with 20 years of experience with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, movers and shakers (and everyone in between). A psychic healer, located in Los Angeles, California, she’s got ‘the gift,’ but she’s also blessedly down to earth and easy to talk to for the uninitiated, or clairvoyant-curious. We both agreed that the wedding industry is so heavily focused on the external: makeup, hair, the dress, the jewels, the shoes, but not much attention is paid to the internal. This mindset seems counter-intuitive – because clarity on the inside can only translate into clarity on the outside – which is the soul of true beauty. But it’s hard to market intangibles when everything from the silk buttons on your dress, or your chandelier earrings has a price tag. We hit on a theme: that brides (or anyone) might want to enter into their new life as a wife, partner and soul mate with a clean slate – unencumbered by doubts or fears: all questions answered with the future laid before them like a shiny new penny.

How then, to write about this grand experiment? Well, of course, to experience a reading of my own. Not knowing quite what to expect, I prepared for the session with an open mind, a list of questions and a sense of adventure (it’s not every day that you get to experience a reading by a world famous clairvoyant!).

It was, perhaps one of the most illuminating, interesting, and downright entertaining experiences I’ve ever had. She’s got the gift, and got the answers, (there was more than one instance of ‘how did she know that?’ moments!). It was important to be very specific in my queries, not at all vague, and try to remain in the here and now. It’s also a good idea to leave your skepticism at the door. If you don’t think that something is going to work, the odds are that your attitude will almost always change the outcome (resulting in the “glass half empty” syndrome). Asking questions such as “Am I going to win the lottery?” or “Am I going to live a long life?” aren’t really going to get you useful information. She’s reading your energy, not your fortune! But asking questions about specific people in your life, business deals you are working on now, past conflicts, lost loves, or an unresolved situation that needs closure will bring you specific and tangible rewards.

Like a targeted psychic Google search, you get real answers to your questions, and useful information to make better decisions about what’s happening right now, (in this case, your wedding!).  In my own case, one month later, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for opportunities that we highlighted in the reading, and feel pretty great about the people I’m blessed to have in my tribe.

Towards the end of the reading (the healing/clearing part), Jusstine takes you through a visualization process where you go through the steps of releasing ‘negative energy.’ One of the takeaways is that you can replicate this process later as part of your own meditation practice. I’ve always been a huge fan of meditation to handle stress, as it brings dopamine into the blood stream (the neurotransmitter that brings feelings of joy). Meditation also reduces cortisal: the ‘fight or flight’ steroid hormone that’s produced when you fend off a grizzly bear or have a grueling deadline at work. An overabundance of cortisal can cause a myriad of skin issues as well. I felt relaxed, positive and yes, a little lighter, (and got several nights of deep sleep).

In her own words, here’s what you can expect in a reading:

I am a clairvoyant, which means I can see and read energy clearly, just by using my psychic ability. I can help you find specific answers to your questions, as well as assist you to make positive lasting changes in your life. I’ve developed a unique method of releasing and shifting the energy around any situation you are experiencing, moving you toward the outcome you desire. Anyone can give you answers, however in my twenty years of doing this work, I have found that even with specific answers, you are still left experiencing the issue that lead you to ask “why” in the first place. I help you find the unconscious energies causing you to attracting the experiences you are in your life, and assist you in releasing them, causing you to create a different outcome, instantly. Think of it like having a closet that is so full, you can’t possibly fit in one other thing. You go along in life collecting up all kinds of energy, experiences and conditioning, yet no one teaches us how to clear them out. I help you clean out the closet of “you” so you can start to fill it full of new things and not just wake up tomorrow doing the same thing you did yesterday.

Balanced Bride Special Offer

Having a reading with Jusstine (if you can’t see her in person she reads individuals around the world by phone) was educational, enlightening and fun. For attendants, your partner and yourself – consider a non material, green, and gorgeous gift and enjoy the next, best, part of your life: cleared out, spruced up, relaxed and ready.  In a reading Jusstine customize the healing to help you clean up and clear up the specific things you are working on in all areas of your life.  However if you are specifically working on relationship issues, Jusstine has put the healing on an mp3 download which you can listen to as often as you like. the more you listen to it the more it will heal you. The Heal Your Relationship Space Meditation is normally $19.99 but Anti-Brides can get it for $9.99.

 

Polka Dot Bride takes some time out...

Polka Dot Bride is  little bit late on my monthly column for Anti-Bride, you see life got in the way of writing and it made me think – life, the trials, the tribulations, the upsets and the sadnesses can often get in the way of celebrating. Being a bride is no easy feat. Not only are your days filled with more joy that you can imagine at marrying the one you love, but they’re also filled with pain and sadness over arguments, longings, wishes and dreams that may not be able to come true. Remembering to breathe, to smell the roses, to embrace the moments you are enjoying, the moments that you will look back on one day and remember fondly or remember  – a little wiser, will make this time so much easier to bear.

Take the time to have a cup of tea with your loved one in the sunshine and dream of fantasies, take time to go on a country drive with your fiancée and enjoy the scenery. Read, really read the congratulatory messages your receive. Ground your feet and feel the earth between your toes. Hold each other tighter, dance in the darkness of your living room, cook your favourite meal while drinking your favourite wine, let the waves of giddiness envelope your personal little bubble. This is the time to embrace your emotions – both good and bad and feel what your life is bringing you. Stay in the moment and treasure every second.

 

Image credit: Mint Photography

As the leaves turn golden brown, my mind is starting to wander to more thoughtful subjects, wedding season in Australia is drawing to a close and the colder months, while still full of weddings are more of a time of reflection, of planning, of thoughts.

As a chocolate orange cake bakes in the oven and I am taken to places where chocolate cake and cozy experiences exist – today has again reminded me of embracing these experiences as a part of your wedding.

Coziness for me is welcoming, an embrace and warmth. Nothing quite replaces that feeling when you get home from a long day of work and your other half has baked your favorite meal – the scents as it wafts past you. The sight of a pot of tea and a soft rug when you show up at a friend’s house for an afternoon chat.

Last week, I wrote up a wedding where a bride felt so wonderful she felt “right at home”. Little touches can enhance your guests’ experience at your wedding and help them feel like they’ve come home. Think of:

• Hot drinks pre-ceremony
• Soft rugs in a woven basket for guests during winter
• A pre-wedding event for your guests to mingle & get to know each other
• Hand written notes at place cards to those who have helped you greatly
• An attendee welcoming & directing guests as they arrive to your event
• Lots of signage for guests who are too shy to ask for help
• Soft pillows for guests to lean again in lounge areas
• Quiet corners filled with candlelight & plates of nibbles
• A sweet serenade from your band’s musician to a couple you know & love
• Sweet smelling flowers for guests to wear in their hair
• Provide your favorite soap & a few soft towels in the bathrooms
• Light your reception with candlelight & lamps
• Serve family favorites like your mum’s pumpkin soup, beef stews & home baked bread

Coziness doesn’t take much – it takes a little thought and a little love, but it can change the experience of your guests from a memorable event to one that warms the soul.

About

Polka Dot Bride is Australia’s premier wedding blog and is read by thousands of brides worldwide. Polka Dot Bride is ranked within the top 20 Australian Women Bloggers and #53 out of the Top 100 Australian Bloggers as of June 2009. Polka Dot Bride has a passion to provide information on the latest trends in weddings, and inspirational and creative ideas for the Australian bride. Ms Polka Dot’s aim is to create a fun, informative, and stylish blog that is engaged with, and inclusive of, its readers. She writes a daily feature on the blog that includes new ideas, real weddings, fabulous finds and the beautiful and the inspirational. Polka Dot Bride readers are stylish and savvy; they want to make their wedding stand out from the crowd. Ms. Polka Dot’s aim is to inspire brides and grooms to create the wedding of their dreams.

 

Being fabulous in flight is all about the amenities...

It’s holiday time and many of you are no doubt traveling quite some distance to see friends and family. Whether you like flying or not (and I happen to love it), there are a few simple, easy, but effective measures I encourage to assist you on your way, making it just that bit more comfortable, and also ensuring you don’t arrive looking wrinkled, dirty and exhausted.

I have flown back and forth to the UK in the last few years more times than I have fingers and toes, and the few details I work in to my plan always ensure I have a relaxing and enjoyable flight.

 

Aside from the obvious reasons not to marry, such as you don’t really love your betrothed or are in love with another, etc., there are certain periods, astrologically speaking, that are less favorable for having the wedding ceremony that begins your life’s journey together. Let’s start with Venus. In astrology, Venus represents our relationships (of all types — intimate, platonic, familial, casual, committed, and that with the self), our material wealth, our value systems, our self-worth, our capacity to see beauty in the world, and our desires. She travels very close to the Sun (second only to Mercury) and is never more than two signs away from the Sun. Venus retrogrades every eighteen months. It is generally ill-advised to wed while Venus is retrograde. After all, she is the planet of love.

Another consideration is Mercury retrograde. In astrology, Mercury governs all manners of information gathering, processing and dissemination; mental processes; communication; commerce and trade; and transportation. He is the smallest planet our the solar system (now that Pluto has been demoted), the fastest moving planet in the zodiac, the closest planet to the Sun, and is never more than one sign away from the Sun. Mercury takes a break, slows down, and retrogrades three times a year for about three weeks. Now, Mercury retrograde is more of an inconvenience really. Miscommunication, delays, misunderstandings are common during a Mercury retrograde which could magnify an already stressful time for the bride, groom, family and friends. Having said that, a professional and thorough wedding planner would be an invaluable help in lifting much of the worry from the bride, bridal party and family.

In astrology, when a planet retrogrades, it is a time to turn the focus inward and not ideal for initiating action. For Venus, it might be a period of reflection, reconnecting, reviewing relationships, redefining worth (material worth or self-worth) and re-examining value systems. For Mercury, it could be a time of rethinking, re-planning, reorganization and reassessment.

If you find yourself with your wedding date already set during a Venus retrograde, it is best to the inner work a retrograde planet insists upon. In Venus’ case, both parties should each reflect upon and fully understand why they are getting married to this person. Take care of anything that might be a red flag. Honest and candid communication with the self and with each other should help uncover any hidden issues within the relationship.

I’m sure that there are couples who get married during a Venus retrograde that have successful marriages. Although I believe that working with the retrograde energy and each person doing the inner reflection required would greatly help the odds of happy coupling.

Venus retrograde dates are as follows (reflects North America PST):

– October 8 to November 18, 2010 ~ especially unfavorable for Scorpios and Libras born October 18 or later

– May 15 to June 27, 2012 ~ especially unfavorable for Geminis

– December 12, 2013 to January 31, 2014 ~ especially unfavorable for Capricorns

Mercury retrograde dates and factor in three days before the start & after the end dates can also be extra challenging days (reflects North America PST):

– remainder for 2010 ~ December 10 to 30

– 2011 ~ March 30 to April 23; August 2 to 26; November 24 to December 13

– 2012 ~ March 12 to April 4; July 15 to August 7; November 6 to 26

About

Jan aka Astrogrrl, is our marriage muse, our bride in the sky who can help you find the best time of year to tie the knot (or not). She’s got the 411 how astral haps affect our lives. Check in with Jan before you plan.

Links

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Polka Dot Bride on what really matters

Anti-Brides, I’ve been on the road on two spectacular press trips: Ireland and France, and now I’m back to bring on the best in blogging and running our spectacular Top Wed Blogger in Oz, Ms. Polka Dot Bride. I got a little off schedule the past month with some castles having dial up, some DSL, and some none at all. But it’s a gorgeous autumn here in wonderful, wireless SF, and we have much to show you in the upcoming posts. So without further ado…..

A letter to the bride…

Recently someone close to me got the proposal of her dreams. Today I share my letter to her, one that I hope other brides can take something from…

You are getting married in 14 month’s time! How wonderful is that! We just KNEW it would happen and we couldn’t be happier for you!

But I feel a tinge of sadness today, as already I can see the strain of wanting it all, getting it ‘perfect’, and trying to please everyone starting to encroach on your joy.

Take the time to enjoy just being engaged! You will never quite feel this way again – the wonder you fold inside yourself whenever you think of it, the endless possibilities of a fulfilling life together stretching endlessly ahead of you. It’s like a great big precious secret!

It is early days in the planning of your special day, so just now is the time to gather information, without feeling the pressure to make momentous decisions about every little detail.  Gather the ideas that you find appealing, and squirrel them away in a special folder, which will become your close companion in this wedding planning journey. As time goes on, you will find a theme emerging, of colours, of style and of particular things you hold dear, and that will be ‘not negotiable’.

Take the time to enjoy this process – it passes all too quickly and this time too, will be part of the memories that you take with you into your life together.

Money doth not maketh  a ‘perfect’ wedding! If you feel you will have to compromise too  much to have it all – you could choose  two or three things that are most important to get ‘right’. Then embark on finding that perfect item by exploring. No pressure – just fact finding!  Ask everyone you feel may be knowledgeable, pop into unlikely shops, explore little towns as you travel through them. Your will have time enough to formalise your ideas.

Your wedding day is a celebration of the beginning of your new family unit. That day will symbolise the start of a new chapter in your life with each other. And there is so much more to do together, before you are old and grey. This is just one day in this life journey.

It will be one of the most joyous occasions our family has celebrated together. But we are coming to celebrate you telling the world that you are creating your own family unit. All the trinkets and treasures you will have embellishing your surroundings will fade into insignificance when we witness you and your partner becoming husband and wife. That’s what is important to us!

And we know, that everything will be perfect just the way it is!

All my love to you

Ms. Polka Dot

About

Polka Dot Bride is Australia’s premier wedding blog and is read by thousands of brides worldwide. Polka Dot Bride is ranked within the top 20 Australian Women Bloggers and #53 out of the Top 100 Australian Bloggers as of June 2009. Polka Dot Bride has a passion to provide information on the latest trends in weddings, and inspirational and creative ideas for the Australian bride. Ms Polka Dot’s aim is to create a fun, informative, and stylish blog that is engaged with, and inclusive of, its readers. She writes a daily feature on the blog that includes new ideas, real weddings, fabulous finds and the beautiful and the inspirational. Polka Dot Bride readers are stylish and savvy; they want to make their wedding stand out from the crowd. Ms. Polka Dot’s aim is to inspire brides and grooms to create the wedding of their dreams.

 

We heart her new logo (and her!)

As we write about often on Polka Dot Bride, we value the personal touches that make your wedding uniquely yours.

So many weddings come across our desk that we are in the wonderful position of seeing many different styles of wedding from so many different areas of the world. Each of those weddings of course, have a special meaning to that bride and groom, but the ones that catch our eye particularly, are not the ones that have all the glittery, trendy touches (although they are beautiful too!), but the ones that have a unique heartfelt element that brings a lump to the throat.

As an observer on the ‘outside’ of that wedding, it will be that special ‘something’ that draws us into the couples’ day. Sometimes it’s unfathomable, sometimes it’s tangible – but it is always palpable.

It is easy to become caught up in having all the ‘right’ things at your wedding, because it is ‘trendy’. It is harder to buck the trend, be totally yourself and not be concerned about what other people think. It is, after all, YOUR day, and there are not ‘rights’ or ‘wrongs’ in doing it YOUR way. Yes there are certain rules you must follow e.g. getting the marriage license, but heck, we all know those rules!

But if you want to put pink, purple and orange spots together as your theme, because they are your favourite colours, who is anyone to judge! If your Dad wants to sing you his special childhood song to you in his off key voice,  or Grandma wants you to wear her lavender perfume, because she wore it on her wedding day, Aunt Maisie wants to make the wedding cake – does it really matter what anyone else thinks?

There are weddings that are styled to within an inch of their lives, with not a colour out of place, and every element of the wedding oozing perfection. But although these weddings are often a feast for the eyes, they also, (from an ‘outsiders’ perspective, looking in) well….a little bland. We don’t see the photos of the heartfelt touches, (if there are any at all) or of the crazy shenanigans behind the scenes. Those are the things we will giggle at in the years to come, or we’ll cry whenever we smell that lavender!

Now that’s what’s important to us all isn’t it? The laughter, the sentiment, the unbridled joy! The warmth of family and friends who want to contribute to make this day extra special for you. When you look back at your wedding day on your thirtieth wedding anniversary, it will be the people you remember, not whether the bonbonniere were perfect.

About

Polka Dot Bride is Australia’s premier wedding blog and is read by thousands of brides worldwide. Polka Dot Bride is ranked within the top 20 Australian Women Bloggers and #53 out of the Top 100 Australian Bloggers as of June 2009. Polka Dot Bride has a passion to provide information on the latest trends in weddings, and inspirational and creative ideas for the Australian bride.
Ms Polka Dot’s aim is to create a fun, informative, and stylish blog that is engaged with, and inclusive of, its readers. She writes a daily feature on the blog that includes new ideas, real weddings, fabulous finds and the beautiful and the inspirational. Polka Dot Bride readers are stylish and savvy; they want to make their wedding stand out from the crowd. Ms. Polka Dot’s aim is to inspire brides and grooms to create the wedding of their dreams.

 

Nick Brown and Sophie Kirkpatrick at Craigieburn, Bowral, Southern Highlands. Garden wedding.

The planning for your wedding has been at times, overwhelming. The build-up and nerves are threatening to over take you. Your usually sensible, organised and calm demeanour seems to have disappeared.

But today is your wedding day and it is now time to ‘let go’, to know that ‘what will be, will be’! It is time to put aside the worries about the table decorations or whether the day will run smoothly, and just breathe.

This day that has been months in the planning and has at times, seemed so far away, passes in a flash, welcoming guests from far and wide, being the centre of attention and the see-sawing of emotions from tears to joy.

So how do you and your partner ensure that you get to fit in a few personal moments that you will remember as ‘touchstones’ on your day?

The night before your wedding, escape the clutches of family and friends, and meet at a pre-arranged spot to take in the quiet. It could be sitting overlooking the sea, on a mountain top overlooking the lights of the city, at a favourite eatery or bar. Whichever you choose, take the time to make it special by drinking your favourite wine, or simply affirming in private your commitment to each other and your hopes and dreams for the future.

Or, get up an hour earlier on the day, and meet somewhere for breakfast, or a picnic you have prepared the night before. It need only be simple, but will give you some breathing space together before facing the jumble of activity of the day ahead. Perhaps giving each other a small heartfelt gift such as a poem, a heart shaped rock collected from that favourite spot, or drawing a message in the sand will be something that you can tuck away to be remembered in a quiet moment.

Slip away, even for five minutes after the ceremony, to just ‘be’. Perhaps you have something special to say, or just want to hold each other and savour your own particular feelings, that saying ‘I do’ has meant to you both.

Take time to stand at the perimeter of the wedding celebration for a moment with your husband and take in the scene of all the laughter, music and your loved ones together in the one room. Take a ‘photo’ in your mind’s eye – for this is the essence of happiness!

After all, your wedding day closes a chapter in your life, and opens a whole new book upon which to start writing about your new life.

About Polka Dot Bride

Polka Dot Bride is Australia’s premier wedding blog and is read by thousands of brides worldwide. Polka Dot Bride is ranked within the top 20 Australian Women Bloggers and #53 out of the Top 100 Australian Bloggers as of June 2009. Polka Dot Bride has a passion to provide information on the latest trends in weddings, and inspirational and creative ideas for the Australian bride.
Ms Polka Dot’s aim is to create a fun, informative, and stylish blog that is engaged with, and inclusive of, its readers. She writes a daily feature on the blog that includes new ideas, real weddings, fabulous finds and the beautiful and the inspirational. Polka Dot Bride readers are stylish and savvy; they want to make their wedding stand out from the crowd. Ms. Polka Dot’s aim is to inspire brides and grooms to create the wedding of their dreams.

Photos: http://www.davidhenryphotography.com.au

 

Escape to romantic Calistoga.

Calistoga is the ideal setting for a romantic love story:  Enchanting castles, a secluded mountain setting, hand-crafted luscious wines, steaming mineral springs, mouth-watering delicacies and picturesque surroundings. Below is a complete itinerary for a weekend hideaway.

Friday

Romantic Quarters – However you choose to arrive, make sure to check into the Mt. View Hotel & Spa located in heart of Calistoga. Rule number one of seduction is setting the scene and Mt. View Hotel & Spa happily succeeds. This newly renovated art-deco cosmopolitan hotel seduces every guest effortlessly. Set in a historical 1917 building, it boasts a variety of artist cottages, balcony suites and guestrooms and is the backdrop to many loves stories, including the romance between the proprietors, Michael & Stephanie Woods. With amenity-filled rooms, including winery suites which are paired with local romantic wineries, there are numerous packages to choose from, lovingly created by General Manager Andrea Hoogendoorn, giving guests endless reasons to cuddle and kiss. 1457 Lincoln Avenue (800) 816-6877

Vino & Cuisine – BarVino offers an extensive wine list, three-course menu specials and small plates with big bites. Once you’ve checked into your hotel, BarVino is conveniently located next to Mt. View Hotel & Spa with an entrance in the front lobby. The ambience is hip, modern which translates into a city vibe. Either as a local hoping to escape or a tourist wanting to unwind BarVino provides the best of the both, city sprawl, and urban crawl.

Saturday

Morning Jolt – Start your morning off right and increase your personal karma by supporting a local poet who also owns the most popular organic roasting house in town. Coffee at Yo el Rey is the best in town and a great place to meet and converse with locals. Located right off Lincoln avenue, Yo el Rey also features local underground art on its walls. Some examples are large stunning photographs by local travel photographer Liza Gershman, and poems hand written by the eccentric owner, J. Kirk Feiereisen. 1217 Washington Street (707) 942-1180

Quintessential Romantic Wineries – Sterling Vineyards, “one of the more spectacular wineries in Napa Valley,” according to Frank Prial of The New York Times. At this hilltop winery, the reserve tour and tasting at 11 a.m. starts with a tram ride up the hill to the winery, where you will gasp at a nearly 360° aerial view of the valley. These stunning views are sure to set the perfect tone for your romantic day. Your experience at Sterling will also include vintage wine tasting and an escorted winery tour lead by an experienced guide.  1111 Dunaweal Lane (707) 942-3300

Larkmead Vineyards embodies the picture perfect wine country atmosphere; an astonishing 90 plus wines scored by Robert Parker for their 2006 collection, an on-premise wine dog, picturesque vineyard views and a contemporary interior, there is no need to go beyond Calistoga to experience Napa Valley. Make an appointment in advance and allow time to unwind, learn about wine and soak up the wine-country lifestyle. 1100 Larkmead Lane (888) 743-7446

On weekends, every half an hour, there is a tasting tour at an incredible new winery, Castello di Amorosa, the castle of love. Allow yourself to be guided through this Italian-inspired castle to explore the stairway-filled towers, a medieval torture chamber, vast wine cellars, and Italian artisan hand-painted murals,  “where no detail was overlooked,” says The Boston Globe.  If you have never had the pleasure of exploring ancient European castles, this is your chance to tour an accurately replicated version crafted entirely from select materials imported from Italy.  The result has every ounce of character inherent to an authentic Italian castello. 4045 Saint Helena Highway (707) 942-8200

Sunday

Relaxation & Leisure – Center your spirit and bond over the “couples indulgence” package to start your morning off right at Mt. View Spa where they practice the ‘art of relaxation’ daily. Enjoy an array of hydrotherapy baths, personal steam rooms and well-deserved massages in their blissful green-friendly spa that is accessible by appointment to anyone seeking the sublime.

Calistoga is a walking town and it allows you to spend a day without having to drive, which is rarity nowadays. After your treatments, start with walking down to the Calistoga Bike Shop and rent a bike for a self-guided bike tour. 1318 Lincoln Ave (707) 942-9687.  Pick up some picnic supplies at Palisades Deli, also located on Lincoln Avenue, and hit the two hottest wineries within biking distance.

Newly-opened Lava Vine Winery & Tasting Room is the perfect spot to ride your bike up to, park and drink some amazing wine. Syrah is their signature hand-crafted wine however the Viognier is worth noting as well, and my personal favorite. This small production winery has a laid back vibe, an outside seating area and friendly staff making your intimate tasting a delightful experience. The best part is that they hand deliver any wines you’d like purchase to your hotel so you can continue biking without the hassle. 965 Silverado Trail (707) 942-9500

At the foot of Mount St. Helena resides a world-class winery that takes serious winemaking to a revolutionary level — literally.  Notoriously know as the inspiration for the recent movie Bottle Shock, Chateau Montelena remains grounded in a traditional beauty that honors its beginnings.  At the legendary Paris Tasting of 1976, Chateau Montelena’s ’73 Chardonnay defeated the French Meursault-Charmes ’73, history was born and California wine started on the path to its well-deserved fame. Hidden behind the winery under layers of green ivy emerges a classic stone castle carved into the hillside, reminiscent of an old French chateau.  More than a simple tourist attraction, it functions as a unique wine tasting facility; and a serious winery calls for serious tasting, so make sure to experience the Library and Current Release Tasting, which feature some of the rarest and most highly-sought California wines. 1429 Tubbs Lane (707) 942-5105

Keep on Romancing….

About Autumn Millhouse

Autumn Millhouse is a local travel writer, international trekker and self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic”. Author of the hugely popular Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, she is currently working on two books with similar themes dealing with travel and romance. In Calistoga, her book is available at Copperfield Book Store, Solage Spa, Castello di Amorosa and Sterling Winery. Check out her blog at www.romanticnapavalleybook.com.

 

Hey Anti-Brides, I have to fess up, this bride Dr. Savant mentions below, is me, and although it’s been a few years since I’ve been on our honeymoon, the advice still stands. I have never been to Popoyo, Nicaragua to surf in May when the waves are jacked up and barreled – rather, January and March when the waves are easy rollers. Although my hubs was surfing like Slater all day in spots like Playgrounds, Panga Drops, Popoyo, and Colorado, (and a secret spot that I promised a certain young surfer named Auggie I will never reveal), there were only a few places where this long board girl could go. Popoyo is a pro surf mecca, hosting the likes of C.J. Hobgood, Slater, and our friends Justin Cote of TransWorld SURF and Strider Wasilewski of Quiksilver.

That said, it bears mentioning that any time a couple with mismatched surfing skills honeymoons or travels together, thought should be given to safety and potential injury. If there is a reef involved (and the requisite wipe out), you risk cuts, bruises and possibly broken bones. In my case, it was very windy, and schlepping a long board to the spots was like wrestling an alligator, which caused a lot of back and forth movement across the rib cage (and then up to 3 hours of paddling once in the water). Luckily for me, after my dear virtual Doctor Savant nailed the condition over email, it was no surfing for me for 3 days (Advil and Flor de Cana helped), poolside at the fabulous hill top Two Brothers Surf Resort. So before you think you are having a heart attack (the waves can do that to you anyway) – let Dr. Savant help you gauge what to really be scared about and when to just take it easy.

Also, note to self: if you are in a very remote jungle hut and you do have something life threatening, make sure you have a local phone ($20 at the airport) and travel insurance. Medivac helicopters can wipe out your bank account if you aren’t covered – $50-70 worth of travel insurance can go a long way. Read on!

I got an email from a friend who was on vacation about some chest pain she was having and I thought there were some interesting points about her situation and chest pain in general that could be helpful to think about.  Now, our bride and groom are fit but work too hard, like most successful people tend to do. They like to swim and surf so they took a long overdue vacation to a remote beach in Nicaragua for two weeks of surfing. The weather was great but a little windy and on some days the waves were pretty choppy. After a few days our bride started having pain in her chest that got progressively worse, so she stopped surfing.  It hurt when she was paddling her board out and then ached all night, especially when she took deep breaths or pressed on her sternum. Of course, having chest pain freaked her out and being in such a remote place made her even more anxious about it.  As it turned out her chest pain came from inflammation in the joint where the rib attaches to the sternum (breastbone) and was likely caused by strain and excessive use. Paddling in rough water, holding up her board on a windy beach, and even surfing more than usual are what caused the inflammation. The treatment for it is ice and using an anti-inflammatory medication like aspirin or ibuprofen.

So the question is what kind of chest pain should you be worried about? For the most part, everybody thinks about their heart when they have chest pain but there are lots of causes so here’s a quick way to think about it.  The chest pain caused by a heart attack is more commonly not even a pain at all but rather more like a crushing chest pressure. It’s as if an elephant were sitting on your chest and you just couldn’t get a breath in. Heart attack type chest pressure will not last for more than 30-60 minutes.  It will either get better suddenly or get much worse but won’t last all night.  Sometimes it can come on with exertion and stop with rest. Many times chest pain; especially in young, healthy, active people; is caused by an injury to the chest wall. Remember, your heart is protected in a cage that is layered with bone, muscle, cartilage, and other soft tissue so if you can reproduce the pain by pressing on your chest it’s not your heart.  Of course, it’s always important to know your health history, which includes your family’s history of heart disease, especially if it happened in someone at a young age.  The best way to do this is to check in with your doctor every year or two for a physical.  This way you can feel confident when you engage in strenuous activities, and that includes sex (a vacation must).

About

Dr. Savant heads up the Savant Medical Group in San Francisco. Dr. Savant attended the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California in 1997 where he was given the “Grace Under Fire” Award by the Emergency Department. He then went to New York City to be on the Faculty of the Division of General Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital where he also served as a clinical instructor to the third year medical students at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. He was identified by the medical students as an excellent clinical teacher and role model for the 1998-99 academic year.