Advertising on The Flirty Guide

I often receive advertising inquiries from companies that want to advertise on this blog and/or on The Flirty Guide. Many are inquiries from companies outside of Northern California and even outside of the United States. At this time I am not building a national resource but will hold onto your submission and contact you when this changes and I am able to open up The Flirty Guide to advertisers outside of the Bay Area. Most of the companies listed on the national link are satellite offices of Bay Area companies but a few I'm testing out to create the business model for going nationwide in the future.

For those of you who are located in Northern California I thought it would be helpful to put forth this information so that those of you who are interested can see if your company fits our advertiser's profile:

The Flirty Guide has very specific criteria about the companies who we support and publicize as our advertisers. Please review this list before submitting your company for consideration.

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1. You have impeccable business ethics and offer top notch customer service:
The Flirty Guide is looking for professionals who exemplify the highest ethics and integrity in the way they interact with both their clients and their peers. Seriously, if you don't have great ethics or offer great customer service you need not apply.

2. You take genuine pride in the product or service you offer each client:
The Flirty Guide is looking for true artisans. Whether your pricing is moderate to expensive what is most important is that the quality of the product or the level of service you offer or show on your website, in your marketing collateral or in private consultations is equal to the quality of the product or service you will provide to your clients once they hire or book you. To bait and switch is simply unacceptable.

The style of your product or work must also complement the visual aesthetics of The Flirty Guide. If you aren't sure if your product or service is the right fit, please contact me using the form at the link below for consideration.

3. Your business model is owner operated, with yourself as the primary designer, lead or consultant:
My goal is to feature small business owners who are sole proprietors. If as the lead designer or talent you employ an assistant or small staff to support your work that's fine.

What I'm not looking to feature on The Flirty Guide are agencies or multi-ops that employ numerous independent or subcontracted employees, larger companies that represent numerous small businesses or companies that heavily feature mass produced products that aren't their own original designs.

Please note there are many wonderful companies that fit the afore mentioned business models but, with a few exceptions, they simply aren't the type of businesses I have chosen to feature here on The Flirty Guide :)

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CLICK HERE to visit this page on The Flirty Guide, view the advertising options and use the contact form to send in your company for consideration.

A New Flirty Logo for The Flirty Guide

A geeky girl web designing tip: So here's the thing, when people come to visit your website... They may not always enter through your home page, they may enter on any page that someone has sent them a link to or that they found on a search engine or social bookmarking site. If your company name isn't on every page they may not realize where they are... With this in mind...

The other day I was chatting with Lea McIntosh from Ready to Propose and was asking her for any suggestion about how to improve The Flirty Guide website. She only had one comment for me but it was a good one. Previously she had suggested moving the name of The Flirty Guide to the top of the page as I had integrated it into the center of the main copy... Like this:

It wasn't that I disagreed with her. I had thought about creating a header in the past but couldn't decide if I wanted to sacrifice the space for one. After she mentioned it a second time I thought about it harder and came up with this new look for the top of each page on the site:

In fact I love our new logo so much I'm going to use it in a new ad that will be in the Modern Bridal insert that the San Francisco Chronicle next month. I'm thinking this is the ad... If you'd like to share your opinion which do you like better? The one where our name is larger or smaller? The actual width of the ad is going to be 5.5 inches wide. You can click on each picture to view each in the approximate size of the actual ad:

Ad #1 smaller text

Ad #2 larger text

Flirty Ideas • Comments are here!

Our CTO takes a well deserved break!

YAY! We have an exciting new option on The Flirty Guide thanks to our Chief Technical Officer, John, or as he prefers to be addressed, the awesome and amazing John. LOL. He just finished creating a custom web application for The Flirty Guide so that our visitors can now leave comments as they browse through our Flirty Ideas!


That's right! Now when you view any of the Flirty Ideas in the Idea Gallery you can leave a question or comment at the bottom of each page! I'll be happy to answer as many questions as I can. The comment boxes are now located beneath each idea.

Just fill in your name to the left, and if you want your name to link to your own website or blog, enter the url to the right, fill in the comment field and hit the submit button and Taaa daaa! Your comment will be posted.

Just an FYI, off topic and SPAM comments will be removed. If you spot a comment that you feel needs to be reviewed please click on the "Flag Abuse" link in the bottom right corner of each post. You can see a sample of the link below. So if you see profanity, vulgarity or SPAM please let me know. I or one of the moderators will review and remove it in a jiffy.

Hope you all have fun with this great new option! Don't be shy... We'd love to hear from you!

Win a Flirty Caketopper!

I've decided to try something new. The Treasure Hunt contest is evolving. Rather then 1 $50 prize each week I'm upping the stakes to 1 $300 prize per month. Well for this month at least. This month you can enter the contest once per week. At the end of the month I will draw one name to win one of my The Flirty Bride, Loop-d-Loop Flowers with Swarovski Crystal Centers, Custom Cake Toppers in your choice of custom colors.

If you've never played the Treasure Hunt just CLICK HERE to find out how!

Find The Flirty Guide on Facebook!

If you're a woman who lives in the Bay Area and you have a Facebook account, you may be seeing our new The Flirty Guide ad on Facebook! If you see it, you should *click* on it and come take a peek at the site :o)

If you're already a Facebook member and want to stay up to date with what we're up to, you can join The Flirty Guide's Facebook Fan Site by Clicking Here.

Now you can subscribe to The Flirty Guide Idea Page!

Ever wish you could find out when a new Flirty Idea has been added to The Flirty Guide? Now you can! TFG is pleased to let you know that we are now offering RSS on our Idea Archive Page. Just click on the feed sign above or in the left hand side bar on the Flirty Ideas Page. Be among the first to know what's new!

Créme de la Créme was a huge hit!

I'm happy to report that the Créme de la Créme Bridal Rendezvous was a huge hit! The brides and grooms showed up in force. I had an absolute blast talking to everyone! In fact I hardly had time to take a breath I was talking so much. LOL. The event was held at the Toll House in downtown Los Gatos. With a beautiful outdoor patio and an intimate ballroom the Toll House is a wonderful choice to host a wedding or private party.


Here was our Flirty Booth at the showcase. We gave out goodie bags again and sponsored another fun contest. Prizes included a custom flirty illustration created by mwa and printed on the winners choice of fun products. And another 4 winners received iTunes gift cards sponsored by "The Only DJ" Carl Mindling.





These are the adorable floral magnets Nancy Crain of Favorable Expressions put together for our Goodie Bags. One was a silk flower ornament, the other a picture frame. Sooooo cute!

This is a photo of mwa with the creator and sponsor of the show, Nicole D'Ambra. Nicole is a professional wedding coordinator and had just returned from a trip to China where she was one of 3 event coordinators, chosen as keynote speakers to represent the United States wedding industry at the Chinese International Wedding Expo.


Here are two photos of lighting by Enhanced Lighting and Sound. They clearly show the range of lighting options that are possible from whimsical...


To breathtakingly elegant.


Here is a gorgeous pink lighting wall wash in the background of Marizette Paperie's display. Marivics Card Company and Babycakes Design have undergone a fusion creating a brand new invitation company combining two of the Bay Areas best businesses into one brand new company!


My friend Bonnie Harper from One World Designs was there. Bonnie and I met years ago and have been friends ever since. Bonnie, like myself, creates custom jewelry, hair ornaments and other accessories for brides. In another world we could have viewed each other as rivals, instead we chose to be be friendly colleagues. I hadn't seen Bonnie for a few years so it was wonderful to catch up with her before and after the show and see all of her new gorgeous accessories.


And of course there were some TFG professionals at the show. David Ethridge of A Video Reflection just happened to be across the way from me. His display was gorgeous! I'll admit it. I had booth envy. OK, here's why. Look at the area behind Dave's booth. It's a really cool arc with a custom sign hanging from it. Now look behind my display. See the difference? Can you imagine how great my display would look with a cool backdrop like his made with our flirty colors? Oh it would be sooooo cute! Someday, someday.






Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous table designs by Nicole D'Ambra! The flowers adorning the entire show from ballroom to terrace were designed and provided by Asiel Designs. Every time I turned around there was Jonathan setting up yet another stunning display. In the ballroom, the lobby, the terrace, their wonderful arrangements were everywhere. The table settings were from Classic Party Rentals and the table linens by Wildflower Linens.

Here was my favorite. It was the "Flirty" table.


And the "Elegant" table...


The "Rock Star" table...




More TFG peeps! Carl Mindling, always the team player, came to lend a hand setting up the show. And that's Jenny Voight from Satura Cakes who had just arrived to set up her display but stopped for a quick photo op. Yummmmmm Satura cake. I think I'm due for a visit!


A classic tiered cake by Satura Cakes.


LOL I LOVE these photos! More TFG Peeps! That's wedding coordinator Jean Marks and DJ Ron Grandia having fun in the photo booth! How memorable would that be? Renting a photo booth for your reception or event and letting your friends ham it up for the camera. Jean stopped by to say hello, and Ron, like Carl, came just to pitch in and help out.


The Photo booth was provided by Photoworks Interactive.

I also had my first cup of chai tea made just for me by Travlin' Joe. I got some great photos and will tell you in great detail about my cup of tea later this week. For now I'll tell you it was fabulous and I loved it!


The linens for the show were provided by Wildflower Linens. From ruched to sequined to beaded table covers, and beautifully draped and bustled chair covers, their pieces were simply stunning. Seriously, a lot of their table covers are made of the same fabrics couture evening gowns could be made of. One look at their samples and all you can think is "WOW" the possibilities are limitless!


Feet in the Sand Pedicures was a new company I met for the first time yesterday. I've only had one pedicure in my life. It was great. My feet had never looked so pretty ever before, or ever after that time for that matter. My friend and colleague, Jewel Savadelis and I had a girl's night, got pedicures then went out to dinner after. It was great fun! We might just have to do it again.


I also met Mura Wines for the first time. Winemaker Ron Mura was awarded the Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Best of Show - Red Wines at the San Francisco Bay Area Wine Competition Some of you might find interesting that their wines are low in sulfites & histamines.


Another well established company that was new to me was Balcy's Fine Jewelry. I'm sure if I shopped for diamonds I'd have been familiar with their company as they are another local business located in Los Gatos. Sadly, I've only bought myself diamonds, once, years ago. It was a tiny, estate band with itsy, bitsy channel mounted stones on it's face. Being engaged I had to get used to wearing a larger stone on my hand. When my husband proposed one of the first things I told my friends was "The ring is too big" to which they replied I could have it resized. I laughed and said no I meant the stone was too big, for me. For my taste. They all thought I was crazy. Looking back I have to agree. I love my ring now. Exactly the way it is, with the once too big stone and all :o)

What do Turkey, Dubai and Tennessee all have in common?

They all have fans of The Flirty Guide! And the list is growing!

Can you believe it? I'm still kind of reeling. Turns out that brides, women and men everywhere are finding The Flirty Guide online.

I mean it's a given that locals here in the Bay Area are finding TFG. Word of mouth combined with local advertising is helping us to be discovered. Our most enthusiastic Treasure Hunt winner was the Mother of a Bride in Daly City. And just last week our winner hailed from Redwood City, and before that? Campbell and San Jose. And at the recent Promises and Pearls Soiree up in SF? I loved that some brides were discovering the site for the first time while others said they had already been to the site after finding it on their own.

I expected local brides to find the site. What I didn't expect is that brides nationwide and internationally would also be finding The Flirty Guide. *Gasp, gasp, thud.* I didn't see that coming. Eventually, yes, but not in our first two months out!

One bride in Dubai (located in the United Arab Emirates) messaged me a few days ago to inquire about having her bridal bouquet freeze dried after reading about Shanel's Spring Flowers and Frames here on TFG. Turns out it is possible. Shanel's has preserved bouquets for international brides before from as far away as Japan. Who woulda thunk?

And Turkey? I found a link back to a Turkish site when I was doing a search to see who on the www was linking back to TFG. Imagine my surprise when I found a site, obviously European, in a foreign language I didn't recognize. I wasn't sure, and actually still am not sure, if they were fans at first, because I don't read Turkish, but in the comments I saw one of these little sideways smiley face emoticons :) so I figured it must be a somewhat positive review of our first Flirty Everyday Idea. I'm seriously considering converting this feature into a blog so visitors can leave comments right on the site.


Then just yesterday I received an email from a woman in Tennessee who saw my comments about sending anyone who asked for them, a set of our 5 flirty postcards for free. She said: " I'd love to get them! They are SOO cute! I love your site! Found it yesturday! Too cute!" Now that gives me the warm fuzzies :o)

Can I just say I'm loving this? So if you live in a state that isn't California or a country that isn't the United States? Please drop me an email or leave a comment in the blog. It tickles me to no end to see how fast and how far TFG is spreading around the globe.

Créme de la Créme is this Sunday!

Everybody ready? If you're getting married or know somebody who is be sure to register and drop by for the Créme de la Créme bridal showcase this Sunday, March 16th in downtown Los Gatos.

Hosted by Nicole D'ambra Wedding Consulting this is shaping up to be one fabulous bridal showcase. I've already dropped off our Goodie Bags to Nicole. They'll be included in the main show gift bags but I'll also have extras at our booth so if you know a bride or groom who couldn't make it to the show be sure to swing by and pick an extra one up for her, or him!

These are the same goodie bags I mentioned in my Promises and Pearls post but added to this one is a special little somethin somethin from Armando at Get Your Do Up!

Promises and Pearls was a Great Showcase

The Flirty Guide on my 30" Cinema Display at our booth.

So last week was The Flirty Guide's first bridal showcase. It was the Promises and Pearls event up in San Francisco, South of Market at the SF Design Center Galleria. You can see lots of fun pictures and read all about it on our new Events Page on The Flirty Guide. We gave away some really cute goodies, sponsored a killer contest and met a lot of really great brides and grooms. It was so much fun!

Our TFG Greeting Card that went into every show Goodie Bag

We'll be doing it again soon at the Créme de la Créme a Bridal Rendezvous in Los Gatos on Sunday March 16th. It'll be great, you should come. You can read more about the event and register on their website by CLICKING HERE.

So Fun, So Flirty! TFG Postcards

Check out the new postcards I'm having made for the Promises and Pearls and Créme de la Créme bridal showcases coming up next month! I'll have 5 styles of postcards for both brides, their friends who aren't engaged and even one for the grooms! If you're not attending the shows and really want one, just email me your address and I'll pop a few in the mail to you. I'll be picking them up from the printers next week. Oh and if you and your friends come to the showcases be sure to drop by my booth to say hello! I'll be running a very fun and flirty contest at both events and as "The Flirty Bride" am donating one of my comb tiaras as a door prize raffle item at the Promises and Pearls showcase.

Kira and Ken - How Barbies Date

LOL so here is the latest Flirty Idea I posted on The Flirty Guide the other day. It's a video my sweetie and I made to show at our wedding reception recreating the awkward courtship we endured which led to our dating. CLICK HERE to read more and to watch our funny video. Some might call it a romantic comedy though at the time it felt more like a docu-drama. I hadn't dated for 3 years when my hubby began asking me to "coffee." I'd been way too busy running my flirty little empire so it took quite a bit of effort on his part to wear me down and convince me to go out with him. LOL It only took one date and I knew he was the real deal :o)

Embracing Diversity the Flirty Way

You know that old saying? "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" Well it's so true and more often then not those around us find more beauty in us then we see in ourselves. It's kind of sad really, how so many of us end up with warped body images by believing all of the hype around us whether it be from our peers, the media, or our families.

Well all I can say is I love diversity! It's what makes the world interesting! When it comes to people, petite through plus, of every ethnicity, age and gender, with handicaps and without, with different hobbies and interests... You're all flirty people in this flirty world!

How does "Flirty" translate? To me it means someone who knows how to embrace the concept of expressing her or himself in a truly carefree and positive manner. Someone unafraid to flirt with all of the wonderful and endless possibilities that life has to offer. Being flirty isn't about attracting the opposite sex. It's not an age or income level. It's a state of mind. It's about being daring and having fun as YOU define who you are.

I will continue developing new flirty girls and guys until eventually everyone will see themselves represented somewhere on The Flirty Guide.


Here on TFG I feel it's important for everyone to be represented and embraced for exactly who they are in the moment, not who they might want to be someday. That song by Christina Aguilera? Beautiful. Love it! We can all gain or lose weight, change our hair color, get a nip or a tuck, dress up or down but no matter what we do? The essence of who we are at our core, our personality, character and heart? Are always the same. The only thing that really changes is our perception of how we view ourselves.

So the next time you look in the mirror? Try to see who you are, not just what you look like, then smile because if you're here reading my blog, chances are you are one fabulous and flirty individual!

TFG's First Bridal Showcases!

The City: Promises and Pearls a Bridal Soiree

Wednesday March 5, 2008
San Francisco Design Center Galleria
7:00 to 9:00 pm
Please RSVP to attend by CLICKING HERE

This is one fabulous soiree! I was honored to attend last years event as a guest, this year I'll be a paritcipant launching The Flirty Guide at it's first showcase ever! Brides and grooms looking to meet some of the Bay Areas best and brightest event professionals should definitely plan on attending.



South Bay: Créme de la Créme a Bridal Rendezvous

Sunday March 16, 2008
The Toll House, Los Gatos California
1:00 to 4:00 pm
Please RSVP to attend by Clicking Here

This is a new show created by Wedding Consultant Nicole D'Ambra. I'm sure it will be a great experience for the brides and grooms who attend. I'm very much looking forward to participating and introducing The Flirty Guide to the world!


I've been working hard on designing our flirty give away items. I'll post about them here on the blog once they're done.