It’s going to be ChaCha big, so get ready to ChaCha cheer for your Super Bowl team!

Super Bowl 45 in Texas is Sunday February 6th at 6:30pm with the NFC champion Green Bay Packers versus the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers vying for the title.

The Cowboy’s stadium wants to have the claim to fame of having the most Superbowl fans in attendance beating the 1980 record of 104,000 fans. With ticket prices starting at $2,300 and going to the crazy ChaCha price of $22,000 plus, the stadium will be selling $200 tickets to watch TV screens outside the stadium.

Now, I am neither a Packers nor a Steelers fan, but I hear that both of those teams have die-hard, loyal, crazy (in a good way) fans and they might want to pay $200. At least they will get to watch the commercials on TV like the other estimated 153 million viewers verse the fans inside!

In fact, the commercials are the excitement for me and of course seeing if my ChaCha favorites are playing like the Clydesdale horses for Budweiser or the talking baby from Etrade. Check out these past fan favorites at http://superbowl-ads.com/article_archive/

The show will start off with five time singer-songerwriter Christina Aguilera singing the National Anthem. Finally, a band that is not past its prime will be singing the half time performance and I am sure the Black Eyed Peas will rock Texas like an oil well exploding.

For any Steelers or Packers fans, we have ChaCha Rings in your team colors. You will be the talk of your party - all blinged out and ready to ChaCha Cheer. We can make any NFL, College, high school or public recreation team colors, just contact us.

In fact, the Suzanne ring is in Gator colors of orange and blue! Of course, that also works for other schools too. http://www.chachabella.com/store/home.php?cat=282

Get creative at your Superbowl party! If you serve something have a ChaCha fun name like Packer’s Potato Soup or Steeler’s Savory Shrimp Dip. Fill your clear vases with M&M’s in your team colors. Put a kids football on a kicking tee as your centerpiece. Have the men make paper footballs and have a little contest during the commercials for accuracy and length of flicking. Tell the women to make and act out a cheer from their past days in high school or college. Always have a signature drink besides beer and wine, such as ‘Packer’s Punch’ or ‘Steeler’s Stay Home tomorrow from work drink’!

Enjoy the game and may your team win! ChaCha Bella rings are always a winner!



If you have a great Superbowl story, share it with me at Suzanne at s@chachabella.com and win a ring in your team’s color!

Reading classifieds can make you even more depressed than giving up chocolate for a week.

With the new additions of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, my experience with public relations and marketing is dinosaur ancient. The last time I typed APP into my computer, I was searching the best apple for pies, not free downloads that might help me with my paint colors, coffee calories or the weather. I guess “googling” is not what a future employer may desire in terms of computer experience. Writing is something I love to do, and blogging is a great outlet that lets me be creative while keeping my skills sharp. Yet, I have to actually blog about something ChaCha related. The beauty is that ChaCha represents all things fabulous women can do for themselves and others, so there are endless writing opportunities.

Today’s blog is about how I began searching for the perfect part-time job on Craig’s List and the Atlanta Journal Constitution on line newspaper. This non-existent job incorporates marketing, creativity, public relations, sales and writing. I even looked into non-profit work since my volunteer experience is in that area of expertise. My ideal drive is within 20 miles of my house and my hours are flexible. And, of course, the pay is excellent.

Being a realist, I know this won’t be listed in the classifieds, but I still believe the opportunity is out there, even if I have to create the position myself. ChaCha Girls make their own path in life. Sometimes luck, friends, or a divine intervention push you a certain direction, but ultimately you have to work hard to succeed and create the opportunity.

While Zach Braff playing a doctor on Scrubs makes $350,000 an episode or 7.7 million a year and the women of Desperate Housewives earned $450,000 an episode for 10.1 million a year, I was just hoping to earn enough to pay for a cleaning service and a manicure once a week.

Effective July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage increased to $7.25 per hour. Some states go as high as $8.25, with Washington state offering the highest of $8.55 an hour. I am fortunate that I don’t have to work and I can raise my children, but there is something for actually wanting to work and making a contribution to society. I didn’t graduate with honors for the heck of it!

P.S. Did you know that I also write poems, roasts, and toasts for birthdays, bridal showers, graduations, retirement, or any fun event that you desire. It is of course done in perfect ChaCha style that will delight you and your guest of honor!

If you have been out of the workforce for more than 10 years and recently re-entered, share your story and win a ChaChaBella ring that screams “Yay Me!” Or, if you need a poem for a special event, contact Suzanne at s@chachabella.com

I am guilty.

I have wasted more than a few hours of my life watching infomercials, and even more time, researching some of those products online. Yes, I did make a purchase (or two) but I had very valid reasons. My face was feeling tired and I needed a miracle lift that their products promised to deliver. In addition, my wooden floors needed to be super steam cleaned to prove that I was a worthy housekeeper. Who says that you and your home can’t be beautiful at the same time?
If you have ever indulged in watching the infomercial, you know you must act fast for either the extra special give-a-way or the super payment plan. I am smart enough to know that if I purchase the product days from now, it will still be honored, but it keeps flashing on the bottom of the screen that this is only a limited time offer, which definitely hastened my purchase.

Now, I am not going to reveal which skincare line I bought, but I had to watch several different famous and beautiful models tell their secrets before I made my intelligent decision. After googling all the choices and reading real user comments, it appears that each had their positive and negative statements, so I went with the best price package. I was happy with my selection but not enough to purchase again, and I think the over-the- counter products are just as successful. Perhaps, I should wait for the gift with purchases from the department stores to entice me next time. I am a true sucker!

Can you even imagine if ChaChaBella rings were on an infomercial? By the end of the show, you would have ordered the 5 must have rings to mix and match with every possible color combination outfit. The models and rings would be so dazzling that you just couldn’t decide and the super package price would have made you dizzy! Oh, if there was a “gift with purchase” special, ChaChaGirls would rejoice with “Yay Me!”

If you have ever made an infomercial purchase on something life-changing, let me know so I can check it out, and if you want to know my 5 must have rings….I am happy to share. But, respond fast, as I have a super secret blog special if you are one of the first 10 responders!

Suzanne Taylor at s@chachabella.com
Blog contributor

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
is a quote from the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. Its interpretation is meant to say that the names of things are irrelevant. If you are recently getting married and are changing your name, sometimes the name can be easier to spell or say, and other times it can be more difficult. Obviously, we can’t pick our mates based on their last names - that would be really shallow! All new brides take pride in their first signature; whether it is 5 letters long or fifteen! I must admit I got an easy pronounciation, but sometimes common names are a hindrance too. I went from Rogoff to Taylor. So, when I used to be the only Rogoff in the phone book, I am now grouped with a long list of Taylors, and there are even three other Suzanne Taylor’s in my small town, so it can be confusing.

Of course, we all know the turmoil of naming children (or pets if that applies) and choosing the perfect name to represent their future personality. Some people choose names early on, and others wait to they see their baby, in order to make sure the name fits the child. Many parents have no option. They have a name that must be passed down, or family names that need to be utilized. My son’s name is Ethan Cole. We needed an E after my grandmother that passed away and Ethan is the only E that we could agree on, and Cole is my mother-in-law’s maiden name, which we wanted to honor. My daughter is named Jessica (called Jessie) just because we liked unisex names. No rhyme or reason. Her middle name is Neill, my husband’s middle name, which we opted over my middle name of Paige, since his is a family name. Maybe, I can convince my daughter to use her surname and call her daughter, Taylor Paige if that sounds good with her future unknown 5 or 15 letter last name.

Did you know how Heather Roe Thompson, the owner of this company, named ChaChaBella? She has twin boys, Chase and Chandler and took the first three letters of their names to create her totally female company! Now, that’s creative! Recently, I went to a tour of Sweetwater Brewery, a local Georgia brewery. Some of their beer names were Road Trip and Happy Endings. When asked how they came up with their creative names, they said they sat around a table and brainstormed. So, some things aren’t rocket science. Other companies do tons of research before launching a name to make sure that the public opinion is favorable, and that the name conjures up the image they want to be associated with their company or product. All I know is that my husband could have had a horrible last name, and I would still have married him and a ChaChaBella ring by any other name would still be ChaCha fabulous!

If you are getting married soon and are changing last names to something more challenging than your maiden name, let me know and you might be the winner of one of our easy to pronounce rings! Suzanne at s@chachabella.com

I just got off the phone with a Yenta, and I couldn’t wait to share her information with my ChaCha girls.

My amazing conversation was with Alison of The Wedding Yentas, a new company that writes a blog about Jewish weddings and provides ideas, photos, explanations, and information on Jewish wedding traditions. In addition, their website has a vast vendor directory that can help all brides, but the daily blog articles specifically references Jewish wedding traditions.

If you aren’t familiar with the term Yenta, the old school Yiddish definition (which is derived from German and Hebrew vocabularies) is busybody. Today, the word translates to mean an endearing person who knows a lot of people and many things, and who shares that information with her circle of friends. Alison and her friend/business partner, Nicky, who was also her wedding photographer, created this new company, The Wedding Yentas at www.theweddingyentas.com, and they share their expert knowledge about Jewish weddings and traditions. When they got married, there was no one-stop website that answered their questions in a modern way, so they created this company. ChaCha girls love women who solve problems! Both women are the kind of Yenta you want to know, because their blogs will make your wedding easier if you are a Jewish bride or having an interfaith ceremony.
Many brides have traditions they want to preserve in their wedding ceremony or reception. If you have never been to a Jewish wedding, it is deep in tradition. You may not be aware, but many Jewish brides can’t get married on Saturday afternoon, because it is the Sabbath, a holy day, and no weddings can occur until it is dark. Hence, they covet the three-day holiday weekends so that their guests can enjoy a Sunday wedding, and not rush back to work the following day. Brides of all faith love the three day weekends, as it makes great anniversary weekends too, and that is why they book up so fast.
My wedding was interfaith as my husband’s family is Christian. We had a rabbi and a minister preside over our service. One of the main traditions is to sign the Ketubah, which is the Jewish version of a marriage contract. It is signed, framed and displayed like a piece of art and they are very personal. This isn’t your traditional over the counter marriage certificate, which is also required by United States law. Jewish marriages are constantly reminded of their promises to each other every time they pass their Ketubah, and many brides search for new, modern phrases as no bride wants to be referred to as property or being owned. My Ketubah is on my bedroom wall. Do you know where your certificate is located? I hope it isn’t in the junk drawer of your kitchen!

Another Jewish tradition is having the bride and groom stand under a Chuppah (a bridal canopy), which is a cultural symbol representing the new happy home that the bride and groom will build and create together. The Chuppah is covered on top as a symbol of security and protection and is open on all sides so that family and friends will always feel welcome

Jewish brides also circle their future husbands seven times, which is an omen of good fortune, linked to the seven days of creation. The circling is also a means of protection, from evil spirits and from the temptations of the world. It also creates space, space from their families and space together. I only hope no one faints or gets dizzy after that practice, as that would be a wedding coordinator nightmare!
Jewish grooms step on a glass at the end of the ceremony and the reasons for this are so varied that I refer you to The Wedding Yentas’ website, www.theweddingyentas.com/traditions/kiss-my-glass. The key is making sure you pick a glass that is breakable (I think we used a lightbulb as a substitute) instead of your fine crystal. Judaica shops have specific glasses for this purpose.

I refer you to the Yentas for more information, as they are the experts and their website has the resources to help make the process easier. Oh yeah, and if a Yenta says that the ChaChaBella ring is a must have, you better listen up!

If you have had a Jewish wedding or an interfaith wedding that comes with a funny story about a traditional element, share with me and you will be blessed with a ring of your choice! I only hope your Chuppah didn’t fall down or you got dropped during the Hora!
Contact Suzanne at s@chachabella.com.

My friend’s husband said, “If you can’t fit it in a backpack for camping, you don’t need it.” Well, I guess I went camping ChaCha style, because two car loads later, I felt like I had almost everything. My children were excited to camp on Mother’s Day weekend with our neighbors (33 people in total!), so I was going to make sure we were over-prepared. Isn’t that a girl scout motto?

Five families spent the night and many others came to visit on Saturday. After my husband assembled the tent and built the fire, I came in with the two queen air mattresses, sheets, comforters, and extra pillows. He may have given me looks that showed he was a manly man and didn’t need all of that, but I know his back appreciated it the next morning. My son wanted to know why he needed so many clothes and after his third outfit in one day got wet, I just smiled and said, “Mommies know best!”

We had more than enough food to feed the entire campsite, let alone a small nation. The chip selection alone rivaled Walmart’s aisle ten! When you hike, swim, and bike all day, appetites are fierce. Or, the exact opposite, when you sit around in a fold out chair all day and stare at a fire knowing you can’t do laundy (but thinking about all the stuff you will have to wash upon return), clean out a drawer, or empty the dishwasher, you just eat all day too! I of course not knowing what my tastebuds might crave, had a sampling of everything from sweet, salty to sour. In addition, I brought several different alcoholic beverages to choose from and those mixers. I would like it to be written that next year, I am bringing a blender, but thought I might get too many looks from my fellow neighbors on camping trip round one. I know my limits of being an over-doer. One friend did have a welcome mat outside her tent, and I will file that away as a future camping necessity.

We were on Red Top Mountain on Lake Allatoona in Geogia. The weather was a Chamber of Commerce weekend, warm 2 days and cool the third, with no rain in sight. I know we were only thirty minutes from civilization but it seemed much further as all four of us slept within an arms grasp of each other…perhaps, that made it the perfect thing to do Mother’s Day Weekend, except for the side effects of those campfire beans!

If you have a ChaChaBella camping story to share, the winner will receive a ring that represents the color of nature!
Send submissions to Suzanne at s@chachabella.com.

I am no expert on St. Patrick’s Day, but it helps break up the month of March and I am always looking for a reason to celebrate.

The Irish have generously shared their patron saint, St. Patrick, with us and welcomed us into their pubs across the United States. No other holiday appears to be as tolerant of others as St. Patrick’s Day. Our only requirement is to wear green clothing, and have a willingness to toast and drink with the Irish. In America, we wear green so we don’t get pinched, which is just a silly tradition. But, we also punch people when we see a Volkswagen Beetle, so we are easily amused. Some people say that we wear green because Ireland is nicknamed the Green Isles. In Ireland, they wear the colors from the flag which is Green for the Catholics, Orange for the Protestants and the White for the peace between them.

I can remember as a youth searching for the mysterious four leaf clover or shamrock! While many like to claim a mythical explanation for the existence of four-leaf clovers, a simple genetic mutation is the real cause. According to legend, on a four-leaf clover, each leaf stands for something. One leaf symbolizes hope, one is for faith, another for love, and the fourth is, of course, for luck. Some people are just born lucky, but my dad used to say - and I think he stole the line from Benjamin Franklin- “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” For example, when I played golf in my youth and I would make a 20ft putt, my friends would say, “You am so lucky” but in reality, I practice 20ft putts for more than an hour a day for a week. We all know inherently lucky people, maybe they found a Shamrock, which is hard to do, as it is estimated that there is only 1 out of every 10,000 clovers!

One of the things that the Irish are known for are their great toasts. You may even remember some of the limericks from the movie Cocktail starring Tom Cruise as an Irish bartender. There are so many Irish Blessings that it is worthy of a google search for a good laugh. I enjoyed this one very much:

There are 4 things you must never do: lie, steal, cheat, or drink.
But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love.
If you must steal, steal away from bad company.
If you must cheat, cheat death.
And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away...
Brianne Kelly Darragh


For those Irish brides or ChaChaGirls out there, I would love to know a toast you used at your wedding or at a birthday party. The best one will earn a green ChaChaBella ring, as that is a must wear on St. Patrick’s Day!

Contact Suzanne, where my non-Irish eyes are always smiling, at S@chachabella.com.

If there was an over-packer anonymous group, I could be the President.

It doesn’t matter if I am going for a weekend or a two-week trip, I always over-pack and still never have the right thing to wear. So, if you are getting ready for a honeymoon or a girls’ weekend, I have no advice - except that you will wear half of what you bring, you will buy something wonderful to wear at your destination, and you will repeat your favorite outfits.

When we travel to Florida - I bring the classy outfit to wear to my parents club, the perfect jeans in case I run into any old high school friends, work-out gear, cute short sets, and find that I live in my bathing suit, cover-up, pajama sweats and a tank top. I have been known to pack several different strapless bras because each one works with a different top. It is a disease. The hysterical part is that I actually plan, and it takes me an entire day to pack because I organize my shoes, purses, jewelry, and of course, my ChaChaBella rings!

Experts tell you to roll your clothes, in order to save on space and wrinkles. You can even watch “How to Pack” on You Tube, which at least makes me feel like I am not alone. I have decided when I travel to Paris in the spring, that I am only bringing black and white clothing. This will reduce my purse, shoes, and jewelry options freeing up luggage room for my future purchases. It may be boring, but I will be practical. I am sure no matter how neat and organized I am anyway, my luggage will get chosen by security for further inspection, thus messing up my tidy bag.

Don’t even get me started on toiletries. I am a health and beauty junkie - so I have product for curly hair, straight hair, lotions for this and that, different sunscreens, makeup for day and night, nail products, and then all the regular everyday must have items. As you know, this doesn’t fit well in the one, little plastic bag approved by the airlines if you are carrying on your luggage. This is just another reason to drive, yet that doesn’t work well when traveling overseas. So, I have had to modify by going more natural, and hoping the alcohol consumed by others and myself will make me look better! *Tip: A ChaChaBella ring on your finger always makes you feel confident and in style!

If you can relate to my over-packing and always spend time on your trip, re-organizing your suitcase, drop me a line at s@chachabella.com so I know I am not alone!

Did you hear the screams?

I recently went bathing suit shopping and did my best to not cry at the image in the fluorescent three way mirror. I believe it is a conspiracy to bring the bathing suits out in the middle of the winter before you have lost the holiday weight, gotten your spring bikini wax, and started applying tanning crème.

I know you all have been in this predicament, looking for a bathing suit before your spring break trip, yet your body isn’t ready for this event. I am still hiding under bulky sweaters and looking forward to the arrival of the Girl Scout cookies!

It doesn’t matter if you are a size 0 or a plus size, trying on bathing suits is our own worst nightmare because we are all self critical. I love that some boutiques have heels in the dressing room. Yes, they do make my legs look longer but I won’t be wearing those at the pool club or on the beach. Perhaps, if I was taking a trip to Vegas, they would be appropriate, but for now, I’ll have to use the wedge flip flop or (gasp!) go barefoot, which doesn’t elongate anything!

I haven’t worn a bikini since I was in my twenties! I am a tankini girl thanks to my two beautiful children. I also prefer the halter top to help lift my breasts up. So, right away my choices are limited. My friends love the bikinis and can order them right from the Victoria Secret catalog. Sure, they may have to return a few for being see-through or lack of coverage, but they have so many choices online and in the stores it makes my head spin.

Like most of you, I have figured out a few brands that work well with my body type and concentrate on those. I need two types of suits, one to wear in a lake for boating activities (dark color and not as pricey since may get ruined more easily) and then one for sunning at the pool, which can be prettier and more flattering since I am not covered in life vest. It seems crazy that something so thin and small can cost so much, but per wearing, I guess it works out. At least, that is my cost-benefit rationalization, as the more expensive ones always look better on me.

Whether you shop at bathing suit specialty shops that let you mix and match sizes, department stores where you can bring in 25 suits at once to try on, or discount stores where you can sometimes pick up steals, I suggest bringing a friend.

ChaCha brides and ChaCha girls need a female companion to remind you that your smile is the best part of your body and to stop obsessing over the way the suit makes you look!

Let me know your nightmare bathing suit story, and you will be entered to win a ChaChaBella Friendship ring to help you feel better.

Suzanne Taylor, Contributing Blog Writer
s@chachabella.com