When it comes to planning a wedding, the one thing which always takes as much time as picking a the perfect dress is finding the perfect wedding cake. I thought I’d share my thoughts on some pretty extravagant wedding cakes with you guys!

Fancy Cakes by Leslie is located in Bethesda, Maryland – and let me tell you, it’s as if you’re in a dream when you’re looking at their designer cakes. Their website states that, “all gourmet cakes are made with the finest ingredients! All cakes have three rows of fillings!” Just check out what they have to offer cake-wise:

Cake Flavors: white, lemon, spice, banana walnut, chocolate fudge, almond, tiramisu, red velvet

Coverings: You have a choice of vanilla or chocolate buttercream ~ or ~ fondant: white or chocolate; or white chocolate fondant

Filling/Frosting: buttercream: vanilla, chocolate, lemon, almond, mocha, maple

Mousse/Ganache: white/dark chocolate mousse or chocolate truffle ganache

Additions to Fillings: praline, chocolate chips, Oreos, coconut, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, apricot jam, lemon curd, passion fruit or rose petal jam

Liquor: Grand Marinier, Amaretto, Frangelico, Kaluah, Chambord, Cointreau, Frambois

Not to mention, you get an amazing looking cake like the one shown here! But this isn’t the only cool cake-maker I found! Continue reading to see more!

 The other day we told you about the party crashers, Michaele Salahi and her husband Tareq, who were uninvited to President Barack Obama’s first State Dinner with India at the White House.

 Questions were flying around as to who they were, how they were invited, why they were there, and more over, HOW they got inside the White House. They apparently passed security, and were taking photos with everyone from A.R. Rahman to Vice President Joe Biden. Today pictures were released of Michaele & Tareq Salahi shaking hands with President Barack Obama. And if you look at the image, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is standing right in the background!

 Apparently Secret Service checkpoint “did not follow proper procedures” to determine if the Salahi’s were on the guest list said Edwin M. Donovan, a Secret Service special agent, in a press statement.

 Talk about a breach of security! Of course there was a deep investigation done in regards to this and it was shown that the the Secret Service agents did not follow protocol at a security checkpoint. Now if people like Michelle and her husband can get all the way to President Barack Obama, then anyone can get to him. I don’t think the President is too pleased about that.

 Michelle and  her husband, who are residents of Virginia, have been named in 16 different civil suits (at least). And if that wasn’t enough, The Salahi’s have left a huge paper trail in federal bankruptcy and state court filings. 

 All I’ve got to say is that the Secret Service has to step it up! Remember, this was just two aspiring reality TV stars; obviously they had no intention of hurting the President or anybody else who was there, but imagine if this was someone who had bad intentions?!…

First Lady Michelle Obama, with daughters Malia and Sasha, accept delivery of the White House Christmas tree from Eric Sundback as it is delivered to the North Portico of the White House. The 18-1/2-foot Douglas fir was planted by Mr. and Mrs. Sundback 13 years ago on their Shepherdstown, West Virginia farm.

The cost of looking beautiful is always expensive. But what if you could have the same looks, but for less the cost. Well the following are some really awesome beauty products that give you the same glamorous look for less the price of some hi-fi French product!

The Smashbox Single Eye Shadow, found at Sephora, is one of the best eye shadow products that I’ve come across. They are priced at $16 and come in over 15 colors. They are awesome, blend well with one another, and don’t fall all over your face (the glittery shadows). It also doesn’t look like you’ve caked your eyes with shadow either when you’ve got it on. So trust me, that’s a great buy!

President Obama’s first State Dinner was quite the spectacular event; people from across the world attended as India’s Prime Minister and President Obama celebrated the two countries relationship, discussed political issues, and simply enjoyed each others’ company. Everyone from A.R. Rahman to Bobby Jindal were present for this auspicious occasion.

However, there’s no party without party crashers. Michaele Salahi, (who’s not really a headliner to be invited to the State Dinner), was seen walking the red carpet, stopping for press photos, and mingling with guests during the opening moments of the State Dinner. And just as quickly as Salahi and her guest walked in, they walked out just as fast — and that too was done with perfect timing; they left just before all the guests sat for the dinner.

CNN was discussing this issue and one of the guest speakers stated, “If you lie to the federal service it’s a felony, its a false statement to a federal official; it’s a serious crime. Once you’re into the state dinner there are knives, forks, cutlery…”

And they are right; though Salahi and her guest had no cruel intentions, anything could’ve been possible if this was someone who wanted to harm the President, First Lady, or any of the guests.

CNN also went onto say, “If you stop and think about it , there are more than three hundred guests, from all over the country…these people were meant to be there, they wouldn’t be able to get in unless someone said it was okay,” in regards to why the Secret Service might have not stopped Salahi.

Alright, well she doesn’t completely ‘go Desi,’ but she did rock an exclusive, one-of-a-kind strapless dress by Indian-born designer, Naeem Khan. The dress Mrs. Obama wore to the White House’s first State Dinner (with India) was a classic floor-length cut in a subdued gold fabric and paired it with a light shawl. Her makeup was effortless, and her hair was perfected into an updo. Simply put, the entire ensemble seemed traditionally feminine and sophisticated, reminiscent of the first lady’s more conservative predecessors. But knowing Mrs. Obama, there had to be some flair into her outfit. She had a lovely and elaborate pair of chandelier earrings and Desi glittering gold-and-diamond bangles piled high on her left arm. This might have been a big night for the Obamas and Singhs, but it was also a big night for designer Naeem Khan. Though he’s styled many superstars, styling the First Lady is an honor all in it’s own!

Now I’m a big music fan! I love it all. And if you don’t admit to dancing around your room to a favorite song, you’re a liar (haha)! Well, I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve done it! And ‘2 Step Bhangra’ is my jam! MTL’s The Bilz & Kashif have become a household name in the music industry and are making international waves! I recently had the chance to sit down with them and discuss current projects and much more! Check it out!

Tell us a little bit about your latest album ‘Breaking Barriers’?
This is a brand spanking new album. It’s a follow up to our last self-titled album that featured 2 Step Bhangra. Breaking Barriers is what fans have been waiting for in a long time, and trust me you can probably call it the “greatest hits” album (laughs). It’s also a musical masterpiece that’s necessary for the music industry right now. Tons of live instruments, a lot of electro pop sounds with a touch of Bollywood. We’ve put in so much time, sweat and effort to make this an outstanding album. You will see a lot of tracks that feature Master-D on the Hindi & Punjabi vocals while Kashif does his magic in English and Vicious does a few rap features too – it’s definitely Breaking Barriers.

You’ve faced their fair share of challenges, which served as the inspiration for their latest single, “Against All Odds.” Do you mind sharing with us some of these challenges?
This industry is full of challenges but the concept of Against All Odds that drops worldwide on iTunes on November 23^rd along with the video premiere on Desihits.com, is about how we’ve all worked so hard to get at this level of success. One of…

You’re invited to the biggest Desi wedding of the year!

Alright, you’re not, but it’s good to see pictures from the biggest wedding! Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra were married on November 22, 2009. The wedding took place at Shetty’s business partner’s farm house in Khandala (friend was Kiran Bawa).

The wedding was all the glitz and glamor that Bollywood expected with familiar faces such as Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and many others. People were skeptical about Aki darling attending the wedding, byt by-gones be by-gones! Check out some of the pictures from the biggest wedding of 2009 and let us know what you think!

We can all recall how the opening lyrics went…

“Sunny Day, sweepin’ the clouds away, on my way to where the air is sweet, can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?”

Early mornings were a delight for children aged 3-5 through the week, as they would eagerly wake up and sit in front of the television watching their favorite characters, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, and others on Sesame Street.

Bravura writer, Monica Patel, recently had the chance to sit down and interview Penn Masala after their performance at the White House! It was quite the musical experience, so say the least! Check out the interview and let us know what your thoughts are on Penn Masala!!

It’s so great that we were able to get in touch with you! After falling in love with Mere Sapno Ki Rani, Aap Jaise Koi, and a few other songs, I knew there had to be fans out there dying to watch your performances. I know Bravura fans will be excited to read about you guys. Let’s keep this interview short & sweet!

Tell us a little bit about the origin of your group! Who was the founder and how has the group been able to keep the group alive?
Penn Masala was formed in 1996 at the University of Pennsylvania by four guys who thought that the concept of an A Capella group singing Hindi music was novel and was a way in which they could represent their Indian culture on campus. With support from the University and other performing arts groups, the Penn Masala became the world’s first Indian A Capella group. Through on and off campus shows, recruiting new members and of course and most importantly, support from our fans, we have been able to keep the group alive and successful.

How many members are in Penn Masala? How often are tryouts for the group?  Bravura fans are curious of how you guys function in the group?
Currently, the group has 14 members. We hold auditions every semester but our busiest tryouts are usually in the Fall. In addition to singers, we also hold interviews for Business Managers that handle all business related matters of…

The phone rings and Roc Nation’s latest artist, J.Cole, is on the other end. Surreal, isn’t it? And it was just that. We shared our laughs on the phone and talked about working with Hip-Hop superstar Jay-Z. The topic of film & acting even came up in conversation.

J.Cole (full name Jermaine Cole) was born in Germany and moves to North Carolina at the age of one. A graduate of St. John’s University (Magna Cum Laude), he said that the only reason he went to college in New York was to pursue a record deal – and if you have the passion & determination as J.Cole, it will happen to you.

In late 2007 he released his debut mix-tape, The Come Up. Jay-Z heard his track, Lights Please, and immediately contacted him and from there onwards, it was history! He then released his second mix-tape The Warm Up on June 15^th, 2009. J.Cole’s biggest moment came when he was featured on Jay-Z latest album, The Blueprint 3, on the track A Star is Born. J.Cole’s vocals can also be heard on Wale’s upcoming debut album as well. Currently he’s working on his own debut album with producer No I.D., and I had the chance to sit down with this superstar on the rise.