Girls Getaway Guide
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
GGG Myspace & Blog
Purchase the Book
MEGA Book Marketing Conference
Travel Costs Rise in 2008
The Getaway Girl Hosts Orlando Shopping Video
2008's Spring Fashion Trends
Girls Getaway Guide Now Available at Target.com
Girls Valentine's Day Getaway
Upcoming Events
 

March 13:

4th Annual Easter Seals, A Pair To Remember - Winter Park, FL

This ladies luncheon fundraising event will be held at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park.  The event is complete with a live shoe auction, silent auction and on-site spa and salon services. For more information, call (407) 629-7881 or visit www.fl.easterseals.comThe Getaway Girl is pleased to have donated several signed copies of the Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home.

March 20: Spring Fashion Crawl - Orlando, FL

Due to the amazing success of the Trifecta Fall Fashion Crawl, plans for a Spring Fashion Crawl are underway. Forty-five lucky ladies will hop into three stretch limousines and be chauffeured around The City Beautiful for a night of food, fashion and fun and all for a great cause - to benefit Bridges of Light Foundation! Gift bags worth more than $100 (including a copy of the Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home), champagne and shopping are only a part of the night's festivities and it is all for local charity.  One lucky winner will receive a $1,500 shopping spree at Chloe Lane, Shou'Ture and Courtney K Couture.  The cost is $50. Age 21 and up only.  The Getaway Girl is pleased to have donated special "getaway" gift bags for each limo. 

March 28-30: Bachelorette Party Extravaganza - Orlando, FL

Casey Wohl, The Getaway Girl, will host a private bachelorette party filled with VIP treatment and Orlando area specials.  We'll be staying at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.  Special thanks to Don Engfer and Kye Montalvo for helping us set up this exciting weekend. I'll be blogging and sharing photos throughout the weekend, so visit www.GirlsGetawayGuide.net/blog that weekend.

April 4-6: Girls Getaway to Chicago

Casey Wohl, The Getaway Girl, will host a private girls' getaway excursion to the Windy City for some shopping, shows, fine cuisine and exceptional girl time.

April 17: MEGA Success Conference

Nashville, TN

Learn how to build your own "MEGA Success" with key business leaders such as Art Linkletter, Mark Victor Hansen, Tom Black and many more!  For more information, visit http://www.markvictorhansen.com/cmd.php?af=413938 and click on the Mega Success box on the top, right side of the page.

April 18: Hamilton Holt School, Rollins College Scholarship Fundraiser - Winter Park, FL

Orlando's leading professionals will gather to raise scholarship funds for Rollins College, author Casey Wohl's alma mater.  The Getaway Girl is pleased to have donated several signed copies of her book the Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: leave Your Baggage at Home for the fundraiser.

April 26: Little Black Dress Party at Whiskey Park North - Tampa, FL
Put on your favorite "Little Black Dress" and join us for an evening of pampering like no other.  Guests will enjoy complimentary wine tastings and appetizers while indulging in spa and salon treatments and browsing fashions from local boutiques.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
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Check Out Girls Getaway Guide's Blog & Myspace
 
Where Can You Purchase the Book?
To purchase the Girls Getaway Guide, please visit:

www.GirlsGetawayGuide.net
www.amazon.com
Barnes & Noble (select stores)

Gift Basket Boutique, Lakeland
Highlands Art League, Sebring
Redhead Lounge Boutique, Orlando
Shou'Ture, Winter Park
Urban Think! Bookstore, Orlando

 
Gray Dog Publishing
P.O. Box 2589
Orlando, FL 32802
(863) 224-6326
 
Girls Getaway Guide News
Greetings!
 
Greetings!  Love to travel but hate the increased costs?  In this issue, I provide tips for keeping your travel costs down, as well as my recap of the MEGA Book Marketing Conference I attended in LA. 
 
I hope to see you at one of my upcoming March/April events soon!
MEGA Book Marketing Conference 
 

What a fantastic conference! I had such a great time at my very first MEGA Book Marketing conference last month. Many thanks to Chicken Soup for the Soul co-creator and multiple best-selling author Mark Victor Hansen (pictured below) for assembling such a wonderful group of speakers and hosting a terrific event!

casey & carrie

 

 Just a few of the topic speakers included:

  • Bill Phillips (pictured
    below), #1 selling health & fitness author of all time with Body for Life
  • Jeff Gitomer, author of the "Little Book of " series.  All of his books have hit #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list
  • Barbara DeAngelis, author of How Did I Get Here? and former host of her own CBS TV show
  • Brendon Burchard, author of the best seller Life's Golden Ticket. Purchase your own copy of this phenomenal book and receive several additional bonuses when you use this link: http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=100644&AdID=357815
 

casey & carrie

I am already making plans to attend the MEGA Success event in Nashville on April 17.  Visit

http://www.markvictorhansen.com/cmd.php?af=413938 for more information and click on the Mega Success box on the right hand side of the page.
Photo credits � Wendy Kurtz.                    
 
 Travel Costs Rise in 2008

The Getaway Girl Provides Tips to Keep Costs Down

Love to travel, but hate what it does to your bank account?  Looking to save money this Spring Break?  There may be no immediate cushion as experts say travel costs are expected to rise in 2008.  According to America Express Global Business Travel Forecast, airfare is expected to increase, 1-5% for domestic flights and 5-10% for international flights; rental car costs will rise 2-4%; and hotel stays will cost travelers 4-7% more this year.

Everyone should be able to travel and experience all that life has to offer, so here are some of the Getaway Girl's valuable, cost-cutting travel tips to keep your costs in check this year, despite the increases: 

Planning: Plan in advance to avoid higher costs.  Plan your travel in the off-season so you don't pay the high costs associated with the peak season.  Enroll in programs that offer travel points, such as hotel, credit card and airline programs.  This way, you can redeem your points to help save money.  Also, do some research in advance to see if there are any specials or discounts offered, like "buy one, get one free," deals.  Another great option is to travel with a group and pool resources for rental cars and hotel rooms.  A girls' getaway is a great way to have a fantastic vacation with your friends and not break that bank.

Accommodations: A great vacation does not necessarily mean a stay at a high-priced hotel.  Deals can be found at quaint and charming bed & breakfasts, as well as timeshares and condos.  Look for accommodations that provide complimentary breakfast or evening snacks.  Also, accommodations that feature kitchenettes provide opportunities to save on food costs.  Search online, contact the destination city's Convention & Visitors Bureau or contact a travel agent.

Meals/Food: Ask the locals where to eat.  Many times, great and inexpensive restaurants are off the beaten path, well known only by the locals.  These establishments usually don't have the higher overhead that chains do so they can charge considerably less for a wonderful meal.  Bring snacks and your own beverages, as this saves money instead of purchasing these items from vendors.

Transportation: We often forget that cars are not the only means of transportation.  Your destination city may offer a wide array of inexpensive transportation options, such as bicycles, mopeds, electric cars, pedicabs, subways and other means of public transportation.  See what options are available by searching online for "transportation" and your destination city.

Attractions:  Prior to your visit, contact the local Chamber of Commerce, visitor/convention bureau and visitor centers for discount coupons and special offers for area attractions.  Often these groups provide entertainment books that feature several discount coupon options.

There are many ways to enjoy travel without blowing your bank account.  If you have a great tip for saving money while traveling, I'd love to hear it.  Visit www.GirlsGetawayGuide.net and share your tips on my blog.

The Getaway Girl Hosts Orlando Shopping Video  
 
Thank you to Amy Voss, Emilie DeLong and the entire video crew, as well as all of the terrific people and businesses that participated in the recent Orlando shopping video shoot.  I had the honor of being asked to serve as the host for the video, which will be utilized by the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau and VISITFLORIDA.COM to promote Orlando.  Video and interviews were conducted on Park Avenue, as well as at Orlando Premium Outlets (see photo below) and Mall at Millenia. Stay tuned as the video segments will be released in about a month.
cvb video shoot
2008's Spring Fashion Trends
 
Back by popular demand is fashion diva, one of my favorite girl getaway partners and my cousin Nikki Breedlove to provide an update on 2008's Spring fashion trends.  Nikki lives in Palm Beach and is an authority on all things fashionable.  With a degree in fashion, Nikki has worked in some of Palm Beach's elite boutiques and has assisted several celebs with their fashion decisions.

Bright Colors: Yellow, orange, hot pink, and bright blue were hot on the spring runways.  Designers like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Julie Haus and Valentino show these color pallets in evening gowns to ready-to-wear. No need to wear a "black dress" to a cocktail party....stand out this spring in your favorite color.

Florals: Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabana, J Crew, and Prada mark there season highlights with florals. For evenings dress up with florals and for those "Ladies who Lunch," you bet it's the perfect attire.

Safari Style: Beige, browns and neutrals are being shown at Michael Kors, Banana Republic, Stella McCartney and Versace. Safari jackets are paired great with white shorts or a dark denim jean.

Shirt Dresses: Ready for Happy Hour? The Shirtdress is perfect for you! The versatile dress is conservative for work then unbutton a few and you're ready to flirt! Designers like Theory, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Ferragamo all support this look.

Sheer: Whether you're yachting, working or partying, sheer is the way to be seen. Over your bikini, on top of a sexy bra, or underneath a sporty jacket, designers like Alice & Olivia, Jill Stuart, and Armani all support this trend. 

Girls Getaway Guide Now Available at Target.com

I am thrilled to announce that the Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home is now available at Target online. Click on the following link to place your order:
http://www.target.com/Girls-Getaway-Guide-Orlando-Baggage/dp/0979074835
 
Girls Valentine's Day
 Getaway

I spent Valentine's Day with my best friend Heather N. at Truffles & Trifles (http://www.trufflesandtrifles.com/), a gourmet cooking school in Orlando. We had a fantastic time as we joined several other couples in making a wonderful meal, which we all enjoyed at the end of the night. Chef Marci Arthur provided delicious recipes and helpful cooking tips.

Heather and I are pictured below with our Chicken Scarpariello. Just a few of the other items included: Rock Shrimp Tempura with Spicy Mayonnaise and Ponzu, Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic and Strawberry Shortcake. As we prepared the meal, we made new friends and enjoyed our fabulous Valentine's Day together.

valentines

 
Thanks for reading. I hope to see you soon!
 
Sincerely,
 

Casey Wohl, Author/The Getaway Girl
Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home

www.GirlsGetawayGuide.net