These Women are celebrating ‘divorce party’ in wedding gowns

As the ink dried on one woman’s divorce papers, she decided to see the best in the bad. Taking the most natural action, Nicole Niesner threw a “divorce party” with her closest girlfriends.

On Feb. 1, Love What Matters reported that Nicole Niesner of Saskatchewan, Canada, enjoyed the impromptu celebration in December after officially parting ways with her partner of 13 years.

“When I received a letter in the mail letting me know that I would be divorced as of December 16, 2017, it got me thinking, ‘How am I going to spend that day?’” the 36-year-old told the outlet. “I had three choices: live it like every other day, cry and be miserable all day, or celebrate a new beginning, a second chance.”

Choosing to celebrate, Niesner mentioned the idea of a “divorce Party” to a friend, who “immediately jumped on board” and began planning the bash. Around 6:30 p.m. on that fateful day, Nielsen’s closest crew arrived at her home with food, wine, gifts… and wedding dresses.

The group rallied in support of their dear friend.  (Eoanna Tatoulis/Miss Yianna Photography)

"I had no idea that this was the plan so I went into my storage room and dug my dress out. We all helped each other get dressed, danced around, took some pictures and reminisced about our weddings, children, families and friends,” the mother of three told Inside Edition.

The evening was full of food, fun and love.  (Eoanna Tatoulis/Miss Yianna Photography)

"Divorce is devastating, no matter what the reason is for it – it's a very painful process. The party wasn't celebrating the divorce necessarily, it was about friendship and supporting me starting my new chapter,” Niesner added.

Fortunately, longtime friend Eoanna Tatoulis arrived to the soiree with her camera.

“During the party I thought why not take the photos to give Nicole memories to last her forever. I even had the idea to mimic the TV show Friends photo of Monica, Phoebe and Rachel in wedding dresses since we looked just like it!” Tatoulis told IPRESSTV.

The photographer, who is recently separated, described the evening as “such a fun positive night.” 

“[The party] gave me the sense that we will both be ok no matter what! Our friendship strengthened through the separation/divorce as well. Having a great group of friends really can get you through anything!”

There’s always a happily ever after, after all.

What I learned from Cheating on My Boyfriend About Men Who Fake Their Deaths

In the middle of reporting my book on death fraud, I got caught cheating on my boyfriend.

I'd been pursuing the question for years: can you disappear in the 21st century? I had interviewed dozens of devious characters—privacy consultants, fixers who forged death certificates, life-insurance fraudsters—and I thought they had taught me the most important thing about faking your death: how to cover your tracks. I just didn't know I would end up applying this lesson to my own illicit affair.

In my reporting, I had investigated all forms of digital footprints—IP addresses, pinging cell phones, surveillance cameras capturing your image at every turn. In accordance with what I had learned, I erased all the incriminating emails from my drafts, sent, and inbox folders. All but one, which blatantly outlined a plan for a rendezvous. I had deleted all call logs and texts. Except for those few phone calls I forgot about. 

 

Worst of all, I hadn't considered that you can still get busted in the most analog ways. So when my live-in boyfriend stumbled upon my most deranged lovelorn musings in a journal I had left out, it was evidence so anachronistic, so juvenile in its sloppiness, it hadn't occurred to me to better obscure it. Ink on paper was what tipped him off, spurring him to comb my phone and computer for traces of what else I'd left behind.

At this point in the story, armchair analysts will speculate that I wanted to get caught. Maybe in the grand cosmic scheme of things, some part of me did. My boyfriend and I had been together for six years and lived together for three. We shared a rating system based on New York City mayors ("Is this shirt Giuliani or Fooliani? Dinkins or Stinkins?") and had adopted a Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix. We'd both recently turned 30 and had vague plans for what our wedding might look like—a taco truck and lots of dancing—but no hard plans for when that might take place or what we envisioned for the future. We'd grown comfortably into something between friends, roommates, and canine co-parents, so deeply ensconced in each other's lives that imagining an alternative seemed impossible. 

 

But hurting the person I lived with for the happiest years of my life? Being thrown out of our home after he made his discovery? I had envisioned a slightly more graceful exit. The morning I left, the sun was just beginning to tinge the sky violet, and I walked away with our dog and a haphazardly packed suitcase of gym shorts and high heels.

For years, I had been interviewing men who had made great messes of their lives (pseudocide seems to be an almost universally male phenomenon—or maybe women do it just as much but don't get caught). Typically, when these guys get the idea to fake their deaths and then actually execute the plan, they are backed into a corner. They've cheated, they've lost millions of dollars of investor money, or they're attempting to shirk their debts to creditors by taking an easy way out. These are guys who make fools out of the family members who mourn them, who attempt to outsmart law-enforcement agents who are paid thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to search for bodies that never appear. And these guys often have a tidy excuse for why they've done it. I just couldn't get over the hubris it requires: to think that you can get what you want and get away with it at the same time.


* * *

I was at a writers' residency when I met him. He had been a favorite critic of mine for years, and I knew he lived nearby. I also knew he was married, and I had no other motive in mind (swear to goddess) when I shot him an email, asking for his literary insight. He drove over to the big white house that same afternoon, and we drank tea on the wraparound porch. The interview went well, my recorder and notebook out the whole time, though none of my notes made it into the book. He was, coincidentally, the precise demographic of the person most likely to fake his death: a middle-aged, middle-class, white, heterosexual man with a family. I felt pleased that I had met him, that I had made what might one day turn into a strong professional contact. I didn't think anything of it beyond that.

A few days later, he emailed me and suggested a walk. When he led me out to a sun-dappled field at the height of fall foliage and asked if he could kiss me, I probably shouldn't have been taken aback. I had been naïve enough to think that we would just be friends, that he could be interested in me as a platonic and intellectual equal. I made some resolution in my mind that this could be a litmus test that would help me figure out how I really felt about my boyfriend. We kissed. Looking back, it's painfully obvious that simply setting up the experiment gave me the answer I needed.

So we commenced what was intended to be a contained, three-week fling—one that would run the course of my residency. For him, a midlife crisis with an unthreatening nobody who would make him feel important. For me, a wildly affirming seal of approval that this person, who I thought was so brilliant, also thought I was at least a little brilliant.




While we were sneaking around, I found myself thinking a lot about a question I'd been asking since I'd begun my book. Where is the best place to disappear? While you'd think that a town out in the boondocks could get you good and gone, really, it turned out that the likelihood of running into someone you know was that much greater. We were always looking for places to hide.

***

I often shook my head at the people I interviewed, men who not only faked their death but also often philandered, and here I was, doing the exact same thing. Our affair was supposed to expire when I returned to my life and to my boyfriend in the city. But it didn't. The writer and I continued to see each other whenever he had to come to town. Though my dalliance lasted only six weeks before I got busted, I never thought I'd be someone for whom commitment would be a problem. I considered myself an honest person, with integrity. Now I was seeing how quickly those categories can crumble, and how it didn't happen out of malice. It just happened, through human weakness and self-absorption that I'd previously condemned.

I thought about a conversation I'd had with two private investigators in Manila, about the men they chased, men who faked their deaths because they had a girlfriend on the side, or a second family. "Why don't they just get a divorce?" I asked them. They joked that it was because the men were afraid of their wives. While I still contend that playing dead instead of dissolving a marriage is a bit extreme, I was beginning to understand. Inventing a new, separate self, while radical and deranged, is more appealing than confronting the mistakes the old self might have made.

What I had never been able to get my head around, though, is the way the fakers could compartmentalize their indiscretions. One father who had staged his death in a kayaking accident had determined that he didn't need to let his adult sons in on his plan because, as he explained to me, they were busy with their own lives and wouldn't miss him. Before I knew it, I was advancing the same rationalizations, a similar cockeyed logic to justify my cheating. I would be happier having this thing on the side, I thought, and also exceedingly guilty, so I would heap more affection onto my boyfriend. Everyone would benefit. How could I make out with another woman's husband? Simple. She was merely theoretical to me. A ghost. I absolved myself of responsibility in that department (save the pangs that popped up—serving Thanksgiving dinner to my family in our apartment, having drinks with my friends while constantly checking my phone for messages) more seamlessly than I felt comfortable with.

Keeping a secret always closes you in on yourself. But, as I had told the writer, I felt something expanding within me, too. I know now what it was. It was empathy. I saw for the first time how easy it is to continue making a mistake you know you are making. I could no longer look at the subjects in my book with the same derision. When I had gone astray, it closed off my relationship, but it eventually opened me up to a new honesty.

Privacy consultant Frank Ahearn had always called the death fakers who got caught "morons and idiots." I laughed along. But now I felt like both a moron and an idiot. "Learn from this," my boyfriend said when he told me to leave. I did learn. I learned just how hard it is to cover your tracks in the 21st century. I learned that I am not cut out for the sly skulking around that disappearing requires.

I also learned that you can hold two contradictory ideas in your head and that they don't cancel each other out. I loved my boyfriend. I felt love for the writer, too, or something like it. I wish I had stayed. I'm glad I got caught. And I didn't toggle between these ideas. I held them simultaneously.

Elizabeth Greenwood is the author of Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud, which recently came out in paperback.

These 7 Best Things Will Happen To You When You're In Real Love

It is truly said that when you fall in love with someone, everything seems to be changing. Life has never been the same and that is the point at which you begin to love yourself and remain happy forever. You begin to believe in the magic of love and its power and you have never felt the same before. Here we mention the best things you will experience when you fall in love with someone perfect.

1)You Start To Change In A Good Way


You start living in a different and positive way. This will allow you to explore the best version of yourself that you have never seen before. 

2) Miracles And Magic Seem To Be True





Miracles and magic are the two things we hear in fairy tales. But once you fall in love you will find yourself in a beautiful story in which you will experience these two things in reality. 

3)You Become More Productive In Your Work


The best part of love is your life is ordered more, which helps you live happily and you can focus more on your work. This translates into better performance of yours and an increase in productivity.

4) You Become A Dreamer


Since you found a perfect love, start imagining every moment of your life with your partner. This makes you happy and satisfied and motivates you to work harder to make your dreams come true. 

5) For you Love is in the air


Yes, this is true. You begin to feel love everywhere around you that gives you positive vibrations and makes you happy and energetic.

6) Your Perception Changes Towards Your Life


Since you are full of positive vibrations and now everything is ordered for you, suddenly change your perspective towards life. You start thinking in a new way with a new perception.

7) You Live Happily


And all these things that you start to experience make you happy and you start to find your happiness in every little thing and there is always a beautiful smile on your face.

15 Clever Ways to Make Him All Yours

So you know you like this guy and he is even showing you some attention, how can you tell if he’s also into someone else? Well there is no positive way, but there are ways to make sure that he chooses you over every girl! Scroll on to find out!

#Don’t be Desperate

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Sure, it can be scary to think that he might like someone else but the first important step is to make sure that you don’t seem desperate. Even if it phases you, never act like it does! This is because doing something embarrassing will only ruin your chances!

#Know Him Emotionally

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Guys don’t usually open up a lot emotionally therefore, when he finally opens up to you on a deeper level this means he is very interested. This will put you over any other girl because there is no way he can open up like this with everyone.

#Try Liking What He Likes

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Common interests are always great ways to get a guy. So if you even have one common interest, you can use it to your advantage! However, don’t change yourself for a guy.

#Mirror His Actions

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This may seem crazy but we swear it actually works! Don’t do it in a super obvious way but if you can see his body language then try copying it so he gets more comfortable.
Don’t Expect Him to Pay Always
Always try paying for at least half of the paycheck on your first date so he knows you are not cheap! Even after that, don’t just assume he will pay because things can change.

#Let Him Run After You a Little

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No guy likes a girl who he knows is always available because then it is too easy. Make yourself seem like a catch when he finally gets you instead of just being super easy.

#Show How You Are Better Than Her

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You know you are better than her but he might not know you well enough to see it so, show him through your actions. Show him how you can be caring, smart and confident when need be.

#Figure Out What He Needs

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Everyone has something that they lack and are looking for in a significant other, this is why he has this too. So use this to your advantage and try finding out what it is so you can see what role you could play in his life.

#Don’t Change for Him

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No one is perfect: he’s not perfect and you are not perfect. However, it is important to accept yourself and never change yourself for a partner. He should like you for who you are as a person and even if something you like might not be his cup of tea, don’t change girl!

#Use Red

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This is odd, trust me but it has scientific proof! Red makes everyone seem more attractive and studies prove this. If you think red doesn’t suit you, think again! There is a shade of red for everyone.

#Don’t get crazy.

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You might think this is obvious but it is easy for anyone to get crazy when they are into someone. However, hide this feeling and don’t get possessive over him because he is not yours just yet!

#Understand Him, Don’t Just Fake It!

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Make sure that you are not just listening to him but actually paying attention to what he is saying! If you care about him than this should be important to you because you actually want to understand him.

#Always Look Good

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You need to be confident around your guy and the best way to do this is to look your best. Obviously, if you feel your best you will also act your best around him! This doesn’t mean to change your appearance but just to feel better!

#Don’t Get Full of Yourself

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No one likes a cocky person so just be confident and not full of yourself! Just remember, you won’t have to tell how great you are if he can just see how great you actually are. Actions speak louder than words!

#Always Smile

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That seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Well, this is often what we forget the most! Guys love to see a girl smiling especially if it is a real smile. Every time he gives you a reason to smile, never pass on it so you can show him your amazing personality!
Content Credit: relationshipgoals.me

How My Best Friend Nearly Destroyed My Wedding

The expectations of bridesmaids can be demanding. And the expectations of one’s maid of honor are particularly demanding. It’s such a big responsibility these days that one woman went from offering her services as a professional bridesmaid on Craigslist to running a lucrative bridesmaid-for-hire business.

I didn’t need a stranger though. I had real friends. But, it turned out, some of them just weren’t who I thought they’d be when it came to supporting me before and on my wedding day.

The day before my wedding, my friend from college, Henry*, traveled eight hours on a bus to surprise me. My cousin was with me in spirit all summer, listening to my every wedding-related complaint. My only bridesmaid besides my maid of honor, Cassie, came all the way from Atlanta, even though it meant leaving her sick mother in hospice. Even my mom, with whom I have a rocky relationship, was there for me on my big day.

In retrospect, I wish I had appreciated these people more, instead of focusing all my attention on my maid of honor, Kaitlin*.

Kaitlin and I had met three years earlier, when she’d been a student in a writing class I taught. She was charismatic and intelligent. I liked her writing and appreciated the comments she made in class discussion. Our friendship solidified during our walks together to the train after class. We bonded over stories about the losers we’d dated in the past, men we blamed for wasting our time. Kaitlin and I were a lot alike.





When I look back now, it’s easy to see that she was never that great a friend. Sure, when we’d both been single, we’d related. But after I got together with my now-husband, Andrew, our conversations—when they happened—became dominated by Kaitlin’s latest drama. Kaitlin had a warped point of view when it came to relationships. I began to notice the way she always blamed the men involved in her stories when, really, she was clearly at fault. Kaitlin also had a habit of making plans and not showing up. There was always an excuse: She was stuck at work, her car broke down, she wasn’t feeling well, something came up...She’d text three hours after she was supposed to have been there, "Babe, are you upset at me? LOL, don’t be mad!!"

After Andrew proposed, Kaitlin grew distant. When she and I talked, we avoided discussing the wedding. I felt sorry for her—I was getting exactly what we both wanted, but her life hadn’t changed at all. Still, there was no question that Kaitlin would be my maid of honor. After all, she was my best friend—she had been there through my last breakup, as well as when Andrew and I first met. She had witnessed the start of our relationship. And she wasn’t just my friend, I thought, but Andrew’s also.

But as I started planning my wedding, Kaitlin grew increasingly detached. When I asked her to come decorate cupcakes for the engagement party, she said she was busy. She showed little interest in helping me pick out my dress. It was typical Kaitlin behavior, but it hurt more now that I needed her. She wasn’t just my best friend anymore; she was my maid of honor. With that honor, I thought, came responsibility. I had the unrealistic hope that Kaitlin would eventually step up.

At my engagement party, Kaitlin appeared anxious and out of place. Three-quarters of the way through the night, she disappeared. She snuck off to one of the upstairs bedrooms, where she said she’d been reading a book. That was just a precursor of what was to come.

A day or two before our big day, Andrew and I wrote Kaitlin out of helping with the logistics of the wedding. She still had a part to read during the ceremony, but other than that, we reassigned her responsibilities to others. It wasn’t a punishment so much as out of fear she wouldn’t show up.

She was there at the wedding—at least for some of it. Throughout the day, Kaitlin disappeared at inopportune moments. When it was time to take pictures or when we sat down to eat, she was nowhere to be found. She wore enormous Beats headphones at the dinner table. I’d never seen this sort of behavior from her before.

 It was weird, and somewhat disturbing. But at that point, nothing surprised me. Other people raised eyebrows, but no one wanted to be rude and comment. And she offered no explanation for her behavior. By then, I didn’t have time or energy to ask ,I just tried to ignore her and enjoy my day anyway. Near the end of the reception—as my other bridesmaid, Cassie, was making her toast—Kaitlin had the nerve to confront me. "Why was I not asked to make a toast?" she demanded to know. It wasn’t worth explaining—not then, not ever. I’d had enough. I told her, "Just let it go."

Sometime after that, as the cake was being cut, Kaitlin left—with my cell phone and the key to our honeymoon suite in her purse. My husband and I spent the last hour of our wedding trying to track her down. By midnight, when she still hadn’t returned any of our calls, I was seriously worried. I was afraid that something terrible had happened; I worried, perhaps irrationally, that she’d hurt herself.

We found out later that Kaitlin had gone back uptown to meet up with one of the guys she was seeing. Cassie—who was staying at her apartment—walked in to find some guy fingering Kaitlin on the couch.

Karen retrieved my phone for me. Kaitlin dropped the key off to the hotel in the morning. She and I haven’t talked since. Two months later, I’ve thought of reaching out. After all, she had once been my best friend. She’s in all my wedding photos! I wanted closure. The whole situation felt so weird and still doesn’t sit right.

Then I thought better of it. I hear it’s not unusual for brides to lose friends after the wedding—and maybe that’s OK. Not all friendships, I’ve learned, are worth hanging on to.

*Names have been changed

Scott Disick and Sofia Richie Hanging Out Fuel Romance Rumors

Scott Disick and Sofia Richie once again fueled romance rumors as the two spent another afternoon hanging out together.

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 34, and Richie, 19, were spotted grabbing coffee in Calabasas, California, before shopping at Barneys in Beverly Hills on Friday, September 15. They were dressed casually with Disick wearing a white Supreme hoodie with ripped dark jeans and sneakers, while the model, whose father is singer Lionel Richie, wore a black shirt and light high-waisted denim jeans. She accessorized her look with white boots and a cross necklace. 

 

Scott Disick and Sofia Richie get coffee while out shopping in Beverly Hills on Friday, September 15. CMaidana / RAAK / BACKGRID

The unlikely pair have been hanging out a lot lately, adding to speculation that they are dating.

During his birthday getaway in Cannes, France, in May, the pair, who insist they are just friends, were spotted looking flirty, including a moment where Disick carried the teenager, who is 15 years his junior, around a yacht. Richie later took to Twitter to squash romance rumors, writing, “Just so everyone can get their panties out of their asses, Scott and I are just homies,” with the hashtag #relax.

They were also spotted linking arms before heading to dinner in June and Richie was photographed FaceTiming the reality star the day before.

Since his split with Kourtney Kardashian, with whom he shares kids Mason, 7, Penelope, 5, and Reign, 2, Disick has been seen with a bevy of women, including actress Bella Thorne. Richie was previously linked to Justin Bieber.

As IPRESSTV previously reported, Disick has been trying to turn his life around after being hospitalized on a 5150 psychiatric hold in August. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed to IPRESSTV earlier this month that Disick had been transported to a hospital near his home in Hidden Hills, California, on August 18.

"Security at his house called for help. Scott was in a really bad place," an insider told IPRESSTV. "Scott's friends are worried for him but know that he's getting better for his family."