Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Real Weddings

I love weddings. And I try to get a few photos at each of my weddings so that I can share some real weddings (poor hubs is the one carrying the big hunk of camera trying to capture all the 'details' - sometimes I forget to tell him what a great job he's doing). I think showcasing weddings is fantastic because you can see what's going on in the world of weddings. I know not everyone's as 'into it' as I am but just in case you need a wedding fix like me, here they are:

Grace Ormonde
Together in Style
WedLuxe
Inside Weddings (my fav...even recognized a few)
The Bride and Bloom
Brides.com

Eye Candy!

Since my last blog was a bit depressing...look what I found today! Oh happy blog! Oh my gosh this blog is filled with pictures and design ideas! No wonder since the blogger is a well known event designer, Danielle Gregory. And the funny thing is she follows some of the blogs I follow. I guess everyone knows a good blog when they see one. =) I leave you some very cute pictures:










Sunday, August 26, 2007

Another lazy Sunday afternoon

It looked like rain.

I woke up and took the dogs out to do their business and notice the weather. It's windy and gloomy. The sun comes and goes as the clouds shift. Hubs told me it actually sprinkled for a second. It's Taiwan weather. Make both of us want to go back. =(

After high school...we rarely go back to Taiwan in the summer. It's too hot and sticky. Fall and Winter are usually the best time, even though we are face with fierce winds and downpours, anything is better than the hot thick air you could barely breath in. We usually make a yearly trip to visit my sister and the in-laws. One distinct memory was the year my sister got married.

It was the 921 earthquake year. The quake was 7.3 on the Richter scale (Northridge earthquake was 6.7), 2415 people were killed and over 400,000 left homeless. Coming from California, we're use to earthquakes. I wasn't terribly scared when it started...but it last forever and we were up on the 6th floor. Hubs was stranded with me at my sister's since it was only a couple days after the wedding. The aftershocks continue days after. I often use 'old Christmas light' to summarize electricity transmission in Asia ~ one light goes out and so does the rest of the string. We were without power for a couple days, follow by rolling blackout. My parents were down in Taichung with my aunts (much closer to the epicenter). My aunt's home had floor to ceiling glass window that shattered. Everyone ran out with their slippers on and drove out to the baseball field of a nearby school. We also drove out (sis, BIL, hubs, and I) but felt it was safer to stay home since none of the traffic signals were working. It was into the next day when the telecommunication was up and we were able to check with friends and relatives. We ate dumplings by candlelight, took showers when it was our turn with power, and bonded. With no other source of entertainment, we only had each other. Days later as the reports came in; I realize how lucky we were. We had our homes and none of our family members were hurt.

The devastation to the rest of the country was a different story. Buildings collapsed taking hundreds of lives with them. Buildings remaining are crooked. Stories of bodies left on the street because there were not enough body bags. Sections of land were raised as much as 23 feet into the air. Bridges destroyed cutting off traffic for weeks. We were lucky.





Saturday, August 25, 2007

Wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel

I received the pictures today from the photographer for the wedding back in July. It's always fun to look over the pictures and relive the day. Jackie and Ken both looked so happy and in love. The day was gorgeous with clear blue sky...and Jackie's color was also blue! A lot of blue hydrangeas were used and the whole day I felt as I was floating in the clouds. The service at Ritz was impeccable. I worked with Eryin and she was tremendous help. All the wait staff was also extremely friendly and hardworking. Jackie and Ken truly felt like king and queen for a day. Here are some pictures from hubs and the photographer's camera:

The ceremony setup




Solution for windy beach wedding? I made cookie placecards!


So many hotel guests were peaking through the double doors during the ceremony!


The blushing bride


My FAVORITE picture of the day!


Ceremony in progress


Cuttest boy ever!


Reception table setup


The beautiful cake! I was amazed the cake was from Diamond Bakery!




While the guests were having fun at the reception, hubs and I had another mission!


The guests left with a few gold bars...


The happy couple

Friday, August 24, 2007

8 random facts

I saw this on the photographer blogs that I read religiously and thought it might be fun.

Eight things that people may not know about me:

8. I been trying to keep a diary for years. I think the first time I tried was probably in grade school. Longest I kept it up was in junior high (all the misadventure of the nerdy honor student). And last time I tried was in a green leather journal I bought in Vegas for hubs (which he obviously wasn't going to use and I didn't want it going to waste). Till now...

7. I prefer wings to drumsticks. The best part about eating buffalo wings/chicken wings/chicken feet/chicken neck/duck tongue...is the cartilage, not the meat. Yes call me weird but that's what I like.

6. People would think I eat everything (the little piggy I am) but I come to realize I'm pretty high maintenance when it comes to food. I don't like nuts in my food, I don't like mixing sweet and salty food in the same bowl (never understood peanut butter and jelly...oh and I don't like peanut butter), I like my fruits crisp, banana green, and not too sweet, I don't eat fast food (rarely), I like my steak fairly bloody, I don't like water chestnuts (which I consider nutty), I ONLY like vanilla or coffee ice cream (unless it's sorbet), I don't like chocolate and mint, and finally...everything taste better spicy!

5. Seeing what a good mommy I am to my doggies, I don't think anyone would believe if given the chance, I would prefer never to have dogs. I didn't grow up with pets. I had a white rabbit name Snowball who I starved (unintentional) to death, dried out the two turtles living in the tank (they were hibernating! I didn't know they need water!), buried many goldfishes in little candy cartons...I don't think I should be trusted with anything living. My mom being the anal retensive perfectionist (I know where I get it from) didn't allow dogs to dirty our beautiful white carpet. Thus I never knew the responsibility that came with having a pet. I worry and miss my babies when I travel, my daily conversation with the hubs and parents (when they are watching the babies) are about the dogs, I take walks and go to the park because of the dogs, I want to buy a new house because of the dogs! I love my dogs. They bring me endless joy. I love dogs more than I love kids. It's a lot of work...but the reward is immeasurable.

4. I use to sleep with a teddy bear. I saw it on TV and thought that's what little kids do so I got myself a bear (or ask my parents for one) and slept with it. The bear always ended up on the ground though.

3. I also wanted a BEST friend after reading Anne of Green Gables. I wanted a 'bosom' buddy who I can share all my secrets with (who am I kidding...I don't have secrets). I also use to put my tooth under my pillow for the tooth fairy till I was 10 and last time I wrote to Santa Clause was when I was a sophomore in high school. Can't blame me for dreaming!

2. There was this little girl who use to live below me. Her parents owned a hair salon. I would always go over to play with the nail polish or fake jewelry. We would play imaginary games of butterfly and fairies in the employee rest area. One time, I made her give me all her candy or I wouldn't play with her. She was crying but she gave me every last one of her candy. I wasn't a bully...I gave her candy back. I was just testing her. What a manipulative 5yr old I was!

1. I forgive but never forget. I have a cousin that was mean to me in grade school and we're good friends now (even went to Scotland twice to visit her) but she knows I still remember. =P

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Movie: Disturbia

My mind not being very active yesterday, I finished up on a few errands and watched the movie Disturbia on video. It was a pretty good movie; intense and funny at moments. My question is, when did Shia LaBeouf became so popular. He was also the main character in Transformer (another excellent movie by the way). For those (like me) that didn't know who he is, here's a picture:

I do think he's a lucky bastard who got to start in two good movies with two very good-looking girls: Sarah Roemer (Disturbia) and Megan Fox (Transformer).



Upon furthur research, he's been in many movies. He was in Holes, I,Robot, Charlie's Angel: Full Throttle, Dumb and Dumber, Constantine, and many more. Funny how these 'sidekick' characters you don't even notice suddenly becomes main character in major movies. I'm sure he worked his way up and he is pretty good actor. I was just unprepared for him to 'pop up' twice in one summer. It's like Brad Pitt; I didn't even realize he was in Thelma&Lousie until I re-watched the movie looking for him. I just remembered the cowboy that stole their money. You see how closely I pay attention. =)


I also want to post some pictures of my friend's baby who I visited on Sunday. He's only a week old and such a good baby. He slept through dogs barking, people talking, and even during his feeding. And no, it does not make me want one of my own. For now, I'll just visit and play with my friend's baby. Here he is...completely adorable!

I'm not very comfortable!
Who are you and why did you wake me?

Sleeping through burping...
One last pose before you go...

Monday, August 20, 2007

A Yamashiro Wedding

If you know me, you know how I hate Mondays...especially Monday mornings. So with not much to say since my brain's still asleep, here are some pictures from the wedding on Saturday.




















Will recap on all the pros/cons later in the afternoon...

Okay, I'm back. Here's the skinny on the location:
Good:
  • On site coordinator was accommodating
  • Main course was pretty decent (staff did pack up extra meals)
  • Wait staff (beside one wanna-be Val Kilmer) was courteous
  • Beautiful view of downtown and hollywood
  • Restaurant is old but feels authentic
  • Twinkle and lanterns light up at nite

Bad:

  • Restaurant stays open during wedding
  • The middle courtyard was way too crowded (128 guests)
  • The entrance of bridal party was hard, especially for a bride with a puffy dress
  • Very hot even with the mister turned on (vendor table was inside with air conditioning!)
  • Hard to see for most guests since the 'stage' is up front
  • The head table had to be brought out after the first dance (full viewing by guests)
  • Appetizers were not very yummy at all - chicken strips too breaded, skewers too tough, etc

All in all it was a nice wedding. The bride and groom looked happy and although most of the older guests left early (after the meal), most of the younger guests were willing to use the 'stage' for a dance floor (dance competition). Everyone looked like they enjoyed themselves and that's all that's important. =D

Saturday, August 18, 2007

O Happy day!

We have a wedding today! Weddings always make me happy. I love everything about weddings. Yamashiro...here we come!



It's funny I was never the little girl who knew exactly how she wanted her wedding. I assume I would want a big white dress but that's about as far as I got in imagining. I thought more about the actual proposal. I used to drive from downtown LA to Westwood on the 10 fwy. Right b/f you get on the 405 by National, there's a huge billboard to the right of the freeway, almost eye level. I use to think how cute it would be for a guy to propose to his gf on the billboard. Or maybe in a hot air balloon overlooking green valleys. Or in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I LOVE Paris. Let's just say my proposal didn't really go that way. Maybe I'll share how it actually happened sometimes in the future. I love my hubs to death and know he had every good intention, but he's not the one for surprises. He can never hold on to a gift too long. Almost every present he ever got me was ripped open the day it was bought. He's a BIG kid...and that's why I love him. =)

I've always been a planner. Every trip (3 days to 3 weeks) I have to plan. I feel you get the most out of the trip that way. I'll read up on the history, the economy, sometimes even about the real estate (hubs love looking at houses). I'll then list all the activities and sites per city. Narrow down to stuff we HAVE to due vs. stuff we can do. Cities are broken down into packages of how to get from the airport to the hotel, hotel contact info, how to get from city to city, all the activities, sites, restaurants, etc. With the amount of people asking for my BIG binder, I should sell my vacation itineraries! =)

So when planning the wedding came along...I was in my prime. I went from marrying in a castle in Scotland, to a mansion in England, to my favorite city in France, to a villa in Italy, and finally Stone Manor in Malibu. I'm slightly disappointed I didn't have my destination wedding, but I still LOVE my wedding. It was different from the usual hotel ballroom, all our friends and family were there to share the day with us, we had good food, good drinks and it was the best day of my life. And even though planning can be stressful (all those DETAILS) but it was also a part of my life I'll never forget. And I want that experience for all the brides out there...to enjoy the planning process and years from now, think back with fond memories.

Here's the castle in Scotland...maybe we can renew our vows there in 10 years...


I can't describe how being a wedding coordinator makes me sooo happy. It's instant gratification (well, almost instant after a year of planning). I feel honor to be a part of something so monumental. People at their best! All the love and emotions floating through the air, it's almost tangible. And to see the hard work we put in through the year come to reality. Nothing feels as good as the expression on a brides' face or a family member thanking you profusely. It humbles me and makes me want to do better.

Friday, August 17, 2007

I'm on a ROLL!!!

And that's literal for the weight I been gaining. No excuses...it's not the drugs I'm taking for my crippled arm (I checked with the doc)...it's really just not getting my booty to the gym. Well, the parents are gone, just dropped off the kids at grandma's (my parents) last night...really no reason for me not to get on a treadmill. It being casual Friday, I even have my gym clothes on. We'll see how I do; will report tomorrow.

The GREAT news is we're going to see my friend's newborn baby boy! The baby arrived last Sat and we've been dying to meet him. We'll make sure we just stop by for an hour; don't want to tire the mommy and the baby out. Here's some pictures from the baby shower I hosted last month...

Thursday, August 16, 2007

First day without the parents

Something I didn't mention last night was we just dropped off hubs parents. My in-laws had been visiting for the past month. It was a month of great food, great company...not to mention they left me a few pounds heavier, a cleaner house, happier dogs, and a possibility of a trip to Spain later this year. Partings are always bitter sweet but hopefully, we'll be meeting again in a few months!

The airport however, was a total nightmare. That'll be the last time we buy tickets first day of off season. It took us nearly 40 mins to get out of the parking garage. Of course hubs thinks it's a ploy to get our extra $5 bucks by not staffing enough parking attendants. Thank my lucky star my cell had reception and was fully charged. I spent my time chatting with Dad planning our Napa outing in Oct for Mom's big 6-0! Plan is to head up Sat, stop by the beach for lunch, reach Napa by night fall, have a nice dinner, hit up a few wineries Sun morning, visit the Aunts and spend the night, and head back home Mon morning...whole family in tow (including the dogs). This is a very big deal to us because we never traveled with dogs, even though our Oldie turns 10 this Dec. The planner in me wants to plan EVERYTHING. I want to find all the dog-friendly establishments...restaurants, hotel, wineries, shops, etc. I know millions of people travel with their pets. I always imagine older retired couples in their RV. I wonder what I got myself into.

First blog! >o<

Hi! I'm excited to be here recording my daily happenings! I'm not ashamed to admit I been 'stalking' certain blogs for a while and am super excited to be joining in on the fun. It's weird how I know the daily happenings of certain 'blog' people while it's sooo hard to keep up to date with some of my best friends. So here's it goes...your life in P I N K!

Some simple facts about me...I'm a (recent) 31 yr old married to my highschool sweetheart (hope that's not too much cheese). I love reading, traveling, movies, weddings (nope...I haven't moved on to kids yet), arts & craft, singing, dancing, planning, reading...oh wait, I already mentioned that didn't I? My hubby and I love living in LA and truly enjoy the melting pot of culture collected here. We love going out and exploring new restaurants (oh I forgot to mention food up top) and hanging out with our two fur babies (oldie & greenie)...that just remind me, I love the occasional glass of whiskey too! Here they are!!!



Well, as I grow with blogging, my goal is to keep a record of my goings/doings and best of all...to keep in touch with all my loved ones. Here's to this new adventure in the path of life.