Technically, it's been about a year and a half. When Paul and I had our 1 year anniversary, home called. My presence was needed for my dad was sick, and lucky I did come home because those were the last moments I spent with him before he passed away from lung cancer. So although I was very happy to celebrate one year of marital bliss with Paul, I was in the middle of figuring out what happened to my dad, show that I love him, keep doctor appointments, and try to keep the family together during this hard time. This was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do in my life. My father's death still hits me pretty hard. I haven't written a blog about it in a very long time since I kept all the updates on the caringbridge site...coping with my grief has been a long process. I wouldn't have been able to get through it without my support system, family, friends, and most importantly, my husband, Paul who always gives me a shoulder to cry on. It's a good thing his sweatshirts are so absorbent.
I am really grateful that I had the opportunities I had with my dad, helping us with the house, walking me down the isle, taking the Mendozas around the island...I still keep the photo book I made for his memorial on my desk with a little rosary at work. I greet him every morning. He accompanies me on my lunch runs. He scolds me when I drive too close to the cars. Though I cannot see him, it's nice knowing that he's always with me, and he still be there in all the years to come to see all our accomplishments, babies being born, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
Paul and I have gone through some really high highs and some really low lows, but as this first year shows, we are strong together. I'm sure there's going to be many more anniversary celebrations in years to come.
---
Rest in Peace, Dad. We love you!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Friday, February 5, 2010
Photos for the Photo Book
So right before we left for New Zealand, I finally received our wedding photos from our photographer. They look really great, but I think I was a little disappointed with the limited scope of the wedding. I would have loved more variety in the photos, shots of the venue, little details of the wedding, preparation, etc. It's not worth thinking about what's not there because in the end, I still have my memories and my souvenirs. Plus, Philip Pasag did do a good job with Paul and me and our wedding party; so we have that to keep in the photo book. So there's about 600 photos from the wedding, and Paul and I have to whittle them down to about 110-120. It was a really hard thing to do, and sacrifices had to be made. This is our method of cutting the photo count down:
1) Find the absolute, can't live without photographs and put them aside first. Be honest, if it doesn't take your breath away or evoke some sort of emotional response, it's not that important.
2) Go through each of the events, and get a broad scope of the pictures that tell the story. This should be as many as you want. At this point, there's no reason to start counting.
3) Go through posed photos and weed out all the ones that are too similar. Just pick the best facial expressions, no technical flaws like palm trees coming out of people heads, great lighting, etc.
4) Balance out the photos...if you have too much of one thing like 50 photos of Donna and only 5 of Paul...then, it's best to take some out of Donna's pile to at least get close to evening things out.
5) Find the important moments...do you really need every guest that walks in through the reception door. We figured that we liked the photos of the bridal party walking out than walking in at the ceremony; so we didn't have them twice.
6) Have some generic and artsy photos. They would be great backgrounds and give variety to the many "face" photos that will be in the collection.
7) Don't forget the parents. We were going to have parent books made; so it was important to include a few of the parent moments.
8) What to do when you still have 200 photos: Pick a number...if there's 40 photos for the reception, then choose a number like only 20 best go into the photo book. Same for the ceremony, and random photos.
9) What to do when you still have 10 more photos to go: Wow you're getting really close. I would really go through every photo with a fine tooth comb. If there's any flaw or something you didn't like about the photo, maybe it's time to put it aside. Again, look for repeats and unimportant people and moments. Each photo needs to tell a story and evoke a memory or emotional response, otherwise why would you need it?
10) One more thing, work with your other half. They might have strong feelings against having that photo in the photo book that you might not be aware about or a special one they'd like to have in, and it's nice to have another opinion. Listen! You don't always have to agree, but at least listen to each other.
So if all else fails and you end up with 130. I'd say give it to your photographer. Maybe he/she will have opinions or will be able to squeeze a little extra in. Plus, as a last resort, you could always buy another page.
Thanks for listening to my step-by-step photo sorting advice. Please feel free to add more.
1) Find the absolute, can't live without photographs and put them aside first. Be honest, if it doesn't take your breath away or evoke some sort of emotional response, it's not that important.
2) Go through each of the events, and get a broad scope of the pictures that tell the story. This should be as many as you want. At this point, there's no reason to start counting.
3) Go through posed photos and weed out all the ones that are too similar. Just pick the best facial expressions, no technical flaws like palm trees coming out of people heads, great lighting, etc.
4) Balance out the photos...if you have too much of one thing like 50 photos of Donna and only 5 of Paul...then, it's best to take some out of Donna's pile to at least get close to evening things out.
5) Find the important moments...do you really need every guest that walks in through the reception door. We figured that we liked the photos of the bridal party walking out than walking in at the ceremony; so we didn't have them twice.
6) Have some generic and artsy photos. They would be great backgrounds and give variety to the many "face" photos that will be in the collection.
7) Don't forget the parents. We were going to have parent books made; so it was important to include a few of the parent moments.
8) What to do when you still have 200 photos: Pick a number...if there's 40 photos for the reception, then choose a number like only 20 best go into the photo book. Same for the ceremony, and random photos.
9) What to do when you still have 10 more photos to go: Wow you're getting really close. I would really go through every photo with a fine tooth comb. If there's any flaw or something you didn't like about the photo, maybe it's time to put it aside. Again, look for repeats and unimportant people and moments. Each photo needs to tell a story and evoke a memory or emotional response, otherwise why would you need it?
10) One more thing, work with your other half. They might have strong feelings against having that photo in the photo book that you might not be aware about or a special one they'd like to have in, and it's nice to have another opinion. Listen! You don't always have to agree, but at least listen to each other.
So if all else fails and you end up with 130. I'd say give it to your photographer. Maybe he/she will have opinions or will be able to squeeze a little extra in. Plus, as a last resort, you could always buy another page.
Thanks for listening to my step-by-step photo sorting advice. Please feel free to add more.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Photos from the New Zealand Honeymoon Trip
So I do have all of the photos uploaded and such...it's not organized or whittled down from the 4,000 photos I took, but for all those who are impatient, here it is the link:
www.dropshots.com/niki
Our New Zealand trip is from December 18 - January 3rd.
Enjoy!
www.dropshots.com/niki
Our New Zealand trip is from December 18 - January 3rd.
Enjoy!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Being an Honorary Wisconsonite
So last week for Thanksgiving, we spent it for the first time with Paul's family in Wisconsin. It was a very interesting and fun experience. Usually for family holidays, we stay in town and celebrate it with Paul's immediate family or we'll visit my family in Hawaii. I give Paul a lot of credit because my family is HUGE. He is always bombarded by our culture and our eccentric personalities when we come together on my side, and there's not that many tall, white guys that are in our family; so he literally stands out. So it was my turn to be subjected meeting new people and learning new names. I was definitely the only full-blooded Filipino that I saw, but fortunately Saqi (my brother-in-law/Kathryn's husband) was there so I wasn't the only "brown" person. I am always surprised interacting with Paul's family. Every single one of them are warm and welcoming. Even before we got married, I had always felt like a part of the family; so I wasn't exactly nervous. It was just a formality to get to meet and greet everyone in person. I've heard so many stories about them all for so long (6 years) that I feel that I already know them. Luckily for me, Paul's family is not very huge. He has about 2 cousins (there's a couple half cousins that we haven't met, too) compared to my 60+ first cousins. I don't even know who all my cousins are.
We took the red eye on Tues...On a side note: My recommendation is not to fly Midwest Airlines again because they don't pre-assign seats together for travelers flying together, and that was annoying. When we got to the gate they gave us the only seats together which was in the emergency aisle, but the seats didn't recline. It was really horrible, and we did not sleep very much on that flight.
On the day, we visited Paul's Mom's cousin, Nick, and his family on the first night. We met their 2 cats, 2 dogs (including a gigantic greyhound), 2 kids, and we made pizzas. Their family was really fun to talk to, and we were lucky enough to get snow as well. It was falling pretty heavily. I took pictures and got to wipe the snow off the car. It was fun! I'm sure that the Wisconsinites dreaded the snowfall, but I never get to see it very much so for me, it was a real treat. Lucky for them, the snow didn't stick around. For the next few days, we had some really great sun. Of course the temperature average for the day was in the 30s-40s, but it was really nice.
So highlights of the trip: hung out with Grandma/Grandpa Beckman, Uncle Mark, Aunt Jan, Cousin Stacey, Cousin Jill, Great Aunt Janete, Great Grandma Perinovic, Aunt Pam, Aunt Sue, and all the pets! We took a ton of photos of the botanical gardens at the Domes. My favorite was the desert Dome. We had a taste of true Wisconsin cheese, custard, and beers. We visited Lambeau Stadium, and got some Green Bay Packer stuff. We talked to the family members and got the dirt on Mom and Dad Mendoza when they were growing up.
It was such a fun trip, and we miss it already. There was still so much to do and see. We have to visit a curling club. There's one next to where the Grandparents live. Aunt Janete will teach us how to make stain glass. And I would love to see the Dwells (interesting land formations) and the House on the Rock (a house filled with all sorts of nicknacks) We're planning another trip back. We could be there as soon as February if the men's and women's teams qualify for Club Nationals which will be held in Madison this year. Everyone cross your fingers.
It's kind of nice having a connection to the Midwest. I feel very honored to be a part of Paul's family, and I look forward to our next trip. Maybe we'll see more snow...
We took the red eye on Tues...On a side note: My recommendation is not to fly Midwest Airlines again because they don't pre-assign seats together for travelers flying together, and that was annoying. When we got to the gate they gave us the only seats together which was in the emergency aisle, but the seats didn't recline. It was really horrible, and we did not sleep very much on that flight.
On the day, we visited Paul's Mom's cousin, Nick, and his family on the first night. We met their 2 cats, 2 dogs (including a gigantic greyhound), 2 kids, and we made pizzas. Their family was really fun to talk to, and we were lucky enough to get snow as well. It was falling pretty heavily. I took pictures and got to wipe the snow off the car. It was fun! I'm sure that the Wisconsinites dreaded the snowfall, but I never get to see it very much so for me, it was a real treat. Lucky for them, the snow didn't stick around. For the next few days, we had some really great sun. Of course the temperature average for the day was in the 30s-40s, but it was really nice.
So highlights of the trip: hung out with Grandma/Grandpa Beckman, Uncle Mark, Aunt Jan, Cousin Stacey, Cousin Jill, Great Aunt Janete, Great Grandma Perinovic, Aunt Pam, Aunt Sue, and all the pets! We took a ton of photos of the botanical gardens at the Domes. My favorite was the desert Dome. We had a taste of true Wisconsin cheese, custard, and beers. We visited Lambeau Stadium, and got some Green Bay Packer stuff. We talked to the family members and got the dirt on Mom and Dad Mendoza when they were growing up.
It was such a fun trip, and we miss it already. There was still so much to do and see. We have to visit a curling club. There's one next to where the Grandparents live. Aunt Janete will teach us how to make stain glass. And I would love to see the Dwells (interesting land formations) and the House on the Rock (a house filled with all sorts of nicknacks) We're planning another trip back. We could be there as soon as February if the men's and women's teams qualify for Club Nationals which will be held in Madison this year. Everyone cross your fingers.
It's kind of nice having a connection to the Midwest. I feel very honored to be a part of Paul's family, and I look forward to our next trip. Maybe we'll see more snow...
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Honeymoon Details
Okay, so it's official, we are going to New Zealand for our honeymoon. We just bought our tickets and booked our tour. It's going to be 14 days long. We'll leave on Dec. 18th and we'll be back on Jan. 3rd. We are going during peak season so unfortunately, it's going to be a little more expensive than we budgeted for, but that's okay. It's our honeymoon!
I am extremely excited for this trip. We couldn't have a honeymoon at the same time as our wedding because we took the family out on an excursion to Kauai instead. It was their first time; so we thought that it would be better to spend time with the family and give a tour around the places we know and love. Plus, we didn't have enough time. We get about 2 weeks every year for Christmas vacation, and we thought that maybe that would be the perfect time for a honeymoon. So now, it's a reality!
We booked a trip through a program called "Contiki" and here's the website: http://contiki.com/ Basically, it's an affordable travel program for 18-35 year old travelers, and they provide tours with options for accommodations, travel, some meals, and customizable activities that you could add on. We thought that since we've never been to New Zealand or know how to navigate ourselves, that it would be a good idea to let someone else do all the work. Plus, we wanted to enjoy our vacation and each other. I didn't want stress of planning things out to ruin that experience.
Also, I have a friend who lives in Taupo who I am planning to visit. Her name is Sis and we're pen pals. We've traded pictures and stories about our lives, and it's been about 4 years since we've seen each other. I can't wait to give her a hug and an aloha.
Here are some of the highlights and photos of our itinerary:
http://contiki.com/tours/82-grand-adventurer-reverse-start-queenstown
We are staying an extra night in Auckland at the beginning of our trip, and we will spend a few extra nights in Taupo with Sis. I'll post some interesting facts and information about New Zealand as the trip gets closer.
Well, Kia ora, mates!
I am extremely excited for this trip. We couldn't have a honeymoon at the same time as our wedding because we took the family out on an excursion to Kauai instead. It was their first time; so we thought that it would be better to spend time with the family and give a tour around the places we know and love. Plus, we didn't have enough time. We get about 2 weeks every year for Christmas vacation, and we thought that maybe that would be the perfect time for a honeymoon. So now, it's a reality!
We booked a trip through a program called "Contiki" and here's the website: http://contiki.com/ Basically, it's an affordable travel program for 18-35 year old travelers, and they provide tours with options for accommodations, travel, some meals, and customizable activities that you could add on. We thought that since we've never been to New Zealand or know how to navigate ourselves, that it would be a good idea to let someone else do all the work. Plus, we wanted to enjoy our vacation and each other. I didn't want stress of planning things out to ruin that experience.
Also, I have a friend who lives in Taupo who I am planning to visit. Her name is Sis and we're pen pals. We've traded pictures and stories about our lives, and it's been about 4 years since we've seen each other. I can't wait to give her a hug and an aloha.
Here are some of the highlights and photos of our itinerary:
http://contiki.com/tours/82-grand-adventurer-reverse-start-queenstown
We are staying an extra night in Auckland at the beginning of our trip, and we will spend a few extra nights in Taupo with Sis. I'll post some interesting facts and information about New Zealand as the trip gets closer.
Well, Kia ora, mates!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Guest Book by Mahalia Clemons
Mahalia asked me if there was anything she could help with the wedding even though she was all the way in Florida. I told her that the one thing that was stressing me out was the guest book. In my mind, I wanted more then a guest book with people signing their name and address. I wanted a yearbook style where people could add memories, advice, and miscellaneous information as well as feature photos of both Paul and me and our family and friends. People could learn more about us especially as a couple since there were a few who only knew one or the other. Also, we could get something personal and custom made. Mahalia took my idea and went light years with it. She created something so beautiful and special that it took my breath away. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. I am extremely grateful for all the work she has done, and I am posting a link so that everyone can see what I am talking about. The first section is the tradition part where people can sign their name and address, but at about page 20 is where you'll find the "yearbook" section.
My Guestbook
Enjoy!
My Guestbook
Enjoy!
After Wedding Glow
Okay, we've been married for almost a month now, and other than photos, I have not made any new blogs. I apologize. So many things have happened prior to the wedding, during the wedding, our after wedding vacationing, and there was one day of rest before I started work on the Comic Con Sizzle reel. The debut was this passed Saturday; so now I have a little bit of time to reminisce and relax. I am going to try my best to highlight certain things that stood out from my memories of the wedding. There's so much to remember, and I definitely want to share. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday before the Wedding
We moved into the beach house today...it was definitely an interesting experience. Well, first of all Schrader's made a boo boo, and was overbooked. They apologized profusely and put us in several beachhouses along the water and comped out first night which was pretty amazing since it ended up being 4 houses that were pretty cool. We do have to do some shuffling tomorrow again to move into our real accommodations, but it all worked out in the end. Schrader's Inn is quite a location. There's a HUGE steep driveway that leads to the beachhouses. You really want to make sure the car has good breaks. It is in the middle of Kaneohe with some great views of the ocean and river that runs alongside the beachhouse. It is definitely the atmosphere I wanted to give our guests, hometown Hawaii. It's not glamorous like Waikiki, but you kind of feel like sitting on the lanai with a mudslide or something.
We had an impromptu BBQ at the Kalihi house because relatives from my dad's side also arrived. It was a lot of fun eating outside in the drizzling rain and singing karaoke (inside) of course.
Well, that's all for now. I am really beat. There's still quite a lot to do!
The boys are going to pick up their tuxes. I have to start prepping the table center pieces. There's a bridal shower tomorrow at 5 pm - 10 pm. That's when we'll see everyone that arrived by Wed. We're going to have a really busy day!
We had an impromptu BBQ at the Kalihi house because relatives from my dad's side also arrived. It was a lot of fun eating outside in the drizzling rain and singing karaoke (inside) of course.
Well, that's all for now. I am really beat. There's still quite a lot to do!
The boys are going to pick up their tuxes. I have to start prepping the table center pieces. There's a bridal shower tomorrow at 5 pm - 10 pm. That's when we'll see everyone that arrived by Wed. We're going to have a really busy day!
Monday before the Wedding
Monday was quite hectic with 3 rushes of people coming in, all of Paul's family including Paul himself who came at the end at 9 PM. There was a lot of shuffling back and forth between the airport and the hotel in Waikiki. I actually have a lot to tell, but it's getting late. Although, I am happy to report that everyone arrived safe and sound after a 5 hour + flight from Wisconsin and California. And so it finally begins! The pressure is on!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Something Borrowed
I just talked to my Auntie Dely, and she's going to let us borrow her coins for the coin ceremony. Here's a little thing I found on the internet that will explain what the tradition is:
"In one Catholic wedding tradition, the groom gives the bride an Arras - a container of 13 coins. In addition to being a sort of dowry, the Arras symbolized the groom's promise (and ability) to support his family. In wealthy families, the Arras consisted of 13 gold or silver coins. Those less well off have used gold-plated small denomination coins, or tokens."
There's actually all sorts of traditions and meanings with arras. Sometimes the parents give it to the groom, etc. So we're kind of changing the tradition up a little bit. Since the whole wedding has been about combining Paul's culture and mine. We're going to do half American money and half Filipino money, to meld both cultures together. Also, my Aunties (Sponsors) on my mom side are going to help us out with presenting the coins. It should be an interesting addition to our wedding ceremony.
Thank you, Auntie Dely! It's going to be a great contribution to our wedding day.
"In one Catholic wedding tradition, the groom gives the bride an Arras - a container of 13 coins. In addition to being a sort of dowry, the Arras symbolized the groom's promise (and ability) to support his family. In wealthy families, the Arras consisted of 13 gold or silver coins. Those less well off have used gold-plated small denomination coins, or tokens."
There's actually all sorts of traditions and meanings with arras. Sometimes the parents give it to the groom, etc. So we're kind of changing the tradition up a little bit. Since the whole wedding has been about combining Paul's culture and mine. We're going to do half American money and half Filipino money, to meld both cultures together. Also, my Aunties (Sponsors) on my mom side are going to help us out with presenting the coins. It should be an interesting addition to our wedding ceremony.
Thank you, Auntie Dely! It's going to be a great contribution to our wedding day.
Alterations DONE
Yesterday, I picked up my bridal gown from Alterations by Luz in Waipahu. I was kind of anxious to see how the hemming and bustling turned out. My dress is kind of special because it doesn't have a straight back. there's a flap that comes around and fastens to the other side, and so Luz had to do some special magic and pinning and buttonings to make it fall nicely. I tried on the dress, and first of all it fit perfectly. So far I haven't gained any extra weight since I've been in Hawaii which so hard being surrounded by so much good food and mom's cooking. We've been trying to go to Magic Island to run/walk every other day or so. And secondly, the bustle was really cute. It looked really elegant, and Luz did a really good job. My mom was there trying to figure out where to tie all the ribbons and snap all the clips so that she would be ready for the big day. I think Mom got it down. So that is one less thing to worry about. I can't post any photos yet, just in case Paul stumbles across this blog, but I'll post some later on.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Finalizing the Menu
Tomorrow is the day we set the final guest head count and finalize the menu. For all those who are curious, here it is:
We will be having a buffet style reception:
Chilled Items
1. Broccoli Florets with Crab Salad & Creamy Dressing
2. Baked Potato Salad with Chedar Cheese, Sour Cream & Onion, Bacon Bits
3. Island Style Potato & Macaroni Salad
4. Chinese Chicken Salad, Crispy Won Ton Pi, Peanuts & Cilantro, Soy Sesame Dressing
5. Cheese Tortellini Primavera Salad with Creamy Pesto
Starch
White Rice and Chow Mein Noodles
Hot Entrees
1. Chef Dwayne's famous Luana Hills Roasted Honey Hoisin Glazed Chicken
2. Local Style Teriyaki Beef (Chef Dwayne's Ono Teriyaki Sauce!)
3. Hawaiian Style Kalua Pig and Cabbage
4. Baked Soy Ginger Salmon with Garlic Olive Oil
Desserts:
1. Wedding cake: Strawberries & Creme
2. Luana Hills Bread Pudding with Creamy Caramel Sauce
3. Macadamia Nut Cream Pie
4. Double Chocolate Fudge Cake
We wanted to have a mix of American food with a touch of local style especially since we will have a lot of out-of-town guests and a lot of local guests. I think our menu will cater to all sorts of eaters even the picky ones.
We will be having a buffet style reception:
Chilled Items
1. Broccoli Florets with Crab Salad & Creamy Dressing
2. Baked Potato Salad with Chedar Cheese, Sour Cream & Onion, Bacon Bits
3. Island Style Potato & Macaroni Salad
4. Chinese Chicken Salad, Crispy Won Ton Pi, Peanuts & Cilantro, Soy Sesame Dressing
5. Cheese Tortellini Primavera Salad with Creamy Pesto
Starch
White Rice and Chow Mein Noodles
Hot Entrees
1. Chef Dwayne's famous Luana Hills Roasted Honey Hoisin Glazed Chicken
2. Local Style Teriyaki Beef (Chef Dwayne's Ono Teriyaki Sauce!)
3. Hawaiian Style Kalua Pig and Cabbage
4. Baked Soy Ginger Salmon with Garlic Olive Oil
Desserts:
1. Wedding cake: Strawberries & Creme
2. Luana Hills Bread Pudding with Creamy Caramel Sauce
3. Macadamia Nut Cream Pie
4. Double Chocolate Fudge Cake
We wanted to have a mix of American food with a touch of local style especially since we will have a lot of out-of-town guests and a lot of local guests. I think our menu will cater to all sorts of eaters even the picky ones.
Bamboo Harvesting
So I was talking to my dad about figuring out some decoration for the reception when I was in California. He mentioned to me that he had a ton of bamboo growing on the lot. He said that he could probably cut it up and make something with it for me. So I was able to visit this bamboo grove to see what he was talking about. It was actually quite a hike to get there. This is undeveloped land so we're talking about a Hawaiian rainforest (no trails) and on top of a mountain (the Ko'olau range). I had to wear long sleeves (there's tons of mosquitos), long pants, and heavy duty hiking shoes. We hiked about a half an hour lugging a chainsaw (I didn't have to carry the chainsaw), and I found out what my dad was talking about. There's this small grove of giant bamboos in the middle of the forest. The stalks thicker were than my arms and they grow about 20-30 ft high at least. It was incredible. I didn't know what harvesting this bamboo would entail, but it was still an amazing experience. We cut 2 stalks and into smaller manageable pieces, slide them down the mountain, and then we brought them home to cut into smaller pieces. I think I must have burned a 1000 calories that day. It was actually a lot of fun, and I got to spend some time with my dad. He talked to me about spirits in the mountains and because this was their home we should always acknowledge that they are there. There's lots of Hawaiian myths and burial grounds in this area, and Hawaiian lore and stories of bad luck pop up when they have been disturbed. It was really interesting. He also shared with me life in the Philippines, and how they used to plant tons of bamboo to prevent waters from flooding their homes. They harvested it for everything from building houses to bamboo shoots for food. There was a certain way and time to cut it. I really didn't know bamboo was so much of our culture, and after all this, I am really grateful that we were able to integrate this element in the wedding.
Here are some photos:
I didn't have a camera on me when we cut the bamboo in the rainforest, but here's a photo of us cutting the bamboo at home in smaller pieces.
Basically, how we will use these is to place them in random (yet good luck numbers) groupings on the table. Some will have candles in them, some will have nothing, some will have a flower bud inside or on the outside. We'll add some ribbon and such for accents. At least that is the plan...
These are photos from the lot:
Nothing but foliage
The view from the "base" of the lot
Here are some photos:
I didn't have a camera on me when we cut the bamboo in the rainforest, but here's a photo of us cutting the bamboo at home in smaller pieces.
Basically, how we will use these is to place them in random (yet good luck numbers) groupings on the table. Some will have candles in them, some will have nothing, some will have a flower bud inside or on the outside. We'll add some ribbon and such for accents. At least that is the plan...
These are photos from the lot:
Nothing but foliage
The view from the "base" of the lot
Monday, June 15, 2009
Photos of the Final Invitations...
By request in response to the blog about the final invitations, I've posted some photos. I hope that my camera skills give it justice.
Envelope and Invitation Front
When you Open up the Invitation: Enclosed is the Venue Information, Admit 1 tickets, and Bridal Party Information
This is the close up of the Bridal Party Information.
This is the close up of the map.
This is the close up of the Admit One tickets.
Hope you like it.
Envelope and Invitation Front
When you Open up the Invitation: Enclosed is the Venue Information, Admit 1 tickets, and Bridal Party Information
This is the close up of the Bridal Party Information.
This is the close up of the map.
This is the close up of the Admit One tickets.
Hope you like it.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Home Sweet Home
So today is actually my 2nd day in Hawaii. I decided to come home a lot earlier to do some wedding planning locally for a change, and if I forgot anything at home, I am hoping that Paul will take care of it. I think it's a good plan. I stuffed my wedding dress, a couple bridesmaids dresses, my shoes, and some other things. I barely made the weight limit on all my luggage. Luckily, they let me pass with a 2 lb overweight carry-on. I've never had my carry-on weighed before. I am a little pissed at Hawaiian airlines for charging me $15 for my 1st check-in luggage. It was a pretty smooth flight in general. I was happy to find out that Hawaiian still served food, even though it was a breakfast burrito and not that good. I am a breakfast burrito snob. The best ones have hash browns and bacon. This of course had none.
At the baggage claim, I was kind of worried that I wouldn't find my luggage, and then I had to find another dress. I looked frantically at all the black Samsonite luggage because there were a lot of them, and finally I spotted the caterpillar and Kings luggage tags right away.
We ate lunch at a Korean restaurant with Mom and Joyce. Afterward, Elliot gave me a tour around the new property which was amazing. Dad and his friends have already started developing the land, and the view was completely breathtaking. I can't wait to see what the land will look like when it is done.
I ate so much food!!! Yikes, if I keep this up, I'm definitely not going to fit in my dress. I told mom, let's go out for a run (she walks) at Ala Moana, and then I felt a little better about myself.
It is HOT in Hawaii. There's very little tradewinds, and the humidity is really sticky.
At the baggage claim, I was kind of worried that I wouldn't find my luggage, and then I had to find another dress. I looked frantically at all the black Samsonite luggage because there were a lot of them, and finally I spotted the caterpillar and Kings luggage tags right away.
We ate lunch at a Korean restaurant with Mom and Joyce. Afterward, Elliot gave me a tour around the new property which was amazing. Dad and his friends have already started developing the land, and the view was completely breathtaking. I can't wait to see what the land will look like when it is done.
I ate so much food!!! Yikes, if I keep this up, I'm definitely not going to fit in my dress. I told mom, let's go out for a run (she walks) at Ala Moana, and then I felt a little better about myself.
It is HOT in Hawaii. There's very little tradewinds, and the humidity is really sticky.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wedding Veils
I decided to make my own wedding veil for 2 reasons...1) It's very expensive 2) Kathy made hers for her wedding, and it came out really nice. I figured she could help me make mine. 3) At the very least, if it really came down to it, I could always buy one.
So we went to JoAnn's which is more of a sewing/craft store, and we can get 40% off coupons. That's where we bought our material. I had plans to make 2 veils. One long, up to my finger tips, and the other short and cute. The total price of tulle for these two veils came out to about $6. We did have to buy combs to attach that on, which came in a pack of 6, I think, for $2.00, and I wanted some "bling" so I got some Swarowski crystals for 40% off which came up to $10.
Kathy and her mom helped me pick out the materials, and we came back to the house to put it all together. We cut the tulle using a cardboard cutout and a formula that Kathy developed. It was a little tough to keep it aligned properly, but once it's all bunched up anyway, you wouldn't be able to tell anything was wrong with it. In the end, it actually came out pretty even and with some nice looking arches. We had a bit of sewing to do basically you do a certain stitch that will make the material bunch up, and then you attach it to the comb. When it was finally attached to the comb, it looked pretty darn good as is. Normally, you would decorate before you do this process, but I was just going to glue on crystals anyway, so it really didn't matter.
I took both veils home to Hawaii, and there I showed my sister and mom the two choices. They recommended that I use the long one, and I loved both the veils; so I didn't mind going with that choice. I spent maybe an hour gluing the crystals on the veil. I didn't really have a pattern in mind. I kind of just picked up the veil to see how it drops and added crystals where it could be most seen and nicely placed. It came out really well.
One of the crystal decorations:
I am really glad that we took on this project because it was a lot of fun (A little time consuming, but definitely worth it.) and I have something personal to wear. Thank you Kathy and Paul's Mom. It came out really lovely. Any one else need any veils made?
Here are a few photos:
So we went to JoAnn's which is more of a sewing/craft store, and we can get 40% off coupons. That's where we bought our material. I had plans to make 2 veils. One long, up to my finger tips, and the other short and cute. The total price of tulle for these two veils came out to about $6. We did have to buy combs to attach that on, which came in a pack of 6, I think, for $2.00, and I wanted some "bling" so I got some Swarowski crystals for 40% off which came up to $10.
Kathy and her mom helped me pick out the materials, and we came back to the house to put it all together. We cut the tulle using a cardboard cutout and a formula that Kathy developed. It was a little tough to keep it aligned properly, but once it's all bunched up anyway, you wouldn't be able to tell anything was wrong with it. In the end, it actually came out pretty even and with some nice looking arches. We had a bit of sewing to do basically you do a certain stitch that will make the material bunch up, and then you attach it to the comb. When it was finally attached to the comb, it looked pretty darn good as is. Normally, you would decorate before you do this process, but I was just going to glue on crystals anyway, so it really didn't matter.
I took both veils home to Hawaii, and there I showed my sister and mom the two choices. They recommended that I use the long one, and I loved both the veils; so I didn't mind going with that choice. I spent maybe an hour gluing the crystals on the veil. I didn't really have a pattern in mind. I kind of just picked up the veil to see how it drops and added crystals where it could be most seen and nicely placed. It came out really well.
One of the crystal decorations:
I am really glad that we took on this project because it was a lot of fun (A little time consuming, but definitely worth it.) and I have something personal to wear. Thank you Kathy and Paul's Mom. It came out really lovely. Any one else need any veils made?
Here are a few photos:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Bull Busters & a Tower of Cotton Candy: My Cali Batchelorette Party
So I had an inkling of what I was going to do for my bachelorette party in California. They told me to wear comfortable clothes (definitely no skirts), and to bring socks. In my mind, I knew we were going to drink a lot and maybe go bowling. I pretty much guessed right...kind of.
Well, it started at 6:30 pm where Kathy and Carrie came to pick me up. They gave me 2 shots of vodka chased with orange juice. I was blindfolded while Saqi and Michael dropped us off to the location. I heard directions such as Barham and such, and once they stopped and made me get out of the car, I heard music. It popped into my mind, WE WERE AT UNIVERSAL CITY WALK! Then, I just realized where we were going, Saddle Ranch, and it entailed a mechanical bull. They told me afterward that, we also planned to go to another bar after that and do some bowling. So I was half right.
I also had accessories. They bought me a batchelorette sash, pink crown, and a huge "sparkling" ring. They passed out cups that said "What happens at the batchelorette party stays in the batchelorette party." We hung out at the bar until a few more people arrived. At that time, we met a handful of cool, nice people. One of which was Gary who is a costumer for a new show at Universal Studios called, "Creature from the Black Lagoon." He kept us company once in a while and hooked us up with some cool stuff. While we were waiting, the bull rider controller signed us up for a bull ride. I thought that it was better to do it now before I got too drunk or full. I was a little nervous...I didn't want to make a complete fool of myself. The controller was really nice and explained things really clearly. He said if I just follow the directions, it will all be okay.
1) Hold the rope underhand with your weakest hand
2) When the bull goes down, lean back, when the bull goes up, lean a little forward
3) Keep your strong hand up at all times for balance
4) Keep your legs tight on the bull
So Carrie took video through her phone of my virgin ride. I did pretty well if I do say so myself. It starts off really slow, and then it gets kind of crazy. The operator was kind enough to stop at the one moment I was about to take a spill; so I looked really good and ended up not getting bucked off. It was actually a lot of fun and very TOUGH. I have a new respect for bull riders.
One by one everyone started filling in.
I was so happy to see some of the friends who could make it, some of them I haven't seen in a long time. We all had a great dinner. The proportions for this place was really huge. And then, Gary came in with a humongous cotton candy sculpture. I couldn't believe it.
Also, there was a guy who was also there celebrating his bachelor party, and we decided to take a picture together as we congratulated each other. Then his friend started taking off the bachelor's shirt off. I have to say that the guy was really buff...and so we took all kinds of photos in good fun. Jared, the best man, was really mad that we got a stripper, but I'll let him think that for the time being. (He's mad cause he thinks that I would get mad if Paul gets a stripper. I just think that it's going to be a waste of money. LOL)
So after dinner, it was time for another bull ride, and Kathy and Jennifer was going to join me. We have videos of each of our rides, and I think we are all expert bull riders. No kidding. We lasted a long time on the bull. I am also glad that I didn't have to do it alone. I did wish that more people could have tried it, just to say that they've done it at least once in their lives. I do have a lot of respect for bull riders because it does work a lot of muscles, and they are muscles that I am not used to working.
We were supposed to go bowling after, but it was getting too late for that. We ended up getting last drinks at Hard Rock and just hanging out and talking story. It was a very nice cool down to an exciting evening.
The next morning, I was really sore. Surprisingly, I didn't have a hangover. Instead, it was from the bullride, and I had 2 huge souvenirs on the inside of my thighs. I guess my bullriding left a couple bruises. Paul was shocked. Both Kathy and Jennifer had some, too. My favorite line was Saqi saying to Kathy, "What bit you?" Kathy replied with, "A bull!"
Well, I am extremely happy about this outing. Thank you girls for making it so memorable!
Well, it started at 6:30 pm where Kathy and Carrie came to pick me up. They gave me 2 shots of vodka chased with orange juice. I was blindfolded while Saqi and Michael dropped us off to the location. I heard directions such as Barham and such, and once they stopped and made me get out of the car, I heard music. It popped into my mind, WE WERE AT UNIVERSAL CITY WALK! Then, I just realized where we were going, Saddle Ranch, and it entailed a mechanical bull. They told me afterward that, we also planned to go to another bar after that and do some bowling. So I was half right.
I also had accessories. They bought me a batchelorette sash, pink crown, and a huge "sparkling" ring. They passed out cups that said "What happens at the batchelorette party stays in the batchelorette party." We hung out at the bar until a few more people arrived. At that time, we met a handful of cool, nice people. One of which was Gary who is a costumer for a new show at Universal Studios called, "Creature from the Black Lagoon." He kept us company once in a while and hooked us up with some cool stuff. While we were waiting, the bull rider controller signed us up for a bull ride. I thought that it was better to do it now before I got too drunk or full. I was a little nervous...I didn't want to make a complete fool of myself. The controller was really nice and explained things really clearly. He said if I just follow the directions, it will all be okay.
1) Hold the rope underhand with your weakest hand
2) When the bull goes down, lean back, when the bull goes up, lean a little forward
3) Keep your strong hand up at all times for balance
4) Keep your legs tight on the bull
So Carrie took video through her phone of my virgin ride. I did pretty well if I do say so myself. It starts off really slow, and then it gets kind of crazy. The operator was kind enough to stop at the one moment I was about to take a spill; so I looked really good and ended up not getting bucked off. It was actually a lot of fun and very TOUGH. I have a new respect for bull riders.
One by one everyone started filling in.
I was so happy to see some of the friends who could make it, some of them I haven't seen in a long time. We all had a great dinner. The proportions for this place was really huge. And then, Gary came in with a humongous cotton candy sculpture. I couldn't believe it.
Also, there was a guy who was also there celebrating his bachelor party, and we decided to take a picture together as we congratulated each other. Then his friend started taking off the bachelor's shirt off. I have to say that the guy was really buff...and so we took all kinds of photos in good fun. Jared, the best man, was really mad that we got a stripper, but I'll let him think that for the time being. (He's mad cause he thinks that I would get mad if Paul gets a stripper. I just think that it's going to be a waste of money. LOL)
So after dinner, it was time for another bull ride, and Kathy and Jennifer was going to join me. We have videos of each of our rides, and I think we are all expert bull riders. No kidding. We lasted a long time on the bull. I am also glad that I didn't have to do it alone. I did wish that more people could have tried it, just to say that they've done it at least once in their lives. I do have a lot of respect for bull riders because it does work a lot of muscles, and they are muscles that I am not used to working.
We were supposed to go bowling after, but it was getting too late for that. We ended up getting last drinks at Hard Rock and just hanging out and talking story. It was a very nice cool down to an exciting evening.
The next morning, I was really sore. Surprisingly, I didn't have a hangover. Instead, it was from the bullride, and I had 2 huge souvenirs on the inside of my thighs. I guess my bullriding left a couple bruises. Paul was shocked. Both Kathy and Jennifer had some, too. My favorite line was Saqi saying to Kathy, "What bit you?" Kathy replied with, "A bull!"
Well, I am extremely happy about this outing. Thank you girls for making it so memorable!
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