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!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Final Results of the Invitation Making Party
So I thought that it would take me only a day to do the invitations by inviting some friends and family to an "invitation" making party, but in the end, it took about 2 weeks. On the day of the invitation party we did a LOT of work. I did some pre-cutting of most of the main part of the card. It came in about 4 pieces. I had a whole assembly line going with Jennifer cutting out more stuff (I still had to cut more silver envelopes), Chris, Kathy, Sarah, Mom Mendoza, Charissa, Jared, and Michelle gluing, folding, and taping. I even had Saqi cut some paper with his good hand since he had broken his left hand recently. Another reason for the delay in finishing the invitations was at that moment, I didn't have all the supplies ready for the invitation so we only focused on the main card. Paul and I would do the rest later.
Well, we had a really nice rhythm going, and it was a good party. Everyone was talking, drinking wine, and having a good time, but then Chris reached out to grab something, hit Sarah's glass, broke it, and spilled wine all over a whole bunch of cut envelopes. I tried to salvage whatever I could, but most of them were damaged, and we had to recut 30 more envelopes. I wasn't too upset. We had a lot of paper. So we did what we could that night, and it was enough to make it slightly easier for Paul and I to finish. At the end of the night we had made about 130 cards and about 70 silver envelopes. There were still a few more little touches I wanted to add to the invitations. The final goal was to make a 130 plus extra final invitations.
The hardest part of the invitation was...well, there were two hard parts to making the invitation and they both had to go into the envelope. It was the silver "Admit One" tickets and the map/bridal party card. I designed the Admit One ticket by looking at various movie ticket images on the internet, and I ordered a customized stamp through Staples. Paul's mom also had a cartridge that made ticket shaped paper cut outs, and we decided that we liked the embossed look. There were several steps to the stamps, first of all the silver paper had to be cut, then, Paul had to prep the paper with baby powder so that the embossing power will only stick to the parts with ink, Paul would then line up our stamp on the cutout, and I would cover the ink parts with embossing power brushing off the excess, and then I had a heating tool that would melt the powder to create my special look. We had to do this after work; so we only had a few hours to work with everyday. There were also a few other obstacles that we had to overcome, first of all, Chris (he has the darnedest luck) burned out my embossing machine so I had to buy a new one. It's a good thing, I had 40% off coupons at Michaels. Also, we miscalculated about how many tickets we needed, and after we thought we were done, we had to do dozen more.
The map/bridal party cards were made in Illustrator. I copied the directions by looking at a map of Oahu. I used the lines I made for the streets and wrapped the words along the same path. It was a little time consuming, but in the end it turned out pretty good. I also had to match perfectly my design for the bridal party on the front to the map on the back. It wasn't perfect, but close enough to make it work.
I stole the design from my reply postcards that I made on vistaprint.com by screen grabbing, took it into photoshop and made a vellum print out of the main information. It looked really good on vellum. Then, I attached the vellum with the Bedazzler. Paul stamped the monogram behind it so that a little could show through.
We finished cutting/pasting/stuffing the last elements. Then, I spent 2 hours at the post office pasting stamps and sealing envelopes. Overall, I feel very proud of everything we did. It was a lot of work, but I think it was all worth it. How about you?
Posting pictures very soon...
Well, we had a really nice rhythm going, and it was a good party. Everyone was talking, drinking wine, and having a good time, but then Chris reached out to grab something, hit Sarah's glass, broke it, and spilled wine all over a whole bunch of cut envelopes. I tried to salvage whatever I could, but most of them were damaged, and we had to recut 30 more envelopes. I wasn't too upset. We had a lot of paper. So we did what we could that night, and it was enough to make it slightly easier for Paul and I to finish. At the end of the night we had made about 130 cards and about 70 silver envelopes. There were still a few more little touches I wanted to add to the invitations. The final goal was to make a 130 plus extra final invitations.
The hardest part of the invitation was...well, there were two hard parts to making the invitation and they both had to go into the envelope. It was the silver "Admit One" tickets and the map/bridal party card. I designed the Admit One ticket by looking at various movie ticket images on the internet, and I ordered a customized stamp through Staples. Paul's mom also had a cartridge that made ticket shaped paper cut outs, and we decided that we liked the embossed look. There were several steps to the stamps, first of all the silver paper had to be cut, then, Paul had to prep the paper with baby powder so that the embossing power will only stick to the parts with ink, Paul would then line up our stamp on the cutout, and I would cover the ink parts with embossing power brushing off the excess, and then I had a heating tool that would melt the powder to create my special look. We had to do this after work; so we only had a few hours to work with everyday. There were also a few other obstacles that we had to overcome, first of all, Chris (he has the darnedest luck) burned out my embossing machine so I had to buy a new one. It's a good thing, I had 40% off coupons at Michaels. Also, we miscalculated about how many tickets we needed, and after we thought we were done, we had to do dozen more.
The map/bridal party cards were made in Illustrator. I copied the directions by looking at a map of Oahu. I used the lines I made for the streets and wrapped the words along the same path. It was a little time consuming, but in the end it turned out pretty good. I also had to match perfectly my design for the bridal party on the front to the map on the back. It wasn't perfect, but close enough to make it work.
I stole the design from my reply postcards that I made on vistaprint.com by screen grabbing, took it into photoshop and made a vellum print out of the main information. It looked really good on vellum. Then, I attached the vellum with the Bedazzler. Paul stamped the monogram behind it so that a little could show through.
We finished cutting/pasting/stuffing the last elements. Then, I spent 2 hours at the post office pasting stamps and sealing envelopes. Overall, I feel very proud of everything we did. It was a lot of work, but I think it was all worth it. How about you?
Posting pictures very soon...
Toasts....Bad Ones
So I know I am extremely far behind on my blogging. I have many in the works, but for now, here's an easy one for everyone to read. I came across this posting on TheKnot, and I thought I might share.
Bad Toasts:
The wedding toast is a chance for the bride's and groom's closest family members and friends to express their joy for the couple, share a funny story or two, and impart words of wisdom. Sometimes, though, nerves, alcohol, or a not-so-secret disapproval of the matrimony leads to a speech that leaves everyone aghast. Here are real wedding toasts that made guests want to cower under their chairs rather than raise their glasses.
1. "At a friend's wedding a few years ago, the best man made it apparent that he wasn't such a fan of the bride. The speech went something like this: '(Groom's name), man I love ya, you know I do. I hope you thought about this and that this is what you really, really, really want.' Then he said the bride's name, hit his fist against his chest twice, and pointed at her."
2. "A friend of mine from college got married, and his best man said in his speech: 'Finally John has found someone with low enough self-esteem to marry him.'"
3. "The maid of honor (the bride's sister) not only talked about herself during the whole speech, she also mentioned the possibility of an affair between herself and her sister's new husband."
4. "At my cousin's wedding, the best man ended his toast by saying he wanted the groom to know that he'd be there for him at his next wedding when this one didn't work out."
5. "The best man at a wedding I was in said during his toast, 'Congratulations to the new parents!' No one except a select few knew the bride was pregnant -- not even her parents!"
6. "I was a bridesmaid in a wedding where the best man gave a toast about how cheap the groom was and how they'd been friends all their lives but the wedding was the first free meal he's ever been offered by the 'cheapskate.'"
7. "The father of the bride stood up and said, 'I'm Jill's dad. I just want to say that I met David before Jill did because of my other daughter.' And he sat down."
8. "My cousin gave a horrible toast at her younger sister's wedding a few years ago. She began by saying that she never liked her sister's new husband throughout high school and that 'today he's still at the level of slightly below the scum on the bottom of a dirty waste pond.'"
9. "I attended a wedding where the best man commented on how the bride used to work at Hooters (which her family didn't know about) and how he was jealous of the groom for 'bagging her.'"
10. "During the toast the groom's dad (after many drinks) said that he was so happy for his son and his beautiful wife Sara. But his wife's name wasn't Sara, his ex-girlfriend's was."
Bad Toasts:
The wedding toast is a chance for the bride's and groom's closest family members and friends to express their joy for the couple, share a funny story or two, and impart words of wisdom. Sometimes, though, nerves, alcohol, or a not-so-secret disapproval of the matrimony leads to a speech that leaves everyone aghast. Here are real wedding toasts that made guests want to cower under their chairs rather than raise their glasses.
1. "At a friend's wedding a few years ago, the best man made it apparent that he wasn't such a fan of the bride. The speech went something like this: '(Groom's name), man I love ya, you know I do. I hope you thought about this and that this is what you really, really, really want.' Then he said the bride's name, hit his fist against his chest twice, and pointed at her."
2. "A friend of mine from college got married, and his best man said in his speech: 'Finally John has found someone with low enough self-esteem to marry him.'"
3. "The maid of honor (the bride's sister) not only talked about herself during the whole speech, she also mentioned the possibility of an affair between herself and her sister's new husband."
4. "At my cousin's wedding, the best man ended his toast by saying he wanted the groom to know that he'd be there for him at his next wedding when this one didn't work out."
5. "The best man at a wedding I was in said during his toast, 'Congratulations to the new parents!' No one except a select few knew the bride was pregnant -- not even her parents!"
6. "I was a bridesmaid in a wedding where the best man gave a toast about how cheap the groom was and how they'd been friends all their lives but the wedding was the first free meal he's ever been offered by the 'cheapskate.'"
7. "The father of the bride stood up and said, 'I'm Jill's dad. I just want to say that I met David before Jill did because of my other daughter.' And he sat down."
8. "My cousin gave a horrible toast at her younger sister's wedding a few years ago. She began by saying that she never liked her sister's new husband throughout high school and that 'today he's still at the level of slightly below the scum on the bottom of a dirty waste pond.'"
9. "I attended a wedding where the best man commented on how the bride used to work at Hooters (which her family didn't know about) and how he was jealous of the groom for 'bagging her.'"
10. "During the toast the groom's dad (after many drinks) said that he was so happy for his son and his beautiful wife Sara. But his wife's name wasn't Sara, his ex-girlfriend's was."
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Preview to a Batchelorette Party
So I attended a friend's bridal shower that was a combined batchelorette party (supposed to be afterward), and it was a very small and intimate party complete with wine and good company. Well, the bride-to-be's sister surprised everyone by hiring a stripper to come to the Bridal shower, and so my friend, Kim, was definitely in shock. It was a little painful to watch because she, first of all, was not prepared for this surprise. Secondly, the stripper was a little "seasoned," and he did all the cheesy stereotypical things that we see in movies. He dressed up as a police officer and said that there was a noise complaint. He had to search her, and such. I think strippers especially for women is kind of traumatizing because a strange man is paid to grope the other person, and everyone is supposed to watch. Kim did not enjoy herself, nor did I enjoy watching her. She was screaming at her sisters, "You guys don't know me at all!" She did get a little taste of revenge when she got to put her sisters on the spot, and she ran to get out a whole wad of twenties. I thought that part was funny. So after this experience, I kind of hope that when my time comes I won't be in the same situation. Really, all I want to do is just hang out with "the girls" and have a lot of fun doing it. That is all I ask. Please spread the word. No naked men please. =P
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Cream or Sugar? - Bridal Shower - April 26, 2009
So Sunday, April 26th, was my bridal shower in California. I had such an amazing experience...the whole party was extremely well planned and above and beyond my expectations. I, first of all, have to thank my shower planners and helpers, Kathy, Charissa, Carrie, Paul's Mom (Judy), Michelle Opitz, Niki, Sarah, Jen Gamboa, and I hope I am not missing anyone else that was important on this special day.
So although I knew that it was on this Sunday, it was at my house, and it was a tea party, I had no idea about any other details about the party. I kicked myself out in the morning so that I wouldn't get in the way. I had a gift certificate from Burke Williams which is a spa (I went to the one in Santa Monica) and spent a couple hours there. They have facilities where you can spend some time in the jacuzzi, steam room, pool, etc. I had an appointment for an hour long massage (which I've never really had one before in my life...not that I can recall). It was actually a gift from my producers for editing the Comic Con sizzle reel I did in July; so I've held it for a very special moment, and I thought that pampering myself before the shower was the perfect opportunity.
I have to admit. I was feeling a little bit nervous mostly because I had no idea what to expect. I was tense when I got to BW, especially since it was my first time, and I had no idea what to do or where to go. Overall, it was a good experience. I tried all the goodies they had there for us. I got my hour long massage. It was pretty relaxing...I think I snored once when I got really relaxed and started to drift off to sleep. I guess that's when you know you've got a good massage. BW is a really cool place, but clothing is optional. I'm too self-conscious to take advantage of the free-style, but that is what they offered. Also, they have practically EVERYTHING. I mean it. You change into robes and slippers. There's unlimited towels and cooling clothes. After you are done at BW, you can style your hair with all sorts of hair products. I gussied myself up, and came back in time to get ready for the bridal shower. After all that special treatment, I kind of kicked myself for not redeeming my certificate earlier. I felt pretty good...nice and loose which is rare. (I keep a lot of tension in my shoulders. They are always hard as rocks, and I told the masseuse to be tough on me because I like it deep and rough. That's the only way to get my muscles loose. Okay!).
All sorts of craziness was happening all around me at the house. I tried not to peek at all the goodies they were preparing (and there was a lot). Lots of gals were in the kitchen cooking up treats. They set up the guest sign in table, and they recruited the boys to set up the backyard (which I was absolutely not allowed to see.) They also asked me a whole bunch of questions for a game they were preparing. I must say, it was a pretty hard quiz.
See how you would have fared if you participated (I'll post the answers later):
How Well Do You Know Donna?
1) When is Donna's birthday?
2) What is Donna's middle name?
3) What color are Donna's eyes?
4) Where was Donna born?
5) How many siblings does Donna have?
6) How old was Donna when she had her first kiss?
7) What is Donna's favorite food?
8) What was Donna's first pet?
9) What is Donna's favorite color?
10) How old was Donna when she started taking hula lessons?
11) What sport(s) is Donna currently involved in?
12) What kind of car does Donna drive?
13) Where did Donna study abroad?
14) What restaurant chain did Donna used to work in?
15) What is Donna's favorite movie?
16) How long have Donna and Paul been together?
BONUS: Name 3 of Donna's hobbies?
EXTRA: What's Donna's height?
So I prepared some answers for them, but honestly, I don't reveal a lot of this information to people. Some of these topics just don't come up, and I don't think there is anyone in this world (not counting Mom's relatives) that can remember or pronounce my middle name. I couldn't wait to find out what exactly people knew/remembered about me.
I wore a black and white dress that I really love with some sparkly shoes. They traded out my black sash for a light green one because of the pastel theme. I later found out why when they handed me a really big floral hat (color coordinated just for me) with a veil attached which I had to wear the entire time. I wasn't used to my head being so big; so I kept wacking people in the face when I greeted them. I don't know how ladies in the 1800s did it. One good thing was that I was very well shaded from the sun which was nice. After looking at all the pictures, I wasn't as goofy looking as I felt at the time, but it was definitely an interesting touch to the "tea party" theme. After a while, I did feel kind of prim and proper. If I didn't hold my head up right with my back straight, I wouldn't have been able to see anything.
So I walked out, and forgive me that this blog is long-winded...there's just a lot to remember. So I walked out, and there was an incredible set-up complete with tables decorated with cute plants and tea utensils, a huge tent, a whole table filled with cookies, etc. Then, I spotted something on the table...I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was a tea cozie (a tea pot cover to keep it warm) with my protea floral design embroidered on it. It looked really amazing, and I whipped it up so that I could see it better, and underneath was a really cute see-through teapot with a blooming tea (already in full bloom).
This was a special tea pot where you can seep tea clusters that bloom into a beautiful "flower," and they taste really good as well. Then, I saw my cake!!! It was a cake made to look like a tea pot set. It looked so good, I didn't want to eat it. That was Jennifer Gamboa's contribution. It was made out of fondant, and she shaped all the flowers. Also there's 24 karat gold dust on it as part of the design. First time, I've ever eaten gold!
I loved all the guests who could made it, and I missed all the others who couldn't. I also loved the way that they interacted together. My favorite memory was of Heidi Jariwala (friend from work and Mary Kay) who was in the middle of correcting one of my newest friend's quiz (Marissa from curling), and she said, "Marissa, whoever you are, I'm looking out for you, girl." And she proceeded making it possible for Marissa to get more points for her close enough answers.
Also, I had to take my own quiz about Paul. It was also hard, but i think I did a pretty good job considering. A couple things I knew about Paul was that his favorite color is black, he was afraid of a rooster as a child, and his nickname is "Woggie." I failed on what his first job was (lunch line in high school), who his first kiss was (Neolle Tevault), and what his name was if he was a girl (Tiffany Nicole).
We played various games, but the last one that was really impressive was when everyone had to take their purse and participated in a scavenger hunt. Kathy and Carrie would call out items to take out of their purses, and the first one to retrieve the item would get a point. The person with the most points win. There were some interesting items (mostly joke items) like a blue highlighter, A calender page of April twenty-something, and a condom. The winner of the night was Jaclyn Austin who had an overwhelming number of items in her purse. I will take her anywhere with me from now on. She is prepared and deserved that prize!
So according to bridal shower tradition, when I open presents, each ribbon I cut or break would be a child that I would have in the future. In the end, I will have 4 kids. I think I really disappointed Kathy because she had a scheme with her present which was covered with all sorts of ribbons, and I just kind of slid it all off. I really didn't mean to do it that way, but I was faced with a challenge, and I just couldn't let her win without a fight. One present which was from "Winkie" (my cat) wrapped by Jared (with love), was impossible to open with out breaking the ribbon. I kind of think it was fixed when one of the ribbons was already kind of half cut....Jared created a "cat wrapping" filled with claw marks, cat hair, and just terrible wrapping. Way to play the part, Jared.
I couldn't believe all the details that went into this party, and there's so much more to talk about like the favors, recipe holders, that were given to the guests. I have dozens of recipes for love and for cooking. My most interesting one is from Grandma Backman (originally from Oma which is Paul's Great-grandmother) for Grog. I can't wait to try that one.
I also had a very lovely and creative practice bouquet made by my friend Amiee Katz. She did such a wonderful job. Don't you agree?
That's all for now. Hope it wasn't too long to read.
So although I knew that it was on this Sunday, it was at my house, and it was a tea party, I had no idea about any other details about the party. I kicked myself out in the morning so that I wouldn't get in the way. I had a gift certificate from Burke Williams which is a spa (I went to the one in Santa Monica) and spent a couple hours there. They have facilities where you can spend some time in the jacuzzi, steam room, pool, etc. I had an appointment for an hour long massage (which I've never really had one before in my life...not that I can recall). It was actually a gift from my producers for editing the Comic Con sizzle reel I did in July; so I've held it for a very special moment, and I thought that pampering myself before the shower was the perfect opportunity.
I have to admit. I was feeling a little bit nervous mostly because I had no idea what to expect. I was tense when I got to BW, especially since it was my first time, and I had no idea what to do or where to go. Overall, it was a good experience. I tried all the goodies they had there for us. I got my hour long massage. It was pretty relaxing...I think I snored once when I got really relaxed and started to drift off to sleep. I guess that's when you know you've got a good massage. BW is a really cool place, but clothing is optional. I'm too self-conscious to take advantage of the free-style, but that is what they offered. Also, they have practically EVERYTHING. I mean it. You change into robes and slippers. There's unlimited towels and cooling clothes. After you are done at BW, you can style your hair with all sorts of hair products. I gussied myself up, and came back in time to get ready for the bridal shower. After all that special treatment, I kind of kicked myself for not redeeming my certificate earlier. I felt pretty good...nice and loose which is rare. (I keep a lot of tension in my shoulders. They are always hard as rocks, and I told the masseuse to be tough on me because I like it deep and rough. That's the only way to get my muscles loose. Okay!).
All sorts of craziness was happening all around me at the house. I tried not to peek at all the goodies they were preparing (and there was a lot). Lots of gals were in the kitchen cooking up treats. They set up the guest sign in table, and they recruited the boys to set up the backyard (which I was absolutely not allowed to see.) They also asked me a whole bunch of questions for a game they were preparing. I must say, it was a pretty hard quiz.
See how you would have fared if you participated (I'll post the answers later):
How Well Do You Know Donna?
1) When is Donna's birthday?
2) What is Donna's middle name?
3) What color are Donna's eyes?
4) Where was Donna born?
5) How many siblings does Donna have?
6) How old was Donna when she had her first kiss?
7) What is Donna's favorite food?
8) What was Donna's first pet?
9) What is Donna's favorite color?
10) How old was Donna when she started taking hula lessons?
11) What sport(s) is Donna currently involved in?
12) What kind of car does Donna drive?
13) Where did Donna study abroad?
14) What restaurant chain did Donna used to work in?
15) What is Donna's favorite movie?
16) How long have Donna and Paul been together?
BONUS: Name 3 of Donna's hobbies?
EXTRA: What's Donna's height?
So I prepared some answers for them, but honestly, I don't reveal a lot of this information to people. Some of these topics just don't come up, and I don't think there is anyone in this world (not counting Mom's relatives) that can remember or pronounce my middle name. I couldn't wait to find out what exactly people knew/remembered about me.
I wore a black and white dress that I really love with some sparkly shoes. They traded out my black sash for a light green one because of the pastel theme. I later found out why when they handed me a really big floral hat (color coordinated just for me) with a veil attached which I had to wear the entire time. I wasn't used to my head being so big; so I kept wacking people in the face when I greeted them. I don't know how ladies in the 1800s did it. One good thing was that I was very well shaded from the sun which was nice. After looking at all the pictures, I wasn't as goofy looking as I felt at the time, but it was definitely an interesting touch to the "tea party" theme. After a while, I did feel kind of prim and proper. If I didn't hold my head up right with my back straight, I wouldn't have been able to see anything.
So I walked out, and forgive me that this blog is long-winded...there's just a lot to remember. So I walked out, and there was an incredible set-up complete with tables decorated with cute plants and tea utensils, a huge tent, a whole table filled with cookies, etc. Then, I spotted something on the table...I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was a tea cozie (a tea pot cover to keep it warm) with my protea floral design embroidered on it. It looked really amazing, and I whipped it up so that I could see it better, and underneath was a really cute see-through teapot with a blooming tea (already in full bloom).
This was a special tea pot where you can seep tea clusters that bloom into a beautiful "flower," and they taste really good as well. Then, I saw my cake!!! It was a cake made to look like a tea pot set. It looked so good, I didn't want to eat it. That was Jennifer Gamboa's contribution. It was made out of fondant, and she shaped all the flowers. Also there's 24 karat gold dust on it as part of the design. First time, I've ever eaten gold!
I loved all the guests who could made it, and I missed all the others who couldn't. I also loved the way that they interacted together. My favorite memory was of Heidi Jariwala (friend from work and Mary Kay) who was in the middle of correcting one of my newest friend's quiz (Marissa from curling), and she said, "Marissa, whoever you are, I'm looking out for you, girl." And she proceeded making it possible for Marissa to get more points for her close enough answers.
Also, I had to take my own quiz about Paul. It was also hard, but i think I did a pretty good job considering. A couple things I knew about Paul was that his favorite color is black, he was afraid of a rooster as a child, and his nickname is "Woggie." I failed on what his first job was (lunch line in high school), who his first kiss was (Neolle Tevault), and what his name was if he was a girl (Tiffany Nicole).
We played various games, but the last one that was really impressive was when everyone had to take their purse and participated in a scavenger hunt. Kathy and Carrie would call out items to take out of their purses, and the first one to retrieve the item would get a point. The person with the most points win. There were some interesting items (mostly joke items) like a blue highlighter, A calender page of April twenty-something, and a condom. The winner of the night was Jaclyn Austin who had an overwhelming number of items in her purse. I will take her anywhere with me from now on. She is prepared and deserved that prize!
So according to bridal shower tradition, when I open presents, each ribbon I cut or break would be a child that I would have in the future. In the end, I will have 4 kids. I think I really disappointed Kathy because she had a scheme with her present which was covered with all sorts of ribbons, and I just kind of slid it all off. I really didn't mean to do it that way, but I was faced with a challenge, and I just couldn't let her win without a fight. One present which was from "Winkie" (my cat) wrapped by Jared (with love), was impossible to open with out breaking the ribbon. I kind of think it was fixed when one of the ribbons was already kind of half cut....Jared created a "cat wrapping" filled with claw marks, cat hair, and just terrible wrapping. Way to play the part, Jared.
I couldn't believe all the details that went into this party, and there's so much more to talk about like the favors, recipe holders, that were given to the guests. I have dozens of recipes for love and for cooking. My most interesting one is from Grandma Backman (originally from Oma which is Paul's Great-grandmother) for Grog. I can't wait to try that one.
I also had a very lovely and creative practice bouquet made by my friend Amiee Katz. She did such a wonderful job. Don't you agree?
That's all for now. Hope it wasn't too long to read.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Magic Silver Pens
So I picked up my bridesmaids dresses this passed Sunday. I was really excited because these dresses arrived a week earlier than planned. I had to make a special order because they didn't have a dress on display in my color; and I was kind of nervous just in case the burgundy color didn't come out right. I didn't actually have to worry about that since the dress color came out beautifully. BUT I was very surprised to see that the beading ended up being more of a yellow/gold/red instead of a red/dark red or red/silver color. You see this dress was not available as a sample in person in my color, and when you order it in burgundy, I guess it comes with gold/red beads. The samples dresses I saw were in other colors (red dress, red beads) (purple dress, silver purple beads), and so I assumed that it was going to be in those color combos.
Lesson #1: never assume anything. I was a little worried. I immediately called Paul, even though there wasn't really anything he could do at the moment. I think he just calms me. So Paul thought that it wasn't a big deal, but it kind of is a problem since silver was our other wedding color. We have a word for wrong color combinations in Hawaii, you know like wearing pink and orange together. I don't know how to spell it, but it's not flattering. I tried not to freak out since there's no way to replace the dresses. My friend, Jen, came with me to Michael's Arts and Crafts, and she picked out a silver fabric pen that we could use to paint the beds the right color. I did an experiment on just beads (not on the dress) to see what it will look like, and if it would flake off. Jen had a red bead flower and when we started inking out the beads, it completely covered up all the red and didn't come off when it was dry. I had hope.
Lesson #2: If you have a problem, friends will be there by your side to help. I did a little section on a size 8 dress, and it looked okay. It took me about an hour to do all the beads on that one dress, but in the end it looked fabulous. Paul said that he couldn't even tell that the beads were gold to begin with. I'm sure I have a few touch-ups especially when we see the beading in the sunlight, but I am kind of relieved that this problem could be solved. I just need 5 more hours to fix it thanks to my magic silver pen.
Lesson #3: I can turn anything gold into silver!
I'm hoping that is will be the biggest problem I will encounter, but knowing how weddings go, that always isn't the case. I'm going to try to take everything in stride and not sweat the small stuff.
Lesson #1: never assume anything. I was a little worried. I immediately called Paul, even though there wasn't really anything he could do at the moment. I think he just calms me. So Paul thought that it wasn't a big deal, but it kind of is a problem since silver was our other wedding color. We have a word for wrong color combinations in Hawaii, you know like wearing pink and orange together. I don't know how to spell it, but it's not flattering. I tried not to freak out since there's no way to replace the dresses. My friend, Jen, came with me to Michael's Arts and Crafts, and she picked out a silver fabric pen that we could use to paint the beds the right color. I did an experiment on just beads (not on the dress) to see what it will look like, and if it would flake off. Jen had a red bead flower and when we started inking out the beads, it completely covered up all the red and didn't come off when it was dry. I had hope.
Lesson #2: If you have a problem, friends will be there by your side to help. I did a little section on a size 8 dress, and it looked okay. It took me about an hour to do all the beads on that one dress, but in the end it looked fabulous. Paul said that he couldn't even tell that the beads were gold to begin with. I'm sure I have a few touch-ups especially when we see the beading in the sunlight, but I am kind of relieved that this problem could be solved. I just need 5 more hours to fix it thanks to my magic silver pen.
Lesson #3: I can turn anything gold into silver!
I'm hoping that is will be the biggest problem I will encounter, but knowing how weddings go, that always isn't the case. I'm going to try to take everything in stride and not sweat the small stuff.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
1 Day Until Papercut Hell
So it's Wednesdayy, and I've been trying to prep for the invitation making party which will be on Thursday. I've collected a lot of the supplies we'll be needing to make everything. Thank you Michael's Arts and Crafts and JoAnn's for their 40% and 50% off coupons. I've been trying to get a head start on the cutting of the main red card. It's a little tough to cut in between all the errands I have to take care of, but I've been getting about 10-15 cuts everyday. Yesterday, we finally had a total of 90 red paper main section cut out. Paul helped out, and he did a good job. Of course the red cutouts still need to be folded and all the other pieces still need to be cut and glued together. Some of Paul's family and our friends are going to join us with some wine (could be a dangerous combination...if the lines aren't straight, it's all my fault) and we're going to work like a sweat shop with good music and good company. Honestly, I don't think we're going to finish everything tonight, but I'm sure we're going to get a huge chunk of it done at least. I'll update you with the play-by-play on Friday cause I know a lot of interesting things are going to happen. I better stock up on neosporin and bandaids. It's a good thing I chose "blood-red" paper. =P
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