Category Archives: life

birthday weekend

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Ahhh, I left work at a reasonable hour today so I finally have time to sit down and blog. I know it’s halfway to the weekend already but I never got the chance to blog about what I did last week on my birthday! 🙂

Here’s a very quick recap —

Wednesday
Diesel got neutered. Poor little guy. He was so sad when we took him home from the vet. Look:



He had to wear that “Elizabethan collar” so that he wouldn’t lick his wounds. 🙁
In other Diesel news, he has learned to roll over! Awww.

Thursday
BIRTHDAY! I didn’t want to go to work (I mean, it’s my DAY!) but my managers brought me a yummy raspberry cake and presents and I got to leave early, so that made up for it. 😀 I went home to rest before dinner and whaddya know, the fire alarm in my apartment building goes off and I had to stand outside in my sweats. ARGH. (I think one of our neighbors burned their dinner and that set it off). When the fire department finally turned the alarm off, Rob and I dropped Diesel back at home and went to a yummy Vietnamese place for dinner. Mmm. And of course, I had the famous cupcakes for dessert. Finally at around midnight, Riz (my cousin) rolled into town. YAY.

Friday
Riz and I spent the day walking around downtown San Francisco in the pouring rain (!) to visit a couple of bridal salons. She’s the bestest. 😀 First we hit Bella Bridesmaid where I had her try on TONS of dresses. Mwahahaha. We picked some definite contenders that I’ll share here on the blog once I get the chance to take my other bridesmaids to see them as well. I also dragged Riz to the Bridal Galleria to visit the 2 Monique Lhuillier dresses that I’m considering for myself. (I don’t think I’ve posted any updates to the dress search so I’ll have to do that when I get closer to making a decision — guh, it’s so HARD!). She liked both dresses so that didn’t help my indecisiveness at all. :/

The rest of the weekend was really low key. Riz and I didn’t have any other specific plans… we did some shopping, went to IKEA, ate lots of filipino food, sat around in front of the TV. It was so much fun. I haven’t spent that much time with her since Christmas so it felt great to catch up.

Finally, I have to thank Alie SO MUCH for the thoughtful birthday present… she sent me the Rubber Stamper’s Bible from my Amazon wishlist. It was a wonderful surprise — THANKS again!

I have to write up a TV post soon!

quick update

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Just briefly popping in to say THANK YOU to all of you for the birthday wishes. You have no idea how happy they made me. 🙂

I had a fantabulous birthday weekend with my cousin lounging around and stuffing myself silly. And yes, I got my birthday cupcakes! Chocolate and vanilla with the yummiest buttercream frosting. Mmmm.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to another hellish week at work so hopefully I’ll get the chance to post a real weekend update once it’s all over…

28th birthday

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YAY! It’s officially my BERF-DAY!

It’s kinda ridiculous how excited I get about my birthday. I mean, I’m 28! It’s pretty much past the point of celebrating, don’t you think? 😀

So it’s off to bed and another fun day at work (*note the sarcasm*)…

good stuff in october

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Work is still sucking (too many deadlines this month!) but I have to focus on the positive and there’s actually good stuff for me to look forward to…

1. 3-day weekend. Thank goodness for Columbus Day! Though I think I’ll probably be doing a little work from home anyway. There’s too many things going on that I really can’t afford to be swamped when I get back to the office on Tuesday.

2. My birthday is on Thursday! WOOT. The big 2-8. Damn, I’m old. :/ I told Rob I want cupcakes from Tea Cake Bakeshop. Hopefully he remembers. Mmmm. I’m salivating just thinking about it.

3. My cousin is visiting for my birthday. And I’m taking next Friday off of work so we can hang out in the city. I’m dragging her to a couple of bridal salons. Hey, she’s my Maid of Honor! She has to help me with wedding stuff! I’m sure she’s looking forward to that, hehehe.

In other news, I have decided to take up scrapbooking. I have no idea where the heck the inclination came from but there you go. I even went out and bought some patterned paper, cardstock, stickers, and a paper trimmer today. I honestly don’t have a creative/artistic bone in my body so this is going to be interesting. 😀

I just downloaded Britney’s single from iTunes. I didn’t like it when I first heard it but it’s totally grown on me. You should download it too!

myspace

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I created a MySpace account. I think. But apparently I can’t seem to figure out how to use the thing. Can someone tell how in the world I send out a friend request?! Thanks in advance.

😛

While I’m here I might as well do a fandom meme stolen from Nicola:

The one who seduced you and fucked you over and broke your heart in a million pieces and laughed about it:
Hmm. Alias (I hated the “twist” in the season 2 finale). Or even Grey’s Anatomy (George/Izzie).
The old flame you don’t see very often any more, but whom you still really enjoy getting together with for a few drinks and maybe a pleasant nostalgic romp in the sheets:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was watching season 4 recently and was amazed at how well the snappy dialogue still holds up.
The mysterious dark gothy one with whom you used to sit up talking until 3 a.m. at weird coffeehouses and with whom you were quite smitten, until you realized he really was fucking crazy:
Nip/Tuck. After 2 seasons, that show really kind of scared me. Desperate Housewives also applies.
The one you spent a whole weekend in bed with and who drank up all your liquor and whom you’d still really like to fuck again, although you’re relieved they don’t actually live in town:
America’s Next Top Model. I skipped out after Caridee’s cycle.
The Steady:
Dawson’s Creek. Yes, STILL. I keep the DVDs close to my desk so I can pop in a disc if I really want to see one of my favorite Pacey/Joey scenes. I don’t know if I’ll ever love a TV couple the same way.
The alluring stranger with whom you’ve flirted at parties, but have never gotten really serious:
House.
The one you hang out with and have vague fantasies about maybe having a thing with, but ultimately you’re just good buddies, ’cause the friendship is there, but the chemistry ain’t:
Most sitcoms, like 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother.
The one your friends keep introducing you to and who seems like a hell of a cool guy, except it’s never really gone anywhere:
The Office. I don’t know why. It looks like a great show. I probably just need to rent the DVDs and have a marathon.
The one who’s slept with all your friends, and you keep looking at him and thinking, “What? How the hell did that land all these cool babes?”:
Most reality shows, like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race.
The one your friend has fallen for like a ton of bricks and whom she keeps babbling to you about on the phone for hours, and you’d be happy for her, except you just know it’s going to end badly:
Grey’s Anatomy. Except this applies to me and I still can’t give up the show.

Hee, that was fun!

wedding update

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Wedding Update. 😛

Remember how we went to Southern CA for Labor Day weekend to meet with vendors? Well, after much discussion and a few budget revisions (EEEK), we’ve finally signed contracts and sent deposits in for our major vendors. YAY! We’re pretty broke at the moment but so excited to share our “team” with you all…

Coordinator/Consultant: Angel from Events of Love and Splendor
As soon as I met Angel, I think we just “clicked.” We have a lot in common — she graduated from CAL, grew up in Cerritos, and is a self-proclaimed geek. She’s awesome. But seriously, she made me feel confident that she can take our plans and ideas and run with them. She’s organized, detailed, and super stylish — I’m really looking forward to working with her!

Photography: Ray and Erwin from Apertura Photo
Apertura’s work speaks volumes. I found a link to their website from the best wedding blog ever, WeddingBee, and I was hooked. Before I ever contacted them, I was stalking their blog every day checking to see if they had posted anything new. Hehe. I knew they were going to be pricey but photography is a priority for us and we managed to make it work. I can’t wait for our engagement session!

Florals: Allison from Flower Allie
I loved her right from the start. Our meeting was at 8am and she was upbeat, excited, and open to discussing all of my ideas. I envision the flowers to be a key part of the decor and I can’t wait to see what she can do!

Officiant: Father Brian from Good Shepherd American Catholic Church
The last time I mentioned the ceremony, we were still looking for a church. That search ended after unsuccessful discussions with the pastors of 7 different parishes. I never thought priests (of all people) could make me feel so unwelcome. Luckily I found Fr. Brian and the Good Shepherd Church, which is an American Catholic Church. So while our marriage won’t be recognized by the Roman Catholic Church (because the ACC is basically an offshoot of the RCC but with slightly different beliefs), this is the best compromise that I was able to find. My dad will get his Catholic wedding and we get to have the ceremony in the same place as the reception (which is what we wanted in the first place). Unfortunately, since we’re not getting married in the Church, this means that my favorite childhood priest, Fr. Joe, won’t be able to preside over the ceremony. As much as that would have meant to me, I’m optimistic that the ceremony is actually going to be more representative of “us,” which is the most important thing anyway.

Next up: Do research on DJ/entertainment and Invitations!

venue search

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I got back into the routine of things here so quickly that I totally forgot to blog about my trip to LA last weekend. The first thing that comes to mind is that it was HOT. Unbelievably hot. But seriously, I had a fabulous weekend. Rob and I were running around LA & the OC for wedding meetings but we still had time to hang out… I got to catch up with my best friends (and bridesmaids!), we attended a friend’s barbecue and sat around their pool, and we even took our parents’ out to dinner so we could all finally sit down together. It was the kind of weekend that reminded me of how much I love Southern CA. I really do miss it.

OH! I also got to try Pinkberry, which is the frozen yogurt craze that’s taken over LA (the chain has been seen on MTV’s The Hills). I really, really liked it. I had an original yogurt with strawberry and mochi (rice cake) toppings. YUM. It’s expensive, though.

Anyway, does anyone remember the last time Rob and I were in LA scouting out possible wedding venues? Well, now that we’ve picked a venue, I thought I’d go back and post pictures and thoughts from the others that we didn’t choose. Mostly because I think it might be nice to have a journal, if you will, of the wedding planning process.

(I know it’s starting to be ALL WEDDING, ALL THE TIME here but I can’t help it! It’s pretty much taken over my life… but I’m trying my best not to blog exclusively about wedding stuff. Really, I am!).

Here we go…

La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes

It’s located high on a hill in the Palos Verdes Estates and it’s a phenomenal venue. The ceremony site overlooks the Pacific Ocean…



I could totally see us getting married here if the set-up for the reception area was different. As it is, the dining tables are in a separate room than the dance floor so the whole flow didn’t feel right. The dining area was also super tight, like there wasn’t a lot of room to move around freely.



Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach

seven-degrees looks like a fun, fun place to have a wedding but pretty much as soon as Rob and I got there, we knew it wasn’t for us. It has a totally hip and modern feel and we’re not exactly a hip and modern couple, lol. It’s a multi-purpose creative space that’s used to showcase art, paintings, etc. I wish I had a photo of the ballroom to share because it’s amazing… it has the latest in audiovisual technology and super cool lighting. (Carmen, if you’re reading this, I can totally see you getting married at a place like this — it’s so trendy and chic).



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labor day weekend

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Mmmm… I started my super awesome five-day weekend today. YAY for Labor Day.

Rob and I are taking Diesel and we’re driving to Southern CA for the weekend. We’re going to visit our families and friends and also do some wedding “stuff.” We have 8 appointments with various vendors (3 photographers, 3 coordinators, and 2 florists). It’s going to be a busy (but fun) weekend!

Hope everyone has a good one. 🙂

diesel picture post

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Diesel has been getting so big (and furry!) since the last time I posted a picture of him so… 😀


 
 

(Click to see bigger pictures).

HE’SSOCUTE.

wedding dress shopping

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I had another Summer Friday today (yay for days off!) and I went… wedding dress shopping.

SQUEE.

(This will probably be a long entry. You have been warned).

I visited 2 salons — My first stop was Marina Morrison where I got absolutely impeccable service. I tried on 7 dresses and out of my 3 favorites in the end, 2 were chosen by my consultant, Rebecca. She was amazing! She listened to what I wanted, made suggestions, and was incredibly patient and respectful of my budget. She was so great that I would be pleased if I ended up choosing my gown from here. LOVE. My second stop was The Unique Bride where I had a subpar consultant. She rushed me (I tried on 9 dresses in 30 minutes!) and didn’t really have any helpful answers to my questions. She did make some great recommendations, though, so I’ll give her that. And I found 2 dresses (and 1 bridesmaid dress!) that are definitely contendors so it wasn’t a completely horrible experience.

Anyway, I learned a few things:
1. I *really* need to get my arms into shape. Most of the dresses I love are strapless and my huge, flabby arms just won’t cut it.
2. Speaking of my arms, I have scars on the back of them (above my elbows) from a bad rash I had a few years back. I rarely wear tank tops because of the weather here so I’ve never really bothered to pick up Mederma to minimize the scars. Now I can’t wait to go to the drugstore.
3. I need to work on walking in high heels. Granted, all the sample dresses I tried on were loooooong cause I’m vertically challenged. But there’s no 2 ways about it. I’m pretty klutzy in heels. Can you imagine if I fell on my face walking down the aisle?!? Nightmare.
4. I’m going to go over my dress budget. At least I have time until I absolutely have to get a dress ordered (roughly Jan/Feb) so I can save some extra money for the purchase.
5. You absolutely cannot be self-conscious. The bridal consultant is in the dressing room with you and you are in nothing but a bustier and underwear. I was prepared and wore modest undergarments but I was still uncomfortable at times. (I have body issues).
6. Try on a variety of dresses, cause you just never know. The ones you love might look horrible (this happened to me) and ones you wouldn’t have chosen for yourself end up being the most flattering.

Anyone want to see some pics? Not on me, though, as I forgot to take pictures. :/ (Rob, this is the part where you stop reading).

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