We wish you a Merry Christmas

I hope that your Christmas is filled with a lot of joy and warmth, surrounded by loved ones, rejoicing in the season, and filling yourselves with good food, pinkberry, and hot cocoa. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I also hope the Lakers win.

Update: Lakers won :)

I just want to see some palm trees

We went by the reception venue last Friday to drop off our updated contract. While there we decided to walk around and take some photos to share with our family.

Much of Cabrillo Boulevard is lined with palm trees. It's sooo California.

The foyer of our venue festively decorated for the Christmas season. I can picture the wait staff greeting guests with drinks here.

Here is a view from above. They were setting up for a holiday party so the lay out of tables is a bit off. The carpet is printed but not loud.

Another view of the venue. Room capacity is 200 people and the feel is quite cozy.

The main reason for choosing our venue: the view. The back of the room is lined with big windows that bring in lots of natural light and look onto East Beach and the Pacific Ocean.

Better view of the ocean from one of the patios. I love that we get to share a picturesque sunset with our guests.

Here is part of the room that looks onto the ocean. We plan to line our buffet tables here.

The above photo is a bit dark but I like it because it shows just how much you can see from inside.

Another view of the room from a far corner. I love how the natural light illuminates the room. Art lines the walls, which we cannot remove, but the art up on that day was really pretty so we're crossing our fingers that we'll have pretty are up at the reception.

We will probably have the dance floor in the middle of the room as well.

View when leaving of the front doors.

After our visit we became very excited about the layout of the room, the warm feel, and ofcourse the view. I'm really glad we chose this venue.

Blog titles is from lyrics by Everclear

"Run, running all the time
Running to the future
With you right by my side"
No Doubt

Put a ring on it

Anne Ruthmann wrote a very informative/kickass blog post on WeddingbeePRO about photographing one's engagement ring. Informative because it gave me, a regular person with a point and shoot camera, good details for taking a good ring shot and kickass because the results rocked. For as long as I've been trying to take photos of my ring, I don't think I would have been able to get these shots without such a good tutorial.

I took off my ring, gathered together my favorite scarf and a cute toy, opened the blinds for better natural light, balanced the ring, set the camera, leaned in, and just took shot after shot. It was a bit difficult to get the ring to balance while on the scarf. There just wasn't enough structure to the scarf material, but I love the color so I ended holding the ring under the scarf to keep it steady. The toy I chose is Badtz Maru, a Sanrio character I got in a HelloKitty blindbox. Hello Kitty is my favorite character but the Badtz Maru toy is covered with diamond designs so it was only natural to pose the ring on him.

After playing with the zoom and trying very hard to keep still and keep the frame focused, I figured I had taken enough photos. Maybe too much. I couldn't wait to upload to the computer. There were plenty of blurry shots, but there were also a nice amount of clear shots. I am really happy how they turned out. :) Thanks to Anne!



This was taken on the keyboard of my office computer. Tried to get the ring in between our initials J&M.


Badtz Maru doesn't look too pleased.


It's like he's looking at the ring. Too funny. I really like the look of the ring resting on the Badtz Maru toy. I think it's the black/white/gray coloring that makes me like it so.

Have you tried to shoot your ring using Anne's tutorial? How did your shots turn out?

Blog title is from lyrics by Beyonce

I'd like to add his initials to my monogram

I had recently entered a contest on vintage glam blog to win a free monogram designed by Jessica of Jessica's Design Shop. I totally forgot about it until I got an email of congratulations saying I was one of 5 randomly selected to win a custom monogram! I could pick out a monogram on Jessica's blog that I wanted modified or have one customized to our theme and motif. Just had to send her some details about what we liked and the following info: which design we liked, our wedding colors, first names and married last name, and wedding date.

We liked a few designs that included flowers, flowing patterns, and nice fonts. The colors would be lemony yellow, lavender, and a darker purple. Then just a day later I got some beautiful pieces. I love the formal look of the above design. The layers of colors also go quite well together. And I love the fun flowery look of the bottom design. I can imagine it as a ceremony program cover.

Jessica was so very kind and easy to work with, I highly recommend her if you want some fun monograms/designs for your wedding related stationery. I am sooo sooo happy with the result of the monograms and can't wait to use them on our personal wedding website. My mom and sister are also very impressed.

Thanks so much for this opportunity Jessica and Vintage Glam Blog.

If you'd like to check out more of Jessica's work please check her blog and etsy shop :)



Blog title is from lyrics by George Gershwin

I like cake

Saturday morning tasting at Crumbs means cake for breakfast!! We arrived at the quaint little bakery on Hollister Road. It's unassuming on the outside, but very charming with smells of deliciousness inside. We met Elke, owner and head of Crumbs, at 11am and she had 8 slices of their popular cakes waiting for us. Everything looked delicious so we dove right in.



There was white cake with whipped cream frosting and strawberries. I loved that one. It was light and airy, perfect for a summer day, and quite reminiscent of a strawberry shortcake. Next up was raspberry cake. Followed by almond cake, another one on the top of our list. Coconut was great as well, very tropical and good for a summer night. Orange cake had a nice hint of orange flavor, banana cake was a lighter version of banana nut bread, carrot cake reminded us of birthdays, and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting was divine. Elke told us that whatever we thought about the flavors was fine, and she wouldn't be offended if we had favorites and non-favorites. Little did she know that we like most every cake imaginable so every flavor we tasted got a thumbs up. Of course we had to narrow the choices down to our favorite 3 or 4 flavors.

Since my love is a lover of all things chocolate, we chose the chocolate flavor hands down. And we ate the entire slice ;) We also really liked the white cake because of it's lighter taste and fresh strawberries. Then we chose almond cake for our love of nuts and to have another light cake option. We also found out there is a brownie flavor that goes well with espresso, kahlua, or chocolate ganache so we said yes to the possibility of the flavor since we love brownies.

After the flavors came the decision cake vs cupcakes. A cake could be decorated with a clearer uniformity, would have our choice of filing, and wedding colors could be better integrated through the use of fondant. Cupcakes would be dainty, guests would be able to choose the flavor they liked most, and cute little sugar pieces could decorate them. We browsed through their album full of decorated cakes and cupcakes, but the decision was always clear and cupcakes were the victor. They would be stacked on tier, lightly decorated, and oh so yummy.

Since we are still many months away from our final decision deadline, we signed our contract, paid the deposit, and kept the ideas are in our head. We have plenty of time to gather more and more ideas, work out the details and I'm confident we'll design something beautiful.

Above is the cake aftermath.

Blog title is from lyrics by Hank Williams

"I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is...
You"
-Mariah Carey

You're a womanizer

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I am in love with Chuck Bass. He's just sooooooo him. Can't describe the attraction, but I just know that he's freaking awesome. Two weeks ago he wore this sequined jacket to the Snowflake Ball.

It's fancy, sharp, and sooooo fun. The Killers' Brandon Flowers, in support of stylish statements, even says, "I don't understand why more people don't wear sequins."

And while I don't think my love will rock that style of jacket on the wedding day, I have put together a few suits that are quite dapper.

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Calvin Klein charcoal two-button slim suit. Love it's sharp and simple look.

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Ralph Lauren three-button charcoal suit. The color is lighter than black but dark enough to look quite formal.

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Ralph Lauren two-button gray stripe suit. The small details of the stripes are awesome. Love the look too.

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J. Crew year round solid Aldridge two-button suit jacket. There is something about this look that is so stylish. I love the use of the pocket square.

How will your man dress on the big day? Do you have any say in his styling?

Blog title is from lyrics by Britney Spears

It's like a story of love

I love hearing about weddings in Santa Barbara, and get excited when I see them covered in blogs that I frequent. It's always nice to recognize each couple's location, view unique details, gain inspiration, and get the all around feeling/style of the wedding day. I also really love seeing my city displayed in such a beautiful way.

The following are a few photos of a recent wedding, photographed by Mary Jane Photography, which has provided me with lots of eye candy and excitement :)

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Gorgeous details. The table scape is amazing, love their initials, the save the date looks quite classic, and the trolley is such a Santa Barbara must!

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Gorgeous Mission. I am in love with this photo of the Mission with the trolley zipping by the background. Since we will be having our ceremony at the Mission, I was really excited to see all of Mary Jane's Mission photos. Seeing actual ceremony photos made me imagine the possibilities of our day and feel like our wedding is becoming more and more of a reality, if that makes sense.

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Gorgeous couple. This photo leaves me breathless. Sooo much classic style. The car, the veil, the body language equal love.

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More gorgeous and sweet details :) When I showed these to my mom, she loved the cookie bar idea, although we are leaning towards a candy bar. Love the style of the cake toppers, too.

Please check out more photos on the slideshow. Thank you Mary Jane for letting me use your photos! I love them all.

Blog title is from lyrics by Joshua Radin

Underneath It All

No Doubt - New Music - More Music Videos

Upon hearing that No Doubt will be launching a tour in 2009 and possibly start recording, I had to listen to all the songs on their most recent album, "Rock Steady". I remember burning this album from a friend's (ages ago!) and playing it on repeat for months. It seemed like a lot of the songs on the album were explaining exactly how I felt at that moment about relationships. It was like Gwen was singing my thoughts before I thought them and my feelings as I felt them.

The one song that stuck out most was "Underneath It All".

It's got a laid back vibe, chock full of emotion and tenderness that will always bring me to thinking about my relationship with my love. It's like a journey through love, ultimately reaching understanding. An understanding that through everything, after what's gone on, proves that deep down your love is strong and are meant to be together. And it's articulated so beautifully. :) The video is styled so glamorously. Sparkles, bright colors, undeniable style. Wonderfully inspiring.

I always wanted this song to be played at the wedding. Had considered it as a first dance song, but now we might use it in a slide show of old photos at the reception.

How are you incorporating your favorite/meaningful songs into your wedding details?

Blog title is from lyrics by No Doubt

"Outside you will find
there is love all around you
Takes you, makes you wanna' say
That it's a beautiful life
and it's a beautiful world
and it's a beautiful time
to be here, to be here, to be here"
-Fisher

Tell me boy now wouldn't that be sweet

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A few weeks ago TLC premiered the J&K+8 wedding episode. The couple renewed their vows during a beautiful outdoor wedding in Hawaii. They stood in a circle of love of local flowers, had traditional Hawaiian music, and such a beautiful cake. It was a 3 tier cake lined with the most beautiful orchids. Each tier represented the members of the family (parents, twins, sextuplets) and had corresponding flowers and Bible verses on them. I love the unique and very personal idea of their cake.

Our first cake tasting is this Saturday at a local bakery. We have tasted chocolate cupcakes from them before (at a wedding show) and really enjoyed them. Chocolate is definitely a favorite flavor, but spiced cake and brownie are also contenders. Maybe even a white cake or lemon cake. We also enjoy hazelnut and macadamia nuts, blue berries and strawberries. Mmm I can sit here all day imagining all the sweet options.

We may be veering towards tiers of cupcakes versus a wedding cake, and possibly a groom's/birthday cake. But after looking at these lovelies I may be swayed towards a traditional wedding cake with flower embellishments.

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Gotta love gardenia cake :). Gardenias are my absolute favorite flower, of all time, above everything. This cake is sooo gorgeous. I love that it's a solid white color that brings simplicity to a very ornate cake.

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Also enjoy the simplicity of the design of the above cake. Little icing details and fresh flowers are lovely.

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I like the band that runs along the bottom of each tier. A good way to incorporate wedding colors.

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The square tiers remind me of modern design. Fresh flowers are sweet and I love the cake topper.

I'm really excited to meet the baker, taste cakes, and exchange ideas :)

Blog title is from lyrics by Gwen Stefani

All Louis Vuitton logos

The fashion blogs have been buzzing with news of the new book and exhibition on Stephen Sprouse, and the subsequent collection by LV. The eye candy has been numerous and I am definitely a believer. I loved the first collaboration (back in 2001) but was a little high school girl and couldn't think of such luxury. But now that I am making my own money, things have changed and the select luxurious piece is a must.

The florescent pink, green, and orange colors rock over the simply stated LV canvas. The rose is so pop art. But what I love the most are the shoes.

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The black patent stiletto with "louis" boldly written in pink. It's a statement maker, and super glam.

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This hot pink patent stiletto with a rose design just pops! I firmly believe that every bride must walk in something sooo stylish on her wedding day.

The new Graffiti and Rose collection coincides with the Stephen Sprouse retrospective called "Rock on Mars" at Deitch Projects' 18 Wooster Street gallery from Jan. 8 to Feb. 28, and "The Stephen Sprouse Book," by Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha, due out on February 1.

Mark your calendars for the new Graffiti and Rose Collection from LV to hit boutiques on January 9, 2009.

Blog title is from lyrics by Jay Z

Just say yes! Do it now!

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A few years ago I saw the above ring on the eLuxury site. It is a statement maker that's perfectly simple. A different twist to your average engagement ring, or a fun accessory for your wedding day. What I love most is that it says "oui". Yes. Yes to a beautiful life with your love.

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I was browsing the Dior Joaillerie site last week and found some more beauties. The Oui collection includes necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets in yellow or white gold, a little diamond that dots the "i", and select precious stones. The colors of purple amethyst and yellow beryl (hello wedding colors) and morganite and aquamarine are also quite eye catching.

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The above ring may be my most favorite. It's delicate, has a deep purple amethyst (my birthstone), and has simple oui detailing. Now to convince my love that this is a must-purchase :)


Blog title is from lyrics by the Cure