California Recap - The Beginning

A LONG time ago (lol, I know it's been a while already) Andrew and I visited my family in California. I already posted here on the blog about our wine tasting adventure but there are sooo many more photos and things to share about our visit.  Hmm, where do we start? At the beginning I guess... Andrew was in Silicon Valley for work the week before Memorial Day weekend so I joined him on that Friday. The sweetheart drove to San Francisco from Silicon Valley just to pick me up from the airport and drive back up to the Sonoma county area. This is bloggable moment #1 -- our trip across the Golden Gate Bridge. Apparently it was the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge in 2012...at least that's what a sign we passed said.

The last time I was in San Francisco was years ago and the last time I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge I was about 10-12 years old. Unfortunately, I was a clumsy kid (apparently) and I knocked into a bicyclist. He didn't completely fall off his bike but thank goodness they have those fence-like barricades to keep him from becoming roadkill!

Also, fun fact for you if you ever drive over the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco: Apparently, during rush hour (which is between 9 am and 11 am as we found out) the Golden Gate Bridge is a cashless toll. That means that although it usually does accept cash payment for the toll, you have to use a FastPass (or whatever it is called in California -- it's EZ Pass on the east coast) to pay during the rush hour. As non-west coasters, neither of us knew about the cashless toll until I noticed the lighted sign flashing on the road. A little late to find out! Thank goodness the rental car we had one of the cashless toll things!  Sheesh, I'll have to keep that in mind when we plan to drive places we don't know.

We didn't do much that first day in California only because my flight got in the the afternoon and we didn't get up to Sonoma until early evening. We got settled into my cousin's room (pay back for when my sister would be booted when they came to visit us I guess, just kidding!) and then we all went to dinner.

The next day we stopped for some snacks at Whole Foods (did I mention my California family is SUPER healthy) and then went to watch my cousin play baseball. He's on some serious little league team and he's really good! It was one of the games leading up to playoffs and I'm happy to report that his team is going to the playoffs now. I'm sure he enjoyed having some extra people in his cheering section and we enjoyed being able to munch on snacks while watching other people be active. I snapped this photo of him while he was at bat. He hit a double!

The next day, Andrew went with my Uncle to a car show nearby the house. It was really cool because my Uncle owns a really amazing classic/antique/old/vintage/awesome car. It's one of the ones below but I'm not telling you which!! Lol. I hung out at the house with my cousins (watching the Kids Baking Championship on Food Network). Obviously we all share the love of Food Network in my family. Remember this post where I talk about Food Network??

Then Andrew came back and we hung out and learned more about our cousins' hobbies. One of their favorite activities was playing with a contraption called a "Diablo", a plastic thing that you spin and do tricks with. We tried to learn (as evidenced by the photo below) but let's just say we'll keep our day jobs and leave the Diablos to them!

I think I'll cut it off there for now. I'll pick up with our trip to the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

Have you been to California?? What did you do?

Nails that "Float Like a Butterfly. Sting Like a Bee."

Today's post is going to be short, sweet, and simple because unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to draft my usual long, wordy banter right now. I actually painted these on Tuesday but I billed 13+ hours yesterday--yikes!-- and didn't get a chance to post.

Anyway, Muhammad Ali, an American boxer and activist, passed away on Friday of last week. (You may have heard.) I can't say I'm all that into boxing but I did know who he was...and this post is dedicated to him. One of Muhammad Ali's famous quotations was "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." I really like this quote and so I painted these nails when I heard about his passing.

Can I be honest? This doesn't really look like a butterfly to me. I think I should have completed the full design on all the nails instead of just this one.

And in case you would like to see a photo of Muhammad Ali aka Greatest of All Time, here you go:

Rest in Peace, Muhammad Ali 

On Wednesday We Wedding Plan

It's official everyone! Outside of getting engaged, Andrew and I have taken the next major step on the marriage front because we booked our venues! We will be getting married on September 8, 2017. I don't want to share our venue details just yet (plus I want to get really really good photos of it first) but since venue-hunting was such an interesting journey I wanted to post about the ones we considered but decided against. Let me just say, as fun as venue-hunting was, it kind of sucked too. We were stressed because one of the venues was booked up through 2018 if you can believe it! In total I think we looked at 8-10 venues (but these were our favorites).

We really loved this first venue because it was really close to our apartment -- but the lack of outside photo opportunities and almost-too-high-pricing took it out of the running.

See, the outside was just bleh. It did have some outdoor possibilities (see below) but Andrew and I went with a venue that offered us more outdoor AND indoor opportunities for photos.

The inside was spectacular though. The cocktail reception area had an open kitchen so you could see everything being done...

...and just check out this ballroom. It was the perfect size for our moderately sized wedding and I really liked that the venue only did ONE WEDDING AT A TIME. Some of the venues were clearly wedding factories where they wouldn't care to get to know Andrew and me on a personal level. We really liked this venue's dedication to one couple at a time.

The next venue had a really gorgeous chapel and plenty of opportunities for photos but the actual reception facility left something to be desired. Plus, they asked us to guarantee 150 people which we just could not do!

Seriously, how GORGEOUS is that chapel? I could definitely see myself walking down the aisle in that chapel. The reason we didn't go with this venue is because it had a shared outdoor space and could have 2-3 weddings going on at a time. I don't mind multiple weddings BUT I at least want my wedding space to be separate from their wedding space.

Definitely an ornate venue for sure though..how stately is this building?

Again, with plenty outdoor opportunities. Of course, I figure it will rain during my wedding so...outdoor photo opportunities is not as important as indoor photo opportunities!

And the indoors of the reception venue itself seemed a little dated:

The last venue we checked was way too over the top for us. Although I'm sure it could be stunningly beautiful for many brides, I think it was just a little too much for Andrew and I and it would tiptoe the line between elegant and tacky. Who wants to be tacky on their wedding day?!

We checked out a bunch of country clubs too but we just didn't like the county club vibe. Neither of us golf (or even like golf) so it didn't make sense for our wedding. Although they were definitely a bit more budget friendly than some of the other venues we looked at!

So what was your wedding venue like? Did you do a fire hall, banquet hall, hotel, outdoors, etc wedding?? Share below! And if you have any advice at all wedding related I'd love to hear it!

Celebrating Ham's 19th Birthday

My brother was vacationing with a buddy and family in Florida over his birthday this year so my family all waited to celebrate until he was back in the area. He turned the big 1-9 this year and I can't believe he's almost no longer a teenager. Actually, I can't believe he's a teenager to begin with! For his birthday this year I gave him a couple gifts, including a pair of custom designed (he designed them) Vans sneakers and some beef jerky...since it is his favorite snack. I didn't get to paint a Happy Birthday manicure but I was able to snap this sneaky photo of some birthday festivities!

Also while we were there we decided to take this super corny photo celebrating his recent acceptance into Villanova:

How funny is that dog? He was walking around in front of us and then on this photo he just stopped in his tracks and stared at the camera. Shortly after the photo was taken we all cracked up.

101 in 1001: #82 - Wine Tasting in California Wine Country

It's been a while since we had a 101 in 1001 post here on the blog and potentially that's because I haven't been doing anything am an awful blogger. Finally though, I get to check something off my list: Wine Tasting. And better yet, it was in Sonoma County aka California Wine Country. Andrew and I are...interesting...when it comes to wine: #1 He prefers beer. #2 I only drink reeeeeally sweet dessert-type wine. So, clearly we should go wine tasting in an area that is responsible for some of the most amazing wines ever, right? We went to Chateau St. Jean Winery and Ledson Winery and Vineyard. Ledson seriously looked like a castle!

 

My favorite wine is definitely a moscato or riesling (I know, some people don't even think that's real wine). What's your favorite wine? Have you ever been wine tasting?

California Adventure

Happy June everyone! I can't believe it's June already, can you? What's 2016's rush??

This past weekend, Andrew and I were in California. In truth, Andrew had been in California since May 22nd because he had a really fun vendor work thing that made me super jelly work in Silicon Valley and I joined him on Friday for the long holiday weekend. I have family in California wine country so it was perfect--we got to stay with them, celebrate our engagement, and catch up with what's going on with them in their world. The last time I went out there was 2006 so it had been a while! I flew early Friday morning (apologies to my May billable hours!!) and Andrew picked me up from the airport. Then we were off to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins in our rental car until the following Tuesday.

Can I just say, I really enjoy traveling with Andrew. He's a really good travel buddy! You know how everyone has their own particular vacation-style and I"m glad to say ours is both "go where the wind takes you" instead of "every minute and activity must be planned!" We like to just see where the day takes us and go from there. More on the trip later but here's a quick overview of our vacation:

Friday: Travel day and meeting up with family. Everyone loves the airport, right? The baggage drop, the long security lines, watching the planes take off and land, guarding your personal belongings, what isn't fun about that?! Honestly, I really do enjoy going to the airport--that's why I get there so early! I love finding a spot in my terminal and then just people-watching until it's boarding time. Does anyone else do this??

Saturday: Andrew and my uncle went to a car show. show off m uncle's sweet car (he has a classic Ferrari!). We also went to Whole Foods to pick up some snacks and then went to watch my cousin's baseball game. He's SO talented -- he's in the minor leagues and everything!

Sunday: Spent the day walking around a couple of the cutest towns in Sonoma county. Andrew and I also went wine tasting! Can't wait to blog about this!

Sunday: Visited my aunt's shop and then also my uncle's jewelry store. My aunt's shop is brand new so I had never been physically there before and it was adorable! It's a "modern craft shop" store selling yarn, projects, craft supplies, and teaching classes I couldn't resist picking something up for my mom! (Of course then I forgot it in California!) We also explored the Armstrong State National Reserve (a state park in Guerneville) to see the super tall redwoods. I went there with my family about 15 years ago but Andrew had never been.

Monday: Explored the West Coast....literally. We took a drive along the coast but stopped at a couple places, beaches, and overlooks along the way, And since it was Memorial Day the family did a barbecue for dinner!

Tuesday: Travel day. Coming home always is such a relief because, no lie, I miss my bed!

Wedding To Do List

Oh dear, even though we just became engaged about five seconds ago, there is so much to do!

1. Straighten Teeth!
2. Book Venue
3. Book Church
4. Compile Guest List
5. Pick a Date
6. Wedding Party
7. Bridesmaids Dresses
8. Florist
9. Centerpieces
10. Favors
11. DJ
12. Photographer
13. Invitations/RSVP Cards/etc
14. Church Programs
15. Save the Dates
16. Table Numbers
17. Seating Chart
18. Signature Drinks
19. Bridal Gown
20. Bridal Shoes
21. Bridal Jewelry
22. Bridal Shower
23. Tuxes
24. Bachelorette
25. Honeymoon
26. Gift for my *OMG* Husband
27. Postage/Stamps
28. Wedding Rings
29. Hotel Blocks
30. Transportation
31. Makeup & Hair Trial
32. Marriage License
33. Thank You Cards
34. Shot List for Photog
35. Song List
36. Cake Server Set
37. Toasting Flutes
38. Bridal Emergency Kit

Phew! Now that I'm good and overwhelmed I think I'll go for a run!

Friday Favorites: May

Aloha all. Today's post is my Friday Favorites May post, also known as my Friday Favorites: Wedding Edition. There's a lot going on with wedding planning and I barely had time to blog this week but I'm trying to catch up and get some posts going so I can still share what's going on with you. My blog could be a good way to keep some wedding inspiration ideas at my fingertips. Enjoy this collection of wedding favorites!

I love these bouquets. And honestly I love the dress color too. I will have to keep this shade in mind when we start looking for bridal gowns!

Our venue doesn't include centerpieces so now we have to figure out some centerpieces. I think the theme of our wedding is just simple classic elegance so I think these could be nice.

Or these if we don't go the flowers route...

I love both this wedding cake AND this flower arragement. I wouldn't think of orange but I'm actually really liking it!

Our venue also doesn't come with the beautiful Chiavari chairs. I'm a little bummed about that but the venue is absolutely gorgeous so I got over it quickly.

And how pretty is this table scape?!

Alright, that's enough wedding talk for one post!!

Our Wedding: The Proposal

For today's post I wanted to tell you all a little more about the actual proposal. Of course, I already shared with you all that Andrew and I got engaged mid-April (April 16th but who is keeping track), but I did not tell you the full story of how it happened. So here we go, read on if you're interested!

During the week of April 16th, Andrew started to ask what we should do for our sixth anniversary on April 24th. He threw out some ideas, including heading back to where we became an official couple, and also going to our favorite gardens spot in Pennsylvania, Longwood Gardens. We decided to celebrate our anniversary back where it all began so on April 16th we chose to go to Longwood to just have a nice picnic and spend the day. We used to go to the gardens all the time while I was in law school and it's one of my favorite. So here's where it began. We park and walk into the Longwood Gardens and I notice two things: (1) Andrew was wearing a jacket that was WAY too heavy for the temperature and (2) he kept patting his left side pocket....which was odd. Immediately my *engagement senses* started to tingle. I was expecting that he would ask on our sixth anniversary but I began to think maybe he tricked me and it was going to be at Longwood.  The map below shows all of the gardens. The purple are the flowers and fountains and GORGEOUS conservatory (which includes some bonsai trees!!) and the green is a "meadow" which is basically just a field you can walk through. I put the red heart over the spot we chose for our picnic.

We actually never had lunch there before and I'm not even sure it was open before but we found it that day and it was perfect. It had a bit of fence around it and only one entry and exit so there it was the perfect spot--no one was in there. We went in and sat on a couple of the flower beds until a single woman decided to get up and then we stole her spot for lunch. Here is a pre-engagement photo of Andrew. He doesn't actually look nervous in it!!

We had our lunch (which he ate in all of two bites) and then he kept saying "Want to just sit here for a bit?" Of course I said yes and then finally he grabbed my hands said he wanted to ask me something and then dropped to a knee and pulled out a ring box. My.heart.stopped. I knew what was happening but I still cried, said yes, and then that was the end. Funny story: he just kept putting the ring box near me until I asked him if he was going to put it on me. Apparently he thought the lady takes the ring out of the box and puts it on herself. LOL. He finally took the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger. And there we go, engaged!

After all of that excitement we just walked the gardens and I took some photos. Here are a bunch:

An added thing for the day of our engagement was....we walked to where the meadow began and we witnessed another couple get engaged. Andrew isn't the only one who thinks Longwood Gardens makes the perfect engagement spot!

Pardon the creeper shot! I just had to. I wish I knew who they were because I would totally give them this photo.

We then went out to dinner, stopped home to tell my parents (and show them the ring of course), called my sister to get her out to the restaurant they were all at, and then came home and toasted our engaged status. 

Let the wedding planning begin!

Swatch: Gorgeous Graffiti

A quick swatch post today because nothing overly exciting is going on in my world. I chose a really fascinating color from FingerPaints called Gorgeous Graffiti. It's difficult to try to explain this polish because it's almost two-tone, the base of the polish is clearly pink/fuchsia and then there are purple and blue glitter flecks in it. This is a pretty polish indoors but it's completely stunning when you get it out into some sunlight. Behold, some photos:

So what do you think? Do you have a polish like this?