Craven's Estate

Craven's Estate was my first choice (well.... first choice AFTER Ambassador Mansions+Gardens was a no-go), and I just found out that I wouldn't have been able to have my wedding there anyway! 

Backstory: We were going to wait for two months for Craven's Estate to get some kind of event license through the city of Pasadena, but that would be cutting it close--especially if the license didn't go through.  I decided to nix Craven's Estate because I couldn't wait any longer to book a venue, and we went with Calamigos @ the L.A. Equestrian Center. 

If I waited any longer, we would have been screwed!!  We booked Calamigos around a year before our wedding date, and we would have had to wait for Craven's around early October.  All of the good places would have probably been booked if we waited til October, only to hear that Craven's couldn't have events due to noise ordinances!

Phew.  Everything happens for a reason :)

30 before 30

Even though I'm only 25, I feel like this whole list will be hard to accomplish in 5 years, haha.  Well, more like 4 years and 4.5 months.

I know some people have super meaningful 30 before 30 lists (go on a medical mission, read the entire bible, etc)... sorry this one is NOT.


30 before 30

{ 01 } Complete a 30 day yoga challenge.

{ 02 } Buy a house!

{ 03 } Go on an all-inclusive vacation - cruise? resort?

{ 04 } Go snowboarding.

{ 05 } Buy a pair of Louboutins.

{ 06 } Take a kickboxing class.

{ 07 } Move to Pasadena :)

{ 08 } Take a cooking class.

{ 09 } Go to an NBA playoff game.

{ 10 } Go to a Lakers game (again.)

{ 11 } Go to a Clippers game.

{ 12 } Change a baby's diaper (safer than saying "have a baby!")

{ 13 } Watch in person as UCLA wins an NCAA Championship (basketball, PLEASE!)

{ 14 } This goes hand-in-hand: Go to an NCAA basketball final four.

{ 15 } Go to Paris.

{ 16 } Go wine tasting in Napa (again).

{ 17 } Run a 5k (no walking!)

{ 18 } Eat at French Laundry (or any Michelin star restaurant)

{ 19 } Get tenured at a school district.  MUST do this before buying a house or having a baby!

{ 20 } Go to a day spa!

{ 21 } Eat vegetarian for an entire month.  This will be quite the challenge living with Darryl...

{ 22 } Learn how to make sourdough bread.

{ 23 } Help a friend with her wedding! -- this is mostly because I know how stressful it can be.

{ 24 } Go to Japan (again)

{ 25 } Go to NYC (again)

{ 26 } Go to Chicago

{ 27 } See Adele sing live

{ 28} Learn how to shoot a gun.

{ 29 } Watch all of the movies nominated for Best Picture one year (JUST for one year.. not every single one ever, haha).

{ 30 } Make it a point to get together frequently with the important people in my life -- I'm super anti-social, so this is a challenge.

Fake calligraphy

Wedding preparation has been in FULL swing lately!

1. Been doing the Insanity workouts to get in shape - lost 5% body fat, but have not lost weight... thanks for growing, muscles?

2. Making escort cards.

3. Addressing the wedding invitations.

4. Setting up meetings with wedding vendors.

5. Finishing up the menu and program design so I can get it printed.

All of this wedding preparation stuff has made me want to become a "fake" calligrapher (I don't know how to do legit calligraphy cause I don't want to spend money on the good pens) or something for a side business... will it happen?  Maybe..

Productivity

I've been working on wedding stuff the past couple days, just because I actually have time to spend on such "frivolous" things.

Here is a preview of some of the computer work I've done:

 

Still a work in progress.

Must figure out better fonts (for the wedding program) and colors and create a design element at the top for the Guest Libs.

Next: I plan on tackling arts and crafts!  Glue gun, ribbon, styrofoam balls, tissue paper--here I come.

Pictures to come... (hopefully on Tuesday)

I love wedding registry shopping...

someone needs to buy this off our Macys registry while it's like $380 cheaper than the original price!!!

Wedding Envy

When I originally got engaged (well, even before that!) I had an idea of my dream wedding:

• Amazing catering - preferably Heirloom LA or a fun food truck
• Amazing dessert bar by Sweet and Saucy OR catering by Coolhaus
• Outdoor ceremony
• Under a big tree
• Very rustic seating (hay with cloth over it)
• Outdoor reception
• Twinkling lights
• Mason jars
• Long rectangular tables
• Preferably at a winery in Malibu
• Tons of peonies
• My bouquet - PEONIES!
• My dress - Vera or Monique
• Bridesmaids - mismatched, chic dresses in different tones of gray
• Groom + Groomsmen - in gray suits

Well, obviously things don't always turn out the way you hope for them to be, as guests of my wedding will learn in 5 months. But, I've learned that it doesn't mean you have to be sad!!

I don't think anyone's wedding is their DREAM wedding unless they have boatloads of money, and even then, I'm sure something isn't exactly right.  Flowers aren't in season, their fiance is an asshole, their bridal party is too big and their bridesmaids aren't getting along, they have a mother-in-law from hell, it RAINS!, it's too hot... you get the picture.

I got pretty jealous this past weekend when one of my Facebook friends posted a picture of them eating Coolhaus at their uncle's wedding.  SO, so, so JEALOUS!  BUT, I had to be realistic.  I had to remember that I am still having a beautiful wedding.  I get to marry the man of my dreams and eat yummy cake from Porto's.  Still super awesome :)

Update #2: Oil cleansing method

OCM is a complete FAILURE!!

It worked for like 5 days... and then all these pimples just popped up!

I've never had acne before.... and now I do.... ugh.

My suggestion: If your skin was fine using store-brought, chemical-filled products (sulfates and whatnot), just keep doing it!!! The natural route is not always the best route.

Update: Oil cleansing method

Sigh, I'm getting new pimples on my cheeks :(

I'm tempted to stop the oil cleansing method, but I'm not sure whether it's the increased workouts (I've been working out daily vs. 2 weeks ago where I wasn't working out at all), OR the oil cleansing method.

AND, I've been using an old powder blush the past 3 days. I usually use Benefit's Posie tint, but it was a little too pink on my winter pale cheeks.  The old blush is probably from 4 years ago.....

As an "experiment" I'm going to stop using the new blush (old powder blush cannot be good for the pores), but continue working out and using the oil cleansing method.

Let's hope it works!!!!.... ugh.

New beauty regimen..

After seeing multiple people "pin" about the oil cleansing method I decided to try it out since my skin has been acting up lately. I don't have problems with acne, but I had weird dry patches and nothing was working!  Not even my eczema medicine!  I figured that unnatural chemicals CAN'T be good for my skin.

I used this website as my guide, but used a substitute of grapeseed oil mentioned by this blog.  I also purchased my oils from Amazon. I have fairly normal skin with some oily patches and dry patches, so I used the 80% grapeseed to 20% castor oil mix.
 
Here's the routine:
1. Put a quarter-sized drop of your oil mix into your palms. Rub in palms to warm the oil up.
2. Massage your face for ~3 minutes with the oil.  You can even use it to remove eye makeup!
3. Next is the steaming portion: I run a washcloth under hot water, wring it out, and keep it on my face until the washcloth feels "cool."
4. Wipe face gently with washcloth and then rinse it out.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you feel that the oil is pretty much gone.

It's the third day since I started, and I'm amazed that I don't need ANY moisturizer or have any new breakouts *knock on wood*, PLUS my dry patches are gone!  I have problems with blackheads and large pores on my nose, and they appear to be shrinking and clearing out more and more each day.

Although I've read some mixed reviews about the method, I hope I can be one of the positive reviews. Thankfully I haven't had the "oil slicks" that other women experience as the pores "empty out." We'll see how my skin is in 2 more weeks!

OH, and since it is recommended that you don't do this EVERY day... I used honey+baking soda as an exfoliant today.  It felt good!

It's been a long time...

Wow, I haven't touched this blog in a while.

Lots has happened since then.  No worries, I'm still getting married haha.  Just that lots of planning, school stuff, etc., has happened!

Darryl and I pretty much have the whole wedding planned.  We've booked all important vendors: photog, videographer, got the cake picked out, dress, florist, DJ, VENUE!, etc.  All that's left are the guys' clothing (tuxes, suits?), the favors, and the paper goods (menu, programs, invites, etc).

Now I'm starting my "diet."  I'm going to try writing down what I'm eating so I keep track of my calories.  I'm going to attempt to eat around 1500 per day!  I'm pretty sure that my normal calorie intake is like 2200 (which isn't BAD...... just not good for weight loss).

Maybe I'll try and keep track of it here too?  Keep me accountable!  Today I consumed around 1290 calories.  If I don't eat before I sleep, it should stay that way...

I went to two really nice weddings (one for friends and one for family) since the last time I made a post.  I'll post some pictures of the friends' wedding since I was actually in that one and got some professional photos back!

Bridesmaids

Bridal party!

 With the bride

 Candid!

With the handsome fiance

 ...and guess who caught the bouquet?

Hopefully one of my bridesmaids catches MY bouquet!!!!!  That'd be fun :)