Sleep??? What's that?

So, I've hit my "one week" anniversary! :D teehee


I really do think that a lack of sleep has now put my brain into a "functioning coma". We were married on Friday, the first. Since then - brunches, lunches, airport trips. Back to work at the store, dinners, funerals, and PMS. I think my heart, head, and body are all confused. Sorry if I'm writing in incomplete sentences...

Here's some photos I took from our trip to LA/Hollywood with the new in-laws this past Monday. I've been trying to learn my new Nikon D5000. It's been a lot of fun playing with the ISO.

 classic local tourists :)

 Mel's Diner

 yummy-ness

 Jeremy (sister-in-law's fiance), Hubby, & Steven (brother-in-law)

it was fun to shoot while driving. you should try it - but hold onto your camera tight!!

Good night everyone!
xo,

E.P. Paparazzi

Photo Courtesy of Andrija Bloom

If only this photo could explain itself. ...

Andrija Bloom, owner of Enchanted Portraiture was the photographer of my wedding. Her, and her SEVEN cronies :D

When we hired her, she said she would bring an assistant or two to help shoot photos of other things happening at the wedding while the main photographer (Andrija) would get the main shots. Maybe Andrija knows my love of photos all too well, or maybe I'm just lucky - but she arrived that day with six assistants!! Yippee!

Many of the photos of the wedding will be her shots. Her goal for the wedding = 10,000 frames. Yep, ten thousand. I didn't add an extra zero by mistake. I get the majority of the photos this week and can't wait to share some. Here's some in the mean time - some of you have been pleading (and it makes me feel loved!).

 xo,

A Wedding Whirlwind!

BLOGLAND!! You must have thought I left you!

I came back to "work" (a.k.a. making projects for people & being paid to play with paint & paper) today & found that my website said "August 2010" and I haven't posted on here since July! ACK!

Well, I have a good excuse - I promise! On October 1st, 2010 I married my best friend.

Chris & I were married at St. Peter & St. Paul Church in Southern California. It was beautiful! The day went by slowly (as I hoped it would) and friends & family were there to help us celebrate. 

So, there are a few things I've learned about getting married:

1. Bride Brain. There is such a thing. You're head becomes so full of information and important facts that it forgets all that information and important facts. 

2. Spiritual Warfare. If you're drawing closer to the Lord - there's a whole group of cronies just pulling you down & distracting you. 

3. Take a week vacation before hand and a week vacation after. I was running around in circles the week before and now, 5 days after my wedding day - I still haven't slept much. Hosting family, living at the airport waiting for flights to come in, dinners, lunches, coffees, favors, table numbers, seating chart, seating chart, seating chart, seating chart. 

4. Seating Chart. FYI: You'll be changing it again in the 11th hour. 

5. Don't Eat Too Much. Everyone says "Make Sure You Eat". Well I did. And then when I got nervous, I wanted to hurl. It's all about balance. : /

I'm excited to share with you all the DIY projects that were made for the wedding. And special thanks to Mom (Mom-in-Law), Lindsey, & Valdes'. You all helped glue, assemble, and organize. Valdes' - thanks for letting me take over your dining room to do said glueing, assembling, and organizing. 

Many blessings have come this past week. 

St. Therese of Lisieux, Pray for us. 

xo,

My Opa

Hello Blogland.

I wanted to leave a post about my "crazy" week that I've been having & my absence from the cyber world.

Not as many blog posts, almost no facebook blurbs and no emails.




My Opa past away on Saturday morning, May 8th. I've been mourning & handling family affairs.


Thank you for your understanding and loyalty. I am SO VERY APPRECIATIVE of all of you!!

This was a photo taken of the night of my engagement. Opa is congratulating us!

I don't have any on my computer of 'the good ol days'. But let me tell you a little about his life events & adventures:

• Police Commissioner of the Dutch East Indies (when Holland owned Indonesia)
• Killed boars and tigers (he was a hunter - it was one of his favorite things to do)
• Played Semi-Pro Soccer for the Dutch team, on the Islands
• Was your personal "Indiana Jones" - He loved his Jeep and jumping around the jungle in his khaki shorts and rifle
• He ALWAYS wore a smile and ALWAYS had a story to tell
• Survived three years in a POW Japanese concentration camp, as a political prisoner
• Migrated by boat to the States in the 50s
• Never said No to something sweet 
• Maintained the family Coat of Arms
• Loved animals and actually taught my previous dog commands in Dutch

Opa - I Love you!!

xo,

My Week: A Recap

So this week has been busy!! I'm sorry that I haven't posted much this week. But here's what went down:

{1.} The beginning stages of an altered rosary box. They went out as Thank-Yous at a Tea for the Carmelite Retreat House in So. Cal. 

{2.} Chris & I spend a wonderful evening at Buca Di Beppo's. We went there to plan our rehearsal dinner. The restaurant treated to a HUGE meal (of our choice!!). We rolled out of the place.   ::BTW - You must try their chocolate cake - its chocolate fudge layered with chocolate cake!!::

{3.} My birthday present from the parents. They ordered Chinese food & got some cheesecake. Yummy!! Oh, and yes, it's wrapped in newsprint flyers! They thought it would be funny - I thought it was very green! and yes, funny!! :D

{4.} The boarding sign to the NACE meeting. (NACE- National Association of Catering Executives). This was a wedding vendor mixer, held aboard a electric riverboat. We had dinner while gliding through the Newport Harbor at Sunset! It was so beautiful! FYI: You'll occasionally see on here photos from the mixers I attend. I am a wedding vendor myself (3D invites, favors, decor...) so it's nice to catch up with other vendors for a night out. 

{5.} D3000?! Yippie!! This is the newsprint-wrapped gift I received!! I must say, I don't really like the photographic image of my face, but the moment was priceless! I had been wanted a DSLR for quite some time. However, after opening, my dad (who I think is the best dad in the world) said that he was going to return it. Why?? He wanted to upgrade it to the D5000. GAH!!!!! What a present! The D5000 is in transit right now and I will definitely post photos when I get it! 

{6.} Girls Night Out: For my birthday, a few of the girlfriends took me out. We went for drinks and ended up at Roadhouse, a cool little bar that has karaoke. This photo is of one of them (an opera major, btw) who belted out "You're the One That I Want" from Grease, with the DJ. The ENTIRE room stopped and watched. Epic.

Well, that's my birthday week in a nutshell. I'll try to elaborate during the week about each of these events - I've got some great photos!! (hahah, like at the NACE meeting, our Captain greeted us by singing the "Love Boat")

xo,

Gah! Thwarted Again! Anthropologie does what?

GGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Read this repost: See why I'm blog yelling!

Anthropologie Wedding Brand Coming Soon!

Posted by Adrienne O'Connor on April 14, 2010

I am so incredibly excited to deliver this news, and slightly devastated that this is happening after my own wedding has already taken place. But, for you lucky ducks that are soon to be wed, Anthropologie is launching a wedding brand!!

That’s right, the simply delicious women’s-clothing and home-furnishings chain has entered the wedding industry, and I for one, couldn’t be more thrilled. The brand, which has not yet been named, will include everything from invitations to gifts, as well as decorations, jewelry, shoes, bags, wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. They will even offer planning services and styling advice. I pulled together some images from their site to give you an idea of the Anthro aesthetic, for those of you who have not yet been blessed to have Anthropologie enter your lives.

Photo Credit: Anthropologie

For those of you who love the Anthropologie experience as much as I do (and the rest of its dedicated followers), I’m sure you’ll want to include at least one detail into your upcoming wedding. But, you will have to wait until the spring of 2011, which is when the brand is set to debut online, but good things come to those who wait, right? Select stores will also be opening across the US, so get ready!

So you see why I'm yelling? It almost makes me want to postpone my own wedding. Almost.

OMgoodness! Do you know just how excited I am? Well do ya?

xo,

one of the BEST RCIA classes thus far....

Teacher, RCIA teen x 4, Teacher {my fiance], Teacher {me}

Every year it begins, we get a new group of RCIA teens. And every year, to be honest, I always am apprehensive about the new group. I’m attached to the teens getting ready to leave us {they decided to become baptized/confirmed}, they’ve been in class for some time & I don’t want to see them go. When the class above started the RCIA process, I complained… big time. “They talk through the entire class, they’re always goofing off, they’re not getting anything”…

Well, with my foot in my mouth 2 years later, these teens are stunning!! Many of the teens that come through our program are sure to leave {as in, never be seen again} shortly after the “on fire for God” stage has passed. Yet this group, I see each one of them at least 2 sundays a month {I hop masses}. They stand firm where they are, they are evangelizing through action and word, and they’re bringing more people into the church. And you know what? They do it through talking and cracking jokes. The Lord truly does bring joy to people’s lives - I just didn’t get it until now. I thought they weren’t learning, but they got it. They got all of it!

xo,

Kristina-Nicole 

{RCIA is Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, this particular program is adapted for teens. It is a ministry where non-catholics & catholics alike can come in every week to a classroom setting and learn about the Catholic Church, what we teach, what we believe, why we do what we do - right down to the stand, sit, kneel, stand, sit, kneel, or why a priest wears green on some days and red on others. Catholics can come into the class either to learn more about their own faith - and no one judges them because we all need to continue to learn more about our faith, no matter how much we think we know - or as a sponsor, just to support other people there. Non-catholics can come in -like I did 6 years ago - and just sat and asked questions and listen. Why this? Why that? Well that doesn’t make any sense, really? … It’s a beautiful ministry full of devoted teachers, who are, just like you and me. To find out more, look in any catholic church bulletin, or call any church. Here’s a good website, not for RCIA, but for asking questions about the church: http://www.catholicscomehome.org/}