love is love

Posted on June 30, 2014 by tandem in love

we were so excited and touched to be a part of matt and johann’s special day!

words cannot express how absolutely amazing it is and how wonderful it feels to know that two people, who love each other no matter what the case may be, can join their hands together in marriage.

the institution of marriage is an endless debate. i am in favor of it. i love being married. i am old fashioned in my thinking around it {not about who but about what}. i believe in it. it is a different plateau to be on. it feels special. my relationship with hc changed for the better after we were married. it felt solid and secure…for so many positive reasons. we made that commitment to one another, we said our vows. we promised to never leave each other’s side. we believe in making each other a better person. you have to be selfless and realize that you have to give but you will get in return. all this sounds great in words but it’s definitely hard work and never ever perfect.

i think the hardest part about getting married is the work you have to do before it happens. it’s about finding the right person. how do you know it’s the right person? it sounds cliche but it’s about getting each other to a better point. you are on each other’s side, you pull one another up when the other is down. finding the right person is tough work but once you realize you are both in it to win it, it’s all worth it.

so, that morning, we got ourselves ready for the big day. we packed up olive’s many, many things. got ourselves dressed, packed up our stuff for the day, and headed out to matt and johann’s home. we cruised there! we got inside, dropped off our stuff, chit chatted for a bit with them, matt’s mom & stepdad, and then headed our way downtown to the courthouse.

[matt, peanut, and rich before we head out to the courthouse]

[cutie stella playing]

[olive totally intrigued by stella from afar // burberry dress]

[the crazy fog that blanketed the city]

we scored a close parking spot and trekked our way into the building. we got there before them {even with a pit stop to nurse olive!} and waited in the lobby. apparently, we were in the wrong building! it was so comical getting around with a stroller, not every area had an elevator, so we literally carried the stroller up escalators and through revolving doors! what a debacle.

we finally made it to the destination. everyone was already there. matt and johann invited a few select people to witness their marriage. we were so honored to be asked. hc and i have never witnessed a city hall marriage so it was interesting to experience it. it was quite a small waiting area, you have to sign up on a list, and wait until your group is called. it was so intriguing to watch all the folks who were there to get married. some were dressed up, some were dressed down, overall, a lot of unique characters.

[olive waiting for the ceremony to begin]

[engraved with the words panda and bamboo]

[pre-ceremony with the handsome couple]

[with james and daisy]

[the family…josh, liz, stella, matt’s mom, and cliff]

our group was finally called. i was so excited! we filed into the room, the judge was so cool and relaxed. she started the process and i started to cry. i was so, so happy for them. it truly was a beautiful moment to witness.

[exchanging of vows and rings!]

after the ceremony, we were all so ecstatic! lots of hugs, congratulatory words, and tears.

[husband and husband!! they are married!]

[the happy couple…look at the shadows of everyone taking a picture!]

we had some time before lunch, so we made a stop at field’s on state. we shopped around, some people grabbed a snack, and of course we made a starbucks run. it wouldn’t be an outing with me and matt without a starbucks stop!

[field’s on state]

[never without a starbucks stop // look, i match the straw!]

[starbucks]

[thanks jenny for randomly taking this photo…i love it!]

after field’s, we walked over to the restaurant, petterino’s. we had a nice, little, private corner of the restaurant. here we relaxed, mingled, reveled in the excitement, and truly enjoyed each other’s company. i was so hungry! i was excited to manger some food! the bread basket was bad news…hc called it crack bread. there were so many yummy varieties of bread to consume.

[her naps were so limited…too much excitement // holding on tight to the carrot rattle]

[the ‘crack’ bread]

[stella loving her salad]

after lunch, we headed back to matt and johann’s abode to continue the celebration. there, a lot more folks were able to join in on the festivities. i helped them host their guests…i wanted matt and johann to enjoy themselves and spend time with their friends and family. it was their day and they definitely should revel in every minute of it.

they ordered brisket from mariano’s, josh and liz took care of all the beverages, and hc and i brought the wedding cake and desserts. everyone slowly trickled in, we served drinks, set up the food, and enjoyed the company.

there were quite a few kiddos at the party. josh and liz have stella, vicki brought 8 month old eric, and alison brought her little dude. it was fun to see the little kiddies interact! olive and eric had a great time playing together. it was so sweet. they were both really calm and curious. there was a lot of staring, maybe some slight grabbing, but nonetheless…a heart melting moment to see the babies interact. so adorbs!

[danielle, luis, tony, and liz]

[brisket from mariano’s]

[olive and eric playing together]

[jenny, mica, diane, and vicki]

midway through the party, we popped some veuve clicquot and toasted the beautiful couple. johann said a few words and then liz made a lovely toast to the couple! cheer cheer!

[getting ready for a champagne toast to the happy couple // vintage champagne glasses…over 70 years old!]

[liz giving a heartfelt toast]

after the toasting, matt and johann cut the cake! woooo! it was so cute. the cake was such a hit…everyone loved the rainbow layers. so fitting. it was a picture frenzy. the cake was the celebrity and we were the paparazzi!

[the wedding cake from the goddess and the grocer]

[cutting the cake!]

[rainbow wedding cake]

[ain’t it sweet?]

[my delicious piece of cake…nom. nom. nom.]

[mj and shira]

it was such an incredible day. the beginning of a beautiful marriage. the wonderful company of friends and family. it seriously flew by so fast. olive was such a good little gal all day. we had the best time celebrating their beautiful union. cheers to marriage equality and cheers to the fact that love is love!

xoxo

little things

Posted on June 26, 2014 by tandem in love

with life being so hectic, sometimes you forget to slow down {well, at least i don’t slow down very well} and revel in the moment.

hc and i were running around doing a lot of stuff during the day, as usual. life has been very chaotic for us since before our move. well, hectic ever since olive was born. we are constantly on the go, or working on a project, or trading time with olive so one or the other can get stuff done. if we are together, olive is usually in my arms or hc’s arms. we are always paying attention to the babes or trying, for a short moment, to relax when we get the few minutes to be able to.

it was one of those days where we were constantly on the go. life was just flying by. as we were driving home from being out and about all day, hc and i sat in silence. we were a bit exhausted but happy. it was a great day with family {although we felt like we were driving to all ends of the earth} and we were excited to be on our way home. nothing feels better than being home sweet home, right?

well, hc reached over, in the car, and grabbed my hand and held tightly onto it. it made me realize…wow, it’s been awhile since we have held hands! omg. what? yes, awhile! every time we are out, we are pushing a stroller or one of us is holding olive. we use to hold hands all the time before she was born. nowadays, our hands are holding onto something of olive’s.

this little act made me very happy. it made me realize to not forget the little things in our marriage. to always foster our relationship and take time out to care and love each other because that is the foundation of this family.

i need to remember to slow down and revel in small, special occasions like this. i should pause and give a hug because life is too short. i must stop and tell him how much i love and appreciate him. this little gesture from him made me fall in love with him again. how simple and small an act can be to remind you how fortunate we are and how special this person is in my life.

i love you to bits hubby charming. thank you so much for being the best husband ever and for always making me a better person with all your kind acts.

xoxo

happy dad’s day

Posted on June 25, 2014 by tandem in love

by golly, it was father’s day! a day to celebrate my hubby is who an amazing dad! not only is he an amazing father, he is a wonderful partner, a doting hubby and dad, a sweet, kind, caring, loving person.

olive and i are lucky gals to have this man in our lives. we started out the morning in bed, hc wanted to open up his gift right away! we gave him a tent from rei! he was so excited that he set it up right away in the kitchen! lol.

[hc wanted his gift right away! right when we woke up!]

[papyrus motorcycle card…tres cool]

[little olive ‘camping’ with her daddy in the kitchen]

since it was daddy day, olive and i ventured out to starbucks and got us coffee. it’s dangerous that the starbucks is so close {literally a couple minutes away}. we relaxed and ate a small breakfast before we headed out to brunch with our family.

[staple]

[relaxing before we head out]

we cruised to the city, parked, and walked to the restaurant. it was such a beautiful day; sunny, warm, and bright. so perfect! kim, terry, and the boys were already there. we said our hello’s and ordered tasty beverages to imbibe.

[family time // the boys going over the drink list]

we started out with apps…scones and jam, fried pickles, and poutine. an interesting combo but nevertheless delicious. this place is so good. i ordered a latte, um, i could have downed four of those! so smooth, nutty, and sweet.

[scones and lattes…so good]

[reagan showing off his shirt]

i ordered the smoked salmon…it was so tasty. the cream cheese was peppered with chives, the capers were perfectly salty, and the accoutrements were like a fresh salad. i was able to wolf some it down {thanks to kim for taking the babes}, my little olive was tired and fussy. kim came back and i took olive for a walk down michigan ave.

[delicious smoked salmon]

[enjoying his fruity drink]

[lovingly eyeing each other]

we absolutely enjoyed brunch. i really like the gage. the staff was so friendly and quite kid friendly. the ambience is fantastic, the food is delicious, and it was fun. i wished we could have enjoyed more of this beautiful day with them in the city but the other family duties called! so, off we went to spend some quality time with hc’s parents!

***

we drove our way to crystal lake…oy vey, it was almost a two hour drive. yowza. once we got there, we hung out outside with dick and jane. gramma brought out the swing and olive had a fantastic fun time on it! she made the funniest faces, she smiled relentlessly, and actually was waving at her daddy while they were swinging together! we chilled out in the yard and enjoyed the wonderful weather. it did rain just a tad. we brought olive inside for a second and then out we went again to continue the fun.

[papa and olive]

[olive loving the swing and waving at daddy!! look closely, her little hand flapping in the wind]

[loving her carrot rattle from land of nod]

[look closely at olive’s face…she has the funniest expressions]

we spent many hours lazily relaxing. jane whipped up some dinner, we filled our bellies, and then downed too many sugar cookies she had baked. after olive’s feeding, we hit the road back to our maison.

it was such a delightful, beautiful day with our families. we are so blessed and couldn’t ask for anything more. we are so lucky to have such amazing father figures in our lives. happy dad’s day…but we like to celebrate them everyday!

xoxo

father’s day gift ideas

Posted on June 12, 2014 by tandem in love

father’s day is coming up!

i’ve compiled a list of gifts {with the help of hc’s hints}, that are a possibility of giving for this upcoming dad’s day!

how cool is this driftwood dock? it’s woodsy {anything wood is a fan favorite of the hubs}, simple, and would look very nice out and about in your home. a wonderful way to charge your techy toys without it looking cumbersome or junky!

my hubs is a beer loving kind of guy. so, i think this lovely beer holder is a great gift to give because one: it’s really cool looking…loving the grey wood finish. two: it’s perfect to be able to tote several beers out to the back yard to your guests. three: it has the bottle opener right there! how convenient 😉

hc is a fabulous chef. he makes the greatest meals, i am a lucky gal! i found this awesome tandem bike cutting board that can be personalized. it would be a fun gift to give and a special reminder that he is an awesome dad every time we are in the kitchen together cooking {or i’m in the kitchen and he’s doing the cooking!}.

i die over these bbq sugar cookies from oh sugar events! i love the novelty and i think it’s a great add on, delicious, sweet treat to any father’s day gift you do end up giving. on a personal note, i think i’d be the one who ends up eating all these tasty cookies anyways!

what dad doesn’t want a really cool shaving set? years ago, i bought hc a set like this. he loves it. it looks awesome and is pretty cool looking sitting out on the sink. it’s classic, old fashioned, and practical.

a hc request. he hinted about this lovely tent to me a couple weeks ago. since he enjoys camping with grace and now we have a huge, spacious backyard…it’s the perfect gift to give to him! he needs to replace the old tent he has and whether they go to a camping ground or set up shop in our backyard, this is a great compact tent to tote around!

these watches are marvelous. hc was eyeing a watch like this at a men’s boutique we were shopping at on southport last summer. so, i am suggesting this as a gift to any dad out there who loves wood, watches, and a fun conversation piece!

well, there you go! a few ideas to help out or inspire you to get your dad or your husband a fantastic gift for this special day. hurry up, lovies…father’s day is coming up quick. get that hard working dad something wonderful to show him that you care and let him know he’s the greatest dad in the world!

xoxo

flashback friday

Posted on June 6, 2014 by tandem in love

today takes us back to…

july 2011, i had just received my reception dress and i was so excited!!! i really wanted a fun, flirty, romantic dress to wear later on in the night, during the reception. i wanted to feel just as lovely in my reception dress as i would feel throughout the day in my wedding gown.

it was from sarah seven. a designer i found through my hours of endless scouring of wedding blogs. i totally fell in love with her designs. i knew this was the dress that was going to make me feel beautiful and free. having her custom make my dress was based on a lot of trust. i basically sent in my measurements and she transformed it into this cotton candy confection of a dress. i was super, super happy with the final result. the only alteration i did to the dress was the lace trim on the bodice. it was way too low cut and i needed more coverage.

it turned out perfect and i absolutely loved wearing it during the reception. i didn’t have to fuss with wearing my heavy gown and the added bonus was i didn’t have to run around with my beautiful wedding dress on and have it get ruined while dancing, or anything that could further spoil your dress as the night wore on! with this reception dress, i was could float around, dance like a maniac, prance around like a princess, and end the night by riding off on tandem bike 😉

xoxo

our best day ever on refinery29

Posted on May 22, 2014 by tandem in love

i am so excited to have our wedding featured on refinery29!

almost three years later and it’s pretty awesome to have our wedding still talked about. it was, seriously, the best day ever. without that wonderful, euphoric, romantic, amazing, whimsical, lively, dynamic, exciting day…there wouldn’t have been the next best day ever…giving birth to miss olive!

our wedding was like a dream come true. so cliche right?! but it was. everything was perfect. celebrating our union with our friends and family was a recipe for unparalleled goodness. hc and i had the best time reveling in the love and joy of our guests…how could it not be fabulous when everyone is celebrating, eating, and drinking? best combos ever.

from our rehearsal, to our rehearsal dinner, to the wedding day, the sunday brunch, and then onto an alfresco dinner at my parent’s with our family’s out of town guest, it was a whirlwind of delight. the next morning we sped off on our honeymoon floating on cloud nine, full of happiness.

[photo by kate headley // bouquet by justanns]

i am always so thankful to everyone who helped make our day so magical, from our amazing, prompt, creative vendors to our friends and family who helped make this moment so special. i am forever grateful because i will always claim this day to be the best day ever!

xoxo

first mother’s day ~ part two

Posted on May 20, 2014 by tandem in love

soooo on sunday funday mother’s day celebration…olive and i started the day lazily lounging in bed. i love this little peanut. hc got this momma another starbucks start! we relaxed together, that morning, before we headed to parker’s for a mother’s day brunch.

[morning selfie]

[watching videos together]

[morning pick me up]

we got ready and merrily went on our way to the restaurant. we pit stopped for some beautiful flowers for the famille at the grocery store. on our way there, the babes decided to take a little nap. how cute is she?!

[nap time before brunch]

[beautiful flowers for some beautiful ladies]

we arrived at our destination. it was a madhouse inside! whoa. dan was the first to get there and then boom…everyone was there, the whole family literally trickled in within seconds! we were seated right away and ready to eat! it was a brunch buffet, so we literally sat for a minute while the server took our drink orders and then we all scurried to the buffet tables, ready to fill up our little plates.

[kir royale…favorite drink]

[our coordinating outfits // olive is in little tots long sleeve onesie, gapkids pants, and hair clip by etsy]

[buttercream topped cupcakes, it was really good!]

[olive having a moment with uncle dan]

[olive having a smiley moment with her cousin]

[celebrating moms]

after brunch, we trekked our way home for a just a second to then head back out. we took my mom to a pretty little garden center so she could pick out flowers for the yard!

[flower shopping]

after that, we headed back home to my parent’s. we relaxed for a bit there before we headed back out to our home {ya know…that long car ride home we have}! of course, more work had to be done on our house, so wasting the day away is never an option!

[coffee break with my chunker munker]

overall, it was quite an amazing mother’s day. i am thankful for my beautiful mom, my wonderful husband, and my amazing daughter.

my first mother’s day could not have been better. i am so blessed to be a mom. i am so blessed to have such a loving mother. i am amazed that it was my first mother’s day and i am in awe that this little baby is ours…making it quite a special day for me. i still cannot believe that i am mom, it’s a milestone in my life that is a dream come true.

i know that i just rambled a bit. i wish i was more eloquent about it. i have so many thoughts and wonderful feelings around this…it’s hard to capture it all in words without spewing a lot of random phrases!

God bless all the mother’s out there!

xoxo

first mother’s day ~ part one

Posted on May 19, 2014 by tandem in love

mother’s day celebrations started on saturday. i woke up to a very relaxing morning. hc and grace went out and purchased starbucks coffee for us {bonus points!}. they also arrived home with a beautiful bouquet of lilies for me {extra credit}! what a great start to my mother’s day weekend.

i was very excited for my first mother’s day! after all these years of celebrating my mom and other moms, it was my turn to revel in this day! how special and exciting. being a mom is amazing and i am in so in love with it…having had olive has changed my life completely in every positive way! so celebrating that fact was delightful in itself. it’s taken on a whole new meaning and i was feeling quite loved and blessed.

[lovely lilies]

[my gorgeous mother’s day bouquet picked out by grace and olive]

[selfies while we wait for breakfast]

continuing on with my mother’s day celebration, hc started to whip up a delicious breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and eggs. yummy! he’s such a perfect partner…always so caring and loving.

[hc starting on a yummy breakfast for this momma]

[seasoned eggs, maple sausage, and buttery rich pancakes]

after breakfast, we had a very relaxing day of doing much of nothing…ok, well i did much of nothing while hc manicured our lawn {ummmmm, that took 3 1/2 hours! whaaaaa? damn yard}.

so, relaxing i did with little miss olive by my side. we sat around, we played, she slept, and i chilled. it was quite a beautiful day…sunny and warm. my dad also made a pit stop by the house to say hi to the babes. my parents miss little olive so much all the time. thank goodness we are right around the corner! they are able to stop by anytime and pinch her cheeks!

that afternoon, miss grace so lovingly gave me a sweet mother’s day card. she’s such a doll…it was a very thoughtful card and it had the best words written inside from her. how splendid.

later on in the evening, hc made a tasty dinner of burgers and sautéed brussel sprouts. he was happily grilling our organic burgers and assembling a wonderful dinner while i downed cold, crisp, thirst quenching coronitas…ahhhh.

[my summer drink]

[onion and gorgonzola burger on a brioche bun with sautéed brussel sprouts]

after finishing up dinner and with it being a beautiful night out, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood! our first walk together since we have moved in. it was so awesome. the night was perfect, the sky was clear, the temperature was just right. we explored our delightful neighborhood…it is such a cute little area.

[a perfect evening for nighttime stroll]

after 40 minutes of walking, it was time to return back home so we could put little olive down for the night.

once we settled in, i had a nightcap of refreshing, cold, creamy coffee ice-cream! a well deserved treat for my hard day of work…being a mom is tough 😉

[a perfect nightcap…coffee ice-cream]

well, that was my first day of my mother’s day celebration. it couldn’t have been any better, i love that my husband is so kind, caring, considerate, and thoughtful. he really is the best. i am a lucky gal. i love him to bits.

he always makes every day feel like it’s mother’s day.

xoxo

flashback friday

Posted on April 18, 2014 by tandem in love

on a friday several years ago, 9.9.11 to be exact, hc and i started our celebratory wedding weekend with our friends and family!

it was a start of, still hands down, the best weekend of our lives!

i absolutely love this photo of us at our rehearsal dinner. we were having the best time and we were looking forward to the next day…getting hitched in style {best day ever!}!

i am still thankful and grateful to dick and jane for hosting this memorable, wonderful event! they are the best in laws anyone could ever ask for!

with that fun walk down memory lane, happy friday and good friday everyone!!!

xoxo

flashback friday

Posted on April 4, 2014 by tandem in love

here’s a total oldie but a goodie.

[my mom is on the left in the striped dress, my dear o vuong is in the red skirt // can you guess where i am?! // sam is in the gold and red áo dài // my sisters are in the the red jackets and skirts with the big, satin navy bow]

the other day, my friend sam {who lives in austin}, sent this picture to me! our friend vy had sent it to her. it was at my parent’s dear friend’s wedding {dì thu and chú thong} in texas. holy moley…it was delightful to see this picture! i got a good laugh from it.

i love the fashion and styles going on in this photo. the ruffles, the prints, the big collars, oh my! and how young we all are! my how time flies by. it’s overwhelming to see an old picture like this and to think how innocent and unknowing we were as little kids; and how lovely our lives have turned out so far. i’m feeling very blessed and thankful for my parents, my family, our beautiful healthy daughter, and my loving hubby charming {who is seriously the most caring man ever}.

it’s awesome how a picture can evoke so many memories and emotions from the past and present. so cool.

xoxo

tandem in love

{life is truly beautiful and it should be celebrated + shared.}

Tag Archives: marriage

love is love

little things

happy dad’s day

father’s day gift ideas

flashback friday

our best day ever on refinery29

first mother’s day ~ part two

first mother’s day ~ part one

flashback friday

flashback friday