sunday after brunch

weddings are so much fun and what typically comes before and after, makes the weekend that much more special!

my family was excited to host an after wedding brunch at the langham hotel for the newlyweds and our immediate families. it was an early start but so worth it! the hotel staff set up a long table for all of us to sit at. it was perfect. we almost felt like we had our own room {there weren’t many tables next to us, being a large crowd} and our table was right next to the buffet! score!

we reveled in last night’s festivities, we shared stories, and we were all pretty much on high with how fun the wedding was!

i was delighted with the hotel’s brunch set up. everything looked delicious and the service was fantastic. i thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the langham. the staff was so polite, kind, thoughtful, and considerate. they were on top of clearing our plates at brunch, offering us endless amounts of libations {keep the mimosas flowing!}, and so accommodating.

olive was having a blast with the boys and ellie was being doted on by agata and my aunt vuong. win win for this mama! i ran around making sure the girls were good to go with food, drinks, and company and then i finally sat down and enjoyed a scrumptious plate of goodies. i downed the americanos and then sipped on my mimosa…it was all so yummy! of course the kiddos hit up the dessert table! so many sweet treats to choose from!

after a couple hours, we all parted ways to do our own thing {pool time and then we hit up the grove – which was a disaster} and then met back up in the evening for dinner at some crab shack!

that pretty much wrapped up our weekend in LA. it was such an amazing time celebrating huy + tashina. every event we attended was filled with love, happiness, and good cheer!

may your marriage be filled with love, laughter, and full bellies. much love and many blessings to my brother and beautiful sister in law!

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[the amazing dessert bar!!! i had to post this first…it was the first thing we saw when we walked in]

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[dad and mom]

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[best omelet station ever]

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[her superhero cape – a present from uncle khai]

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[good times, good food]

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[a very delicious americano and sugar stick]

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*****

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[this sweet girl looking at herself in dan’s phone]

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[hitting up the grove for the tree lighting ceremony was a huge mistake! it was SOOOOO crowded and they shut down all the stores! whaaaaaaa?! we were there for the shopping!]

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[derek hough]

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[yummy ice cream macaron]

xoxo

huy + tashina get hitched

the day had arrived!

huy and tashina were getting married! we started the day with breakfast downstairs in the hotel’s restaurant, the terrace. afterwards, we took a little walk to tashina and huy’s suite, to check it out and it was huge! tashina was getting her hair and make up done while huy was getting ready in another room. we hung out for a bit and then let them be because we needed to get back to our room and get the girls to nap.

well nap time was absolutely unsuccessful. nooooooo one napped except for hc. we all got ready and headed downstairs to the car. i was frantically scurrying around trying to tie up loose ends and i was running very behind but when i got downstairs, my parents and their friends weren’t down in the lobby yet! we finally rallied everyone together and headed on over to the venue.

we walked inside the forge and it looked so amazing!! it was such a cute little space. a garage type space with the coolest interior. the reception tables were set up along the alley way and the photo booth huy and tashina created was over by the ‘bar’. the florals and decor were freakin’ stunning! it was all so eclectic, beautiful, bright, and colorful! everything turned out so wonderful!

we took family pics first and then tashina and huy took some on their own. the air was electric! the love, the energy, and excitement was palpable. i was so excited for them and so excited that the venue transformed into the wedding of their dreams! i was giddy with butterflies and could hardly wait for the ceremony to begin!

guests started coming in and the excitement continued to brew. soon, it was almost show time. the family members all filed in back to get ready for their walk down the aisle. set by set, we all strolled our way down the aisle, to our pew seats. then came the bride, looking stunning in her custom gorgeous gown.

the ceremony was fun, sweet, loving, and joyous! their friend, taylor, did an amazing job marrying them! he was thoughtful, sincere, and really connected them together as a couple. i also loved how he drew the guests into their ceremony and got us all involved in their nuptials! that always makes it more intimate and fun for everyone there to see them profess their love for one another and how friends and family support each one of them!

they exchanged their sweet vows {tears were shed by both parties}, the rings were exchanged {thanks to my cool nephews for giving them each their rings!}, and then they were declared husband and wife!!! yay!! off went the confetti poppers in celebration!

dinner, cake, dancing, socializing, and fun ensued! i had such a wonderful, wonderful time! i was so happy for the beautiful couple. the wedding was amazing, beautiful, and pretty freakin’ awesome!

i can’t find the words to properly describe how i felt, what a great experience it was, what a great feeling it is to see your family together, and seeing your brother so happy! well, i took a gazillion pics, so i hope you can transfer it all through that!

congrats huy and tashina! your wedding ROCKED!

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[she’s so darn sweet and so darn feisty!]

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[she’s so serious about her coloring]

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[walking our way to tashina and huy’s room]

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[cronut? yes please]

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*****

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[o vuong, huy, and tashina]

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[chu thong & chi thu]

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[their beautiful ceremony site]

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[dad, mom, nanae, and kip]

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[tablescape]

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[dad and mom]

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[pretty baby’s breath adorning each pew]

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[dan, agata, and o voung]

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[queen and kings]

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[mes seours]

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[thuy’s chic outfit]

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[the happy bride]

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[olive in tashina’s creation]

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[twirl girl]

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[so handsome and chic]

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[look at her thigh rolls]

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[grandma]

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[toast of the town!]

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[lexi’s toast]

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[first dance]

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[and that’s a wrap!]

*****

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[first look]

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[the gorgeous bride designed and sewed her own gown]

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[ma famille]

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[how cute is nutmeg?!]

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[how adorable was this? taylor asked questions and the guests threw ribbon streamers at the couple if the answer was yes!]

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[you may kiss the bride!]

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[they are now husband and wife!]

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[photo by jennemerlingweddings.com]

xoxo

celebration dinner

a month before my brother’s wedding, we received an invite to a party, in cali, in honor of the engaged couple. i love events like that! it’s such a great way to get to know others involved in huy and tashina’s lives. that is one thing i love about weddings – building relationships, feeling the love, experiencing the joy, and realizing how great life can really be with so many blessings.

and so it began: the packing. my not so favorite part. i get so stressed packing! i don’t know why?! maybe it’s because i don’t want to forget anything or it just takes too much time {and i always feel like i have so much to do before we leave on a trip!}? i also had the added stress of picking out outfits for each event we were attending each day we were there. it’s different from a beach vacation or whatever because those types of trips are more simple and easy. this trip was more high profile and very important!

i made it through and finished packing for myself and the kids {everything but the kitchen sink!}! our flight was early and it was so cold out. terrible combinations! hc went to my parent’s house to pick up my aunt, my mom, and my dad to make sure they were ready and got to our house on time. the transportation came early and we all hustled out and fumbled with getting the car seats situated!

we finally made it to the airport and had a hell of a time checking in our luggage. it probably took a solid 15+ minutes to figure everything out. the lady at the counter was actually doing us a favor by spending the time figuring out how she could get all of our checked luggage for free {because my aunt’s ticket wasn’t grouped with ours, hers was purchased separately}!

traveling in a large group can be so chaotic! we finally found our gate {and a huge thank you to the women who helped my dad get to the faaaaar away gate with the wheelchair} and settled in. olive ate a donut, ellie ran around like a crazy little baby, i got my starbucks, we all purchased some sort of food for the plane ride, and we were first to board because of my dad’s disability. wooooo hoooo. we made it!

olive was soooooo into the plane ride! she was so excited when the plane started moving! she screamed and laughed and said the cutest things. oh my heart just melted! she was amazed at the movement, how tiny the houses were getting, and the clouds in the sky. she is too cute!

once we arrived, we waited a hundred years for a shuttle to the car rental, and finally got to the hotel! oh my goodness…it was a gorgeous hotel!!! so chic, beautiful, and oh so friendly. this hotel has acres and acres of beautiful, scenic property! we walked into our spacious room and had fresh cookies waiting for us! yum! we had two king beds, a large bathroom, desk, arm chair, great amenities, and so many other luxurious goodies!

we ordered room service, relaxed, and then got ready for the dinner that evening.

we arrived at our destination and we were greeted by huy! yay! tashina’s friend lexi’s parents {marga & thierry} were the hosts and they were so darn sweet and kind! it was awesome to meet lexi {the senior food editor at rachael ray magazine} and her husband joe {the general manager of momofuku!}. i loved chatting with them…they were so sweet and nice and we were able to mingle with tashina’s family {her mom, nanae, her dad, kip, her brother, sister, and her sister’s fiancé}. marga and lexi did such an amazing job decorating the house, cooking the food, and being the best hostesses!

we had such a great time hanging out. definitely a wonderful night to remember. like i said before, i love festivities like this! it only brings everyone closer together! cheers to friends and family!

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[she was soooooooo excited to be on the plane!]

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[yeah, so graceful. bopping herself on the head with a magazine]

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[she loved looking out the window]

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[she kept peeking at the little boy behind her]

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[hotel bed jumping is mandatory]

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[entryway]

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[convenient name tags]

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[kim, thuy, don, and khai]

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[sweet cousins]

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[cute little congratulation flag]

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[olive, uncle huy, reagan, bennett, and grandma]

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[chu thong, huy, mom, chi thu]

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[chu thong, chi thu, mom, dad, uncle khai, and don]

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[you can never go wrong with macarons]

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[huy, dan, kim, and agata]

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[mom always has to squeeze into a photo]

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[the happy couple]

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[marga making a toast to the couple]

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[sweet ellie]

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[lexi and joe]

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[reply cards turned garland]

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[jern, kina, and tre]

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[sunny and nanae]

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[huy and his father in law, kip]

xoxo

anniversary morning

we had a very low key start to our anniversary day. it was calm, relaxing, and sweet. my hc is the best. he got up early to grab groceries for breakfast, let us sleep in, made me endless amounts of yummy coffee, and surprised me with beautiful flowers. i love him.

i can’t believe it’s been five years! what a milestone. i can’t believe it’s been five years since we had the best day everrrrrr! it feels like it just happened last week. wow, five years later, we now have two kids, a house, and so much more love around us. i feel so fortunate to be blessed with so much goodness, i feel like i need to pinch myself.

we’ve had our ups and downs like any relationship. we have had some awful fights. we have had high moments and tough ones. we have dealt with sick parents, the birth of our children, and so many obstacles and celebrations that have happened within the five years since we have said our i do’s. i couldn’t imagine another person to live this life with. to ride this wonderful journey of marriage with anyone other than hc. he is my rock. i might be stubborn, hot headed, and sometimes an ass but he is always there for me and i am truly thankful.

he teaches me to be patient, kind, loving, and appreciate the simple moments in life. i am very grateful for that because i sure need that in my life! he definitely balances me out. happy five years my love and cheers to many, many more wonderful happy years to come!

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[hc surprised me with flowers…as usual]

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[i love this babe]

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[olive chillin’ watching cartoons]

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[coffee…yummmm]

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[hc always cooking up something good]

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[loving her croissant]

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[croissant breakfast sandwiches]

xoxo

kira and eric’s wedding

i was super excited to attend kira and eric’s wedding! it had been a long time waiting and we were ready to party!

we arrived just in time for the ceremony. it was a bit blustery and a cold day. as hc and i were walking in, i couldn’t wait to get inside because i was cold, the wind was killing my hair, and the setting sun was shining directly in my eyes! as we walked inside, we crept around only to find out the ceremony was outside!!!! eep. so there goes my hair, my warmth, and the sun continued to shine in my eyes! hahaha!

i was shaking in my coat, i couldn’t imagine how the bridesmaids and flower girls felt in their strapless/tank dresses! the whole area outside was beautiful. the white chairs, lined with tulle and flowers were pretty. the aisle had a white runner with flower petals strewn all down the runway. the pergola was lovely with flowers hung from it. the greenery in the background was so pretty and a perfect backdrop to their nuptials.

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[the welcome table]

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[here comes the bride]

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[the giving of the bride]

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[wedding party]

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[kiss the bride]

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[yay! married!]

after the ceremony, we hurried inside to warm up. we made our way into the reception area and checked out all the fun details of the wedding. my favorite part. people always think that the details of a wedding aren’t important because people don’t care or pay attention…not moi! it’s my most favorite part! i love how the couple incorporates their likes, their lives, their loved ones into the reception. i love weddings for the fact that it can be so unique, personal, and special to the bride, groom, and family!

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[welcome table and seating cards]

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[card table]

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[me and mutts]

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[wedding table centerpieces]

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[me and the hubs]

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[wedding cake]

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[my girls]

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[maid of honor and best man]

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[i know, this pic is terrible! but hey, i got something!]

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[cutting the cake!]

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[wedding selfie, gotta have one every time]

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[red velvet]

after dinner, dancing ensued. we got down and boogied! i had so much fun with my girls and we had so much fun on the dance floor! as soon as the music started, we partied it up out there. we didn’t care if we were the only ones dancing, we loved that we would start it up for the other guests, and we loved jamming out to some good songs out there.

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[sweet first dance]

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[with the beautiful bride and groom]

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[there goes the bouquet!]

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[oh no he didn’t! eric totally stripper danced for kira! hahaha!]

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i love weddings. they are so much fun! we had such a great time at their wedding. it was great to know {almost} everyone’s significant others and have such a grand ol’ time together! we totally had a blast eating, drinking, and dancing it up!

kira and eric, we wish you both nothing but the best in life. we hope that your marriage is filled with joy, laughter, love, goofiness {per kira}, and endless respect of your differences to guide you down the road of a long, lasting happy marriage.

xoxo

andy and corinne’s wedding

ohhhhhhh, ‘little’ andy and corinne got hitched!!

we have known andy for a looooong time. he grew up right across the street from us. kind of like how carol and i grew up together, my brother dan and andy grew up together. so, when we received the invite to their wedding, i was beyond excited to go!

when hc and i tied the knot, we invited andy to our wedding, natch. we invited just andy. my brother, dan, asked me if andy could bring a date. mmmmm, ok i said. hey, it’s andy. what’s one more person added onto the guest list?? {anyone who has gotten married knows the wedding guest list nightmare situation} so, here is andy at our wedding reception and he introduces me to corinne, a girl he had just started dating.

fast forward four years and now they were getting hitched!!! how fabulous! the ceremony was at a local church by our house. it was beautiful and sweet. i always get teary eyed at weddings. i love them so much! i love that it’s about love, commitment, faith, and unity. just a few words to describe it! weddings always evoke such strong emotions within me.

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[the cute saying and wedding programs]

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[my brother dan, the best man]

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[the poor, blurry pic of the bride]

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[her wedding band]

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[his wedding band]

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[wedding program and cards]

after the ceremony, i rushed home to change my outfit, pick up the hubs, and take olive over to my parent’s house so they could watch her for the evening. we cruised on over to the reception banquet, it was quite close {a good thing because we were running late!}, and nabbed a great parking spot next to the building. as we were walking in, we ran into my sister thuy. we have a tendency to run into her at the same time whenever we are going to the same destination, although we are always traveling separately!

we walked in to the pretty welcome table. they had vintage glass window panes written with all the guests names and the table numbers. they also had frames where we signed our names and wished them something sweet. speaking of sweet, when we first entered the reception space, the ginormous dessert table caught my attention! yummmmmm!

we saw the bride and groom but of course they were flocked by a ton of guests {we decided we would track them down later}. as we stood there and chitchatted, my brother dan walked up and greeted us. we small talked about the wedding and finally decided to take a seat to get this party started!

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[the sign in table]

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[seating chart]

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[the yummy dessert table]

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[my awesome brother]

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[siblings]

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[sister love // we coordinate]

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[the centerpieces made by the bride and groom]

as the wedding reception began rolling, the speeches started…i was anxiously waiting for my brother’s speech. one: he’s a super quiet guy two: you don’t envision him as a public speaker and three: he’s my brother and i only hoped he would do well in a situation like this because, he’s my brother! duh!

the father of the bride gave a wonderful, beautiful, heart warming speech. it was sweet, loving, and heartfelt. then the bridesmaid gave her speech…i thought, ok, my brother is being set up well. then came dan. i was stoked. he was relaxed, articulate, and damn funny! he hit the right notes and had the crowd going. it was perfectly timed, not too long and not too short. he ended it on a sweet, loving note toasting the love between the bride and groom. bam! he nailed it. i was so proud!!!! i screamed from across the room, “BEST SPEECH EVERRRRRRRR!”. oh yes. i got chuckles from the table around us. i definitely can be rowdy and redic at times. hahaha!

per usual, typical wedding shenanigans ensued. my sisters and i were goofing off, we raided the dessert table, we mingled with different folks, took more stupid pics of ourselves and ate and drank too much. isn’t that what weddings are about?!

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[the dessert table was in demand! we hardly got any!]

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[with the beautiful couple]

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[goofing around]

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so this part is where it gets wild. andy decided he was going to sing a song for his bride. he did a fabulous job! he nailed the song and was completely entertaining! it was pretty cool to watch. as he stripped down to his shirt and pants, he continued to sing to his wife. at the very end, he turned his back to her and he dropped to his knees and then fell onto his back. this is where his groomsmen grabbed his legs…slid him under her dress and he nabbed the garter belt! hahaha! it was the best garter belt grab i have ever seen!!! so flippin’ hilarious and oh so good!!! way to go andy!

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[andy sung to his bride and then went in for the garter!]

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[garter toss]

after dancing to a few songs, nabbing a pic with the bride and groom, and eating too much food, it was time for hc and me to head home and get our baby girl. we had soooo much fun at their wedding! andy and corinne, we wish for you and your marriage enduring love, respect, never ending faith, laughter, and happiness! thank you for letting us be a part of your special day! congratulations love birds!

xoxo

anniversary fare

it was our fourth anniversary and we wanted to do something fun and special. hc had made reservations for us at the girl and the goat. we were so excited! i have eaten there before but it was a long time ago and could not wait to go again.

as we drove in closer to the where the restaurant is located, halsted was bustling. it was packed and patrons were spilling out of all the establishments down the street. i love that about the city. it’s always so busy and interesting. hc valet’d the car and we traipsed inside the restaurant, ready to eat!

it was jam packed inside, people in the waiting area, people at the bar, and every seat taken inside the restaurant. we checked in and the hostess told us we had the best seat in the house. ooooohhhhh! how intriguing. they led us towards the kitchen and there was a lone table right on the kitchen counter! it was so cute. it was off to the side, we were not sitting next to anyone, and it was soooo cool to watch the cooks in the kitchen churn out delicious dish after delicious dish.

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[our amazing table! we were secluded, right by the kitchen, and had the best view!]

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[the very cool bar]

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our server was gary. he was laid back, helpful, and fantastic at what he does. we were ready to indulge. we started off with tasty libations {cab for me and some sort of hard liquor for hc} and small bites. the bread and oysters were delicious. a perfect beginning to our meal. everything was soooo savory.

we ordered the cauliflower, beet salad, hamachi, scallops, and the crisp braised pork shank…all small bites that packed a flavorful punch. all the plates were so yummy! we were served one plate after another and our bellies started to get so full! a few glasses of wine later, we were giddy, happy, and having a blast.

i really enjoyed my evening out with my hubby charming. it was so fun to talk, spend this time together, and just catch up. every day life can be so monotonous and you tend to find yourselves talking about the same things over and over again. it’s always so refreshing to just talk, one on one, about fun stuff, ask questions we never ask, and discover something new about your partner.

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[cheers to four years!]

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[i really love the goat character everywhere]

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[our table at the kitchen…the only table like that in the restaurant!]

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[rye // zucchini tzatziki. pickled corn relish]

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[food spam]

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[soooooo good // bacon sprinkled oysters]

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[not without a selfie]

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[hamachi crudo // crisp pork belly. chili aioli. caperberries]

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[these were sooooo good]

the night was too short but after three hours of eating and drinking {eep!}, we were ready to go! we sadly left the restaurant but we were very excited to come home to our wide awake daughter. we absolutely loved our time out but nothing is sweeter than coming home to your precious, smiling babe.

xoxo

a sweet affair

hc and i were looking forward to attending a friend’s wedding. it had been awhile since we have been to one and the prospect of dressing up, getting our drink on, and celebrating love got us excited!

it was near hc’s old ‘hood {his childhood stomping ground}. the wedding and reception was in long grove. it’s a cute, quaint little town. the wedding was at a cute little white chapel. how i envisioned my ‘church’ to look like in the very early stage of wedding planning, that is until i fell in love with st. clement church!

we arrived quite early and lolllygagged in the car until it was a few minutes to the ceremony. we walked inside to a cozy setting. it probably took another 10 minutes or so until the bride took center stage, as the music played {canon d}…no one stood up?! i waited a moment and still no one stood up. then i saw the bride around the corner and i  thought, that’s it…i am standing up if no one else wants to! it’s the proper thing to do…the processional song starts to play and you stand up for the bride! so, i stood up by myself and it took a few seconds for everyone else to follow suit.

in walked the bride looking gorgeous. getting married is such a beautiful thing. it was tearful, lovely, sweet, and romantic. the bride cried and i did as well. i love weddings. i do. it’s so grand that it tugs at my heartstrings.

after the ceremony, we all stuck around to ring bells and welcome the bride and groom as husband and wife! the reception was just around the corner and super easy to get to. hc and i pulled up and traipsed our way to the bar! he grabbed us drinks and we started mingling. there were some folks from hc’s company so we walked right up and said our hello’s.

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[here comes the bride!]

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[horrible, horrible picture…i couldn’t get the camera to focus in time! obvs.]

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[husband and wife!]

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[we rang bells upon their arrival]

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[got it! perfect]

we met a lovely couple by the name of kenny and marina. they were super fun to talk to. i eventually met a few more folks and we all got along great. it was so much fun to chitchat with these gals. marina is a great little lady, i had such a great time getting to know her that evening. we totally bonded over our love of fashion, louis, and christian! although, she is a multi-faceted lady…not only does this doll love clothes and such, she is also a drag racer?! how cool is that? she is building her own drag race car as i type!

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[me and my love]

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[pretty table flowers]

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[wedding selfie!]

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[mr. and mrs.]

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[the bride and groom! congrats!]

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[the cute sign in table]

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[kenny and marina]

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[first dance]

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[attempting a goofy selfie in the dark]

after we ate {filling our bellies with a lot of food} and imbibed more libations {hey, it’s a wedding for pete’s sake!} our tushsies hit the dance floor! woot woot! hc entertained that notion for a moment {he does not like dancing aaaaannnd especially in front of people} but eventually snuck outside to hang with the boys. natch.

we ate cake. we danced some more. we drank some more and by the time we were done, the wedding was over. wahhhhhh.

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[chumming it up with marina]

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we had such a great time! we really did. boy, do we love weddings! they are such happy events, a day where everyone revels in love and joy…you just can’t beat that. hc and i had a wonderful time getting to know everyone and walked away with another fabulous wedding to remember.

congrats amanda and scott! may God bless your marriage with love, health, and happiness always.

xoxo

flashback friday

today takes us back to…2010.

here we are at a dear friend’s wedding {pam & ryan!}. it was a lovely, warm day in may…a perfect day to get married! we are just outside the church, after their ceremony, and we already cheered the bride and groom when they came out for a sneak peek.

i love weddings. is it a bad or good thing that we really don’t go to weddings anymore?? or does that mean we are just getting older {we are an old married couple with old married friends? or does that mean that we don’t really have any single friends? or whatever. i love ’em. although, we do have a couple of weddings coming up this year…yippee! we can’t wait to celebrate our friend’s upcoming nuptials.

i love this pic of me and the hubs. he is seriously the best husband ever. he is sweet, loving, caring, patient, kind, funny, helpful, thoughtful, did i say loving? he is so many wonderful things, there are not enough words to describe him! he balances me out, he calms me down, he brings me back to reality, he reminds me that we are in this to win it! i knew life before him but i now cannot imagine life without him.

marriage is wonderful, a lot of work, compromise, full of love, arguments, patience, laughter, repetition, balance, respect…it has it’s up’s and down’s and always turns around for the better as long as you have two people who are committed and positive, having similar dispositions helps too. we definitely have our moments, but what couple out there doesn’t?? in the end, we absolutely love each other and only want the best for us and our family. true happiness comes from the simple things in life!

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ok…enough babbling. it is wedding season! i’m sure someone out there is heading to a wedding this weekend! enjoy and happy friday y’all!

xoxo

flashback friday

today takes us back to 2011.

this was the year that we got married but it was also a year where we had 9 weddings to go to, including our own! it was quite the year of wedding! this picture was taken at our friend jaime’s wedding in june. carol was a bridesmaid and, obvs, i was a guest! ooooohh, and we were so tan from the summer already!

it was a little bit of a cray summer for carol. not only were j and i getting married {she was a bridesmaid for the both of us, my matron of honor} and she had to to pick and choose what she could attend because she lives in seattle!

i love this picture of us because we are and look so happy. who doesn’t love attending weddings?! it’s always fun and filled with love. plus, it’s a big parteeee! socializing, drinking, eating, dancing, and vivacious behavior is widely excepted. i clearly remembered it being a very warm, humid day. it was, overall, a perfect day to get hitched.

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ahhhh, warm weather…hurry up! chiberia temps is just too much! well, i hope somebody out there is going somewhere warm this weekend, i’ll just live vicariously through my old summer/vacay photos! dreaming away…

xoxo