Pages

June 24, 2010

craftyinspiration: Kristin's bridal shower

I take birthday parties very seriously. When I think about the guest of honor a theme will always come to mind...my little circle of friends have enjoyed some good good times - we've had hoedowns, parkdays, scavenger hunts, cow parties, international feasts and so many more. It is a PLEASURE of mine to come up with decorating ideas and sometimes even costumes.

But bridal showers are a whole other level. In planning one for my college roommate, Kristin, I realized that to me, bridal showers are like the ultimate birthday party. It's a time of honoring a loved lady and to incorporate things that she would enjoy in all aspects....from food, to theme, decorations, and of course invitations.

So I have to admit...I had been storing pictures on my harddrive in anticipation for about six months (well, maybe longer....). To me, an inspiration board turns into a roadmap to aid with creating the perfect shower for our very simple nature girl turned bride-to-be. This bride to be who taught me so many cool things (knitting, climbing trees, crocadile hunting, how to make milk tea, British culture, wallace&gromit) and is not your typical girl.

One of our favorite past times in college was hosting tea parties. But i'm not talking about ladies in foofy flouncy dresses with oversized hats drinking tea with their pinkies in the air. We grubbed on tea sandwiches and enjoyed scones smeared with lemon curd as we sat on the shag rug and laughed boisterously with our guests. No, a traditional tea party would not do. So I thought of the perfect twist....why not a tree party?

Enjoy my inspiration board for now, and look forward to the real day-of photos to come next week. :)

June 17, 2010



the NBA finals are tonight....but for me, this one is a slam dunk.
More from Leslie & Darren's wedding coming v e r y soon.

June 15, 2010

goooo lakers


NBA Finals game 6 tonight....
keepin' the Laker love alive!
lets do this. :)

June 11, 2010

somewhere over the rainbow


Kev and  Chelsea just ooze love and sweetness....and I was oozing with joy when they asked me to spend the afternoon with them taking their engagement photos before we all ended up leaving SD.

I’ve actually known of Kevin since we were in middle school from Mt. Hermon summer camp. It wasn’t until my first months at Lighthouse that we actually became friends, as we were both newer and were adjusting to a church family so different from our Mt. Hermon/college fellowship roots. It was totally one of those “I know who you are, do you know who I am?” moments. Now, I consider him a much trusted brother. I remember meeting Chelsea when she started coming out while in college and she was and still is one of the sweetest sisters I’ve ever met.

While I never get tired of that shocked feeling when my friends ask me to take their portraits because they actually like what I do with the camera, I don't tire of cute couples either. And of the cute couples I know, ohhhh these two are up there.

From getting to hear about how they first met (while in college, he got stuck driving a carfull of girls, including Chels) to her interest in him and of course his EPIC proposal including the most intricate scavenger hunt I've ever heard of (including clues inside of gifts that he gave her dating back to even when they were just dating), you can't help but feel happy...
When you see they way they care for each other, you feel like like everyone in the world should be in love.

Prepare for high amounts of happiness and sunshine (maybe even butterflies) to flood your heart. I'm totally serious.
















Then we were off to Paradise Point
{chelsea used to take daytrips here with her family, when she was a little girl}.














Seriously, so thankful for them both.
I'll be praying the next few months leading up to the wedding!
I love you guys....thanks for taking me along for a lovely afternoon. :)

June 9, 2010

The Only Ten-I-See {Knoxville}

Nearing the end of my Tennessee adventure recap.
Lots of eating, walking, laughing and picture taking. Oh, and eating.

Spent the day at University of Tennessee, Knoxville and at the Nieh residence.






















Fantastic rib dinner with the Niehs.





On the way to pick up our rental car before Nay & I were heading off to Virginia. I was sad to go....
Tennessee, I love you.


June 7, 2010

turn that frown upside down

I started off the weekend in a stormy antisocial cloud after receiving unfortunate news. Yet after celebrating with other people in the joy of their lives (kait's bridal shower + yoonjee/david's med school graduation) and getting to see sisters that I dearly missed, my mood got a nice little turn around.

What made your weekend enjoyable?

June 4, 2010

The Only Ten I see {part II}: A Great Smokey Adventure

Here's something to amuse those of you who are still at work on a Friday.


One of the most memorable days on my vacation in Tennessee was the day that we spent hiking through The Great Smokey Mountains. Let's add hiking through The Great Smokies to the list of things I never imagined that I would do. While this was at the top of Naomi's list of things we MUST do while we were there, my only knowledge of where we were headed was limited to the song we sang when we were little "On top of Old Smoky, all covered with snow
I lost my true lover, for courtin' too slow... "

While previously in college, I had considered myself more outdoorsy and adventerous, its only taken a few hiking trips, ESPECIALLY with Naomi to realize that hiking uphill a mountain wasn't my idea of a relaxing afternoon. The truth is...sadly, I am quite a wimp when it comes down to it. It was a big ugly pill to swallow...while Naomi and Joyce are mountain goats that prance up the mountain side, I'm more like a big brown bear that slowly bumbles the way up. Any time I spent at REI was just a facade. And this was a pill I KEPT swallowing while on the trail.

While I put my foot down at camping over night during our few short days in Knoxville, the anxiety in the pit of my stomach knew I wasn't getting out of trying to keep up with the two of them and their moms. So it was a good opportunity to practice one of my challenges for our trip: to not complain. about anything. I was still pretty embarrased though - I knew they picked an easier trail. It didn't help that we had encountered a family at the very beginning of the trail who had actually hiked the whole way up to the top of the trail were we were going on and stayed overnight at the top, way past the caves that we were going to hike to....and this family said that the beginning of the trail was easy but it got harder the higher up you went. The first 30 minutes in, both Auntie Biesha (Naomi's mom) and Auntie Annie (Joyce's mom) were BURNING me on the trail while I was struggling for air and MISERY hit. This was supposed to be the easy part.
This negative thought feedback badgered me through the first mile. I have not felt that lame in a long time for being the last in our group and for not being pleasant company...for not being a cool outdoorsy girl....for being so out of shape. I compared myself to EVERYONE who passed me on the trail and only grew and more discouraged and weighed down. I tried to discipline my thoughts and emotions to dwell on what I knew to be true and lovely and to just focus on putting on foot in front of me.
But I kept thinking "WHY didn't God make me more athletic? I'm only good at art...and art isn't good for ANYTHING."

Standing in two places at once. I kept thinking about "A Walk To Remember" and how UNCHEESY I thought that part was.


Nay is adveturous but we were pretty sure even she couldn't handle the 1,972 miles it would take to reach the end of the Appalachian Trail.


This is the last bridge we crossed together before I literally BEGGED them to leave me. Seriously Naomi and Joyce are two of the most athletic girls I know and they can hike several miles, no problem. I came prepared with two books and a sweatshirt, anticipating this moment would come.

However I was not prepared with the MOST important thing. Water. Joyce had one bottle for the three of us so I had none and it started to get pretty hot while sitting in the sun. And I was starting to overheat. I was sitting next to a stream but there was only so much I could do with splashing water on my face. So I was left with one alternative: keep hiking until I found a cooler spot to stop. 

After about 20 minutes of just sitting and moping I kept thinking to myself "What if I'm so close and I just quit and didn't make it??" I imagined Naoms & Joyce comin' back and telling me that I should have kept going because the caves were so cool.
Knowing that I needed to get my mind off the physical challenges, I started to listening to a sermon on my ipod and kept pushing myself. I don't know how to describe the rest of the trek, but an hour and a half later, I finally reached the caves. And yes it was cool. 



There was snow in patches of woods and the water from the snow was dripping tons of little drops off the cliff of the mountain. I took a seat, tried to not die and waited for Joyce & Naomi (who of course had reached our original destination and continued on to the harder and colder part of the trail.)

Joyce and Naomi, coming back down, right before they saw that I had made it.

Victory picture.

All SMILES at the end. Seriously so thankful that I survived and that it was a memorable day with all the soul searching that I had time to do. In retrospect, while I have to admit that I don't like hiking as much as I thought I did, I still love spending a day in the great outdoors.

What would you want to be doing on a Friday afternoon?