HAPPINESS IS...

My Wedding 16: Design Details

For today's weekly wedding post, I'd like to take a step back from the actual event and show you all the handmade design details.

My mom painted the directional signs on scraps of wood, similar to the ones leading our guests down the driveway. I didn't notice until halfway through the wedding that the fireworks sign was upside down! Apparently, the arrow was painted in the wrong direction, so my dad nailed it wonky on purpose. I think it adds a bit of quirky charm.

We chose simple off-white linens over long tables with natural-colored wood chairs. It was a puzzle figuring out the table layout on the imperfect lawn. I wanted a U-shaped around the dance floor so everyone could face each other, but our space wasn't wide enough. Thanks to my dad's mathematical magic, he made it all work to my liking. The layout made it feel less like a wedding and more like an intimate dinner party... of 100!

Here's where the vintage mismatched plates and antique green bottles come into play. My original plan was to have only ferns, herbs and greenery on the tables. But the flower farm dahlias were so inexpensive, I'm so glad we used them instead. I love the bright pops of color. There were a ton of leftover baby artichokes after making the bouquets (they were shipped to us in a huge batch from Pezzini Farms in California). So we peppered them around the bottles as table decor.

We numbered the tables with nostalgic vintage Viewmaster reels placed halfway inside Viewmaster viewers, spray painted gold. I collected them all year long! When our guests arrived, they were given a green ticket to match the Viewmaster table numbers and find their spot. 

Remember the little plastic dinosaurs? Hal cut a slit in their backs to hold the Viewmaster reel place cards with our guests' names printed and glued to the center. If there was a reel from my collection that reminded me of someone, I used it to mark their seat. For example: Lauren Santiago got a travel reel of Santiago, Chile. Our friends from Arizona got a Phoenix reel. Outdoorsy friends got a national park reel. Our pilot friend got an outer space reel. And of course, the children received cartoon reels. I got such a kick out of watching people click through their viewers with big grins on their faces.

Our wedding favor was a CD of our soundtrack, placed inside kraft card stock sleeves. Each disc had a different engagement photo printed on the label. We burned the songs onto Verbatim Vinyl CDs to look like old 45s. If you're curious, you can listen to the entire 2G4E soundtrack on Spotify.

Wondering who the heck H+S is on Track 1? That's us! Before the wedding, I begged Hal to record our own version of "You Belong To Me", the ukulele duet from The Jerk, one of his favorite movies. Like a good fiance, he agreed. This was a big deal, people. Hal is NOT a singer and he hates the sound of his voice recorded. I think he did an awesome job. 

You can hear it for yourself...

YOU BELONG TO ME - By H+S

Wish boats took the place of a traditional guest book. We provided origami paper and invited our guests to write down their hopes and dreams for our future together, fold them into a paper boat, and place them in my Grandfather's old suitcase. Every anniversary, Hal and I will select one to read and sail it off to sea. 

The vintage percussion instruments leftover from the ceremony were quickly snatched up by the kiddos. 

Our 2G4E marquee letters were lovingly made by Hal himself out of cardboard, gold spray paint, and small round bulbs. We hung them from the the string lights over the dance floor and they looked even more beautiful as the night grew on. We kept them after the wedding and now they're hanging on the wall above our bed.  :)

Next week... our first dance tango!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 15: The Rowboat Ride

It feels like it's been awhile since the last wedding series post! To refresh your memory, I left you hanging at the end of the ceremony. We exited down the steps onto the dock, waved goodbye to our guests, and climbed aboard our getaway vehicle. An old rowboat! My dad gently nudged us out to sea as husband and wife.

I shared a sneak peek of a few of these shots when Heather posted them on her blog. If you missed them, go and take a look. Today, I'll reveal the rest, with a funny behind-the-scenes story.

Meet Jordan, Hal's buddy and handsome coxswain of the OTHER boat. We had a second rowboat to hold Jon and Steve, the media team. As you'll soon find out, Heather smartly remained on shore.

As a child, I spent many memorable summers on these waters, paddling around in the canoe with my family. It was such a treat to be able to experience this again, with my love on our wedding day.

It was around this time that Hal and Jordan decided to race. Silly boys. It was also around this time that Jordan, Jon and Steve noticed that their boat was leaking! My dad warned us that one of the rowboats was nearing the end of days. Thankfully, Hal and I chose the solid one.

Hal and I wrote our vows to each other on large pieces of paper folded into wish boats. We intended to release them into the lagoon as a symbolic gesture. It was a sweet idea in theory, but there were a few minor flaws. After discovering the other rowboat was sinking, we realized we forgot the paper boats on land! My dad had to run to retrieve them and relay them back to us.

When released, the boats didn't float away as beautifully as they did in my imagination. The current tipped them over and pushed them against the boat in a sad state. Wah wah. It was quite hysterical.

From the water, we heard the band playing and our guests enjoying the cocktail hour. We were itching to partake in the festivities, so we swiftly rowed back before the tide left us stranded. My dad tied up the boat and escorted us up the steps to join our friends and family.

Next week... the design details!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by One Love Photo} 

Our Girlfriend Getaway in Charleston - Part 2

For lunch the next day, we discovered Butcher & Bee, a delicious gourmet local-ingredient sandwich shop with a menu that changes daily. I inhaled my hummus toast, kale slaw & tomato onion salad. Don't you love the rustic vintage industrial decor? It reminded me of a place you'd find in Seattle.

For the rest of the day, we meandered along King Street, browsing boutiques, antique stores, and gift shops. Until the predicted heavy rains came down in sheets! We raced through the sopping streets to our hotel and cozied up indoors, opening the window and squealing with excitement as the thunder shook our room. We don't get storms like this on the west coast!

Our dinner that night was a special one at Fulton Lane Inn's sister restaurant, Circa 1886. We had reservations for a 3-course meal with wine pairings. Chef Marc Collins' creations were out of this world. My main course was heart of palm "marrow", with spinach, crispy fried onions, beluga lentils and grapefruit. Being a vegetarian in the south can be tricky. But I felt welcome and celebrated here. 

The restaurant is located within the original carriage house of the Wentworth Mansion, a gorgeous historical property built in 1886. Before our meal, we were offered a champagne tour. We ascended a spiral staircase to the rooftop cupula to admire the 360 degree view of Charleston. Naturally, we sang a song in 4-part harmony, the same song we sung at the top of the Eiffel Tower many moons ago.

The next day, we rented a car and drove into the heart of lowcountry to visit the Charleston Tea Plantation, the only tea garden in the U.S.  We boarded the little vintage trolley for a fascinating tour of their 127 acres of American Classic Tea.

At the gift shop, we rocked on the porch, sampled their teas and nibbled on boiled peanuts. My new snack obsession!

 

For lunch, the ladies at the tea plantation recommended Stono Market & Tomato Shed Cafe on John's Island. We couldn't have asked for better farm-fresh grub, cooked authentically southern with with heavy butter and cream. I got my mac n' cheese fix and their famous tomato pie. We wrote down a quote from our waitress, spoken in drawl:

"We're shrimpers, farmers, and darn good cooks."

It started to drizzle at Firefly Distillery on Wadmalaw Island, where we sipped handcrafted vodkas, sweet tea bourbon and white lightning moonshine!

And then visited the infamous Angel Oak Tree. 500 hundred years strong.

My aunt, uncle and cousins, who recently moved from Seattle to Charleston, raved about the beaches and 70-degree ocean. Sold! We drove to Sullivan's Island and followed a quaint boardwalk leading us to the surf.

We called ourselves the Princesses of Tides. Appropriately named after our book.

After showering away the salt and sand, we enjoyed our final dinner at Husk, where we spilled our individual hopes and dreams for the next five years over geechie boy grits. And as we do at every meal, we gave a toast around the table using one letter of the alphabet. That night, we chose:  H.

"To Hope. To Happiness. To Humor. To being Here together in Charleston... Heaven on earth."

OUR GIRLFRIEND GETAWAY IN CHARLESTON - PART 1

P.S. If you're interested in reading more about our South Carolina culinary adventures, Tiffany of Eat Your Heart Out LA, will be sharing mouth-watering meal posts in the next few days!

Our Girlfriend Getaway In Charleston - Part 1

As promised, today I'm sharing Part 1 my girlfriend getaway to Charleston, South Carolina! We stayed at Fulton Lane Inn, one of Charming Inns' five boutique hotels. As soon as we stepped inside the cool air conditioned room and were greeted with a welcome note and bottles of wine, we knew we were in for a grand ol' time.

Our room had two double beds and a huge bathroom to get ready in. Every day, a fabulous assortment of complimentary croissants, pastries, juices, fruits, granola, yogurt, coffee & tea was delivered to our room.

We couldn't have asked for a better location. Fulton Lane Inn is located right on King Street in the heart of the city, steps away from shops, restaurants, and parks. Our first day, we got familiar with our surroundings and walked to the nearby market, ate a traditional southern lunch at Barbara Jean's (where I fell madly in love with authentic cheesy grits), and frolicked along the picturesque waterfront.

Strangers were very kind about taking goofy photos of us all together. The lady in pink's dog, Mickey, wanted in on the fun!

Already one of my favorite memories from the trip: sitting on the edge of the dock, reading each other poetic passages from The Prince of Tides, our latest geographically appropriate book club selection. Pat Conroy's use of language is intoxicating...

"It was growing dark on this long southern evening and suddenly, at the exact point her finger had indicated, the moon lifted a forehead of stunning gold above the horizon, listed straight out of filigreed, light-intoxicated clouds that lay on the skyline in attendant veils.

Behind us, the sun was setting in a simultaneous congruent withdrawal and the river turned to flame in a quiet duel of gold... The new gold of moon astonishing and ascendant, the depleted gold of sunset extinguishing itself in the long westward slide, it was the old dance of days in the Carolina marshes, the breathtaking death of days before the eyes of children, until the sun vanished, its final signature a ribbon on bullion strung across the tops of water oaks.

The moon then rose quickly, rose like a bird from the water, from the trees, from the islands, and climbed straight up - gold, then yellow, then pale yellow, pale silver, silver-bright, then something miraculous, immaculate, and beyond silver, a color native only to southern nights.

We children sat transfixed before than moon our mother had called forth from the waters. When the moon had reached its depest silver, my sister, Savannah, though only three, cried aloud to our mother, to Luke and me, to the river and the moon, "Oh, Mama, do it again!" And I had my earliest memory."

Across the street from the waterfront, we meandered along the historical mansion row.

We thought about taking a horse drawn carriage tour, but since we happened to walk along beside one, overhearing most of the guide's fun facts, it was almost the same experience.

These palmetto lined streets are like something out of a story book. We kept trying to find the right word to describe Charleston's charm. Perhaps there are no words.

We made our way back to Fulton Lane Inn, just in time for their complimentary wine and cheese happy hour in the courtyard. Our dinner reservations were at The Ordinary, a fancy seafood and oyster hall, and we spent the later part of the night at Bin 152, an cozy husband-and-wife-owned wine bar, mere steps from our hotel. Per usual, we serenaded the late night patrons and bartenders in song.

OUR GIRLFRIEND GETAWAY IN CHARLESTON - PART 2

The Southern Way Of Life

Hi friends. How are you? I'm back from Charleston, with a new city to love! But as it always goes, I'm utterly wiped out. Beach jumping will do that to a gal.

While visiting a plantation, our tour guide gave us a beautiful quote on the southern way of life...

"We start our days slowly and gradually taper off from there."

If you don't mind, I think I'll continue this mindset for a few more days. And rest up to prepare a fun post for Monday with stories and photos of our travels.

See y'all later!

My Wedding 14: The Ceremony

Today, I'm delighted to share with you our ceremony! Cue the music....

SOULFUL STRUT        

The entire wedding party came down the aisle to Soulful Strut, by Young-Holt Unlimited. We chose this song because Hal used to say back in the day, there's no way to not look cool walking to it! It really does give you a natural swagger.

While the girls and I were waiting in the garden, the boys lined up next to Brian, our officiant, one of Hal's best buds since high school who got ordained online just to marry us.

Then came the children's parade. Cannon got shy and froze, so his pops carried him down the aisle and waved the flag for him!

Since the aisle centered around a fire pit which couldn't be moved, we stuck dahlias into the ashes to pretty it up. Later in the evening, the flowers were pulled out to build a bonfire.

Then the band began to play my song. My favorite love song of all time. One Hand, One Heart, from West Side Story. I found the most beautiful brass quintet version and asked the band director of Route 66 to learn it for my entrance.

ONE HAND, ONE HEART

As you can tell, it was a long descent! I walked down the entire length of the yard. But I loved having this time with my dad. We giggled the whole way down.

By the time I got down to the water, my emotions got the best of me. Hearing my song. Seeing so many happy faces. I just couldn't believe this was happening. I locked eyes with Hal and lost it. Almost forgetting to hug my dad goodbye.

Brian acknowledged Hal's father, Hal's adoptive father, and my grandfather. All of whom have all passed on, but were with us in spirit and forever in our hearts.

One of my best friends and freshman year college roomie, Carrie, was supposed to be a bridesmaid. But she got an amazing opportunity to work in Africa for a year, helping mothers in childbirth. I was so proud of her, yet selfishly heartbroken she wouldn't be at the wedding. A few weeks before the big day, she pooled her flight miles with Eddie, a mutual friend of ours, and flew to Gig Harbor from Africa! I was over the moon. She didn't have any wedding attire, so my sponsor, Ruche, kindly shipped us the chiffon mint dress from their bridesmaid collection.

I asked Carrie to do a reading. Keeping things light-hearted and playful, we chose passages from nostalgic story books...

A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with kind words and loving thoughts. “I like this Dinosaur,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny. He is also quite clever, though I will not tell him this for now.”

“I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur,” thought the Dinosaur. “She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice. She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”

“But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “He is also overly fond of things. Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”

“But her mind skips from here to there so quickly,” thought the Dinosaur. “She is also uncommonly keen on shopping. Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”

“I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”

“I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping,” thought the Dinosaur. “For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.”

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old. Look at them. Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs. And that, my friends, is how it is with love. Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together. For the sun is warm. And the world is a beautiful place.

We asked Helen, my dear family friend and neighbor since childhood, to read the second passage from a classic book we all know and love...

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

‘What is REAL?’ asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. ‘Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?’

‘Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When someone loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’

‘Does it hurt? Asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’

‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’ ‘ It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.’

‘I suppose you are real?’ said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse only smiled. ‘Someone made me Real,’ he said. ‘That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.’

For our final reading, we asked my cousin Kassia's cherub children, Sawyer and Miles. They are brilliant beyond their years. And c'mon, those dimples! Each line of the poem alternated between the two boys...

Me Without You by Lisa Swerling

Me without you is like...
Sky without blue
Hair without do
Ghost without boo
Kung without fu
Peak without view
Biker without tattoo
Cow without moo
Dove without coo
Eskimo without igloo
Party without yahoo
Clock without cuckoo
Harry without you-know-who
Fisherman without canoe
Kanga without Roo
Foot without shoe
Picnic without loo
Rainbow without hue
Shoobee without doo
How without do-you-do?
Rebel without a clue
Mowgli without Baloo
Cock without a doodle-do
Panda without bamboo
Show without queue
Sneeze without atchoo
Yacht without crew
Potty without poo
A picture that's skew
A knot I can't undo
Me without you?
What would I do?
Phew!

At the end of their poem, their little identically-dressed brother, Teague, 

ran out of the crowd to join them! It was the cutest thing ever. I guess he was used to being around his older brothers while they rehearsed at home. 

Then it was time for Hal and I to recite our personally written vows. My wedding anxiety dreams about not having my vows ready in time prepped me well. 

Hal has requested that I keep his vows between me, him and our guests. But I don't mind sharing my own with you...

I'm not sure how I got through them with the lump in my throat.

Day 1, I loved you before I knew I loved you. Because I already knew you. Because you didn't know that I already knew you. But maybe you knew all along.

Month 2, I loved you because you'd laugh, and I'd laugh because you were laughing, and it'd go on like that until we could physically laugh no longer.

Year 3, I loved you because you'd ask me to talk, but I couldn't. So you'd ask me again. And again. And again, until I talked. You never gave up. Even when I began to talk too much.

Year 6, I loved you because it wasn't just me who loved you. My friends loved you. Their men loved you. Strangers loved you. The world was charmed by your charm.

Year 8, I loved you because you left behind your known life to share an unknown life with me. This might be why I loved you most of all.

Long after we chose this date to get married, I came across a poem by Pablo Neruda that reminds me of our relationship. Strangely enough, it's called, September 8th:

Today, this day, was a brimming cup,
today, this day, was the immense wave,
today, it was all the earth.
Today, the stormy sea lifted us in a kiss
so high that we trembled in a lightning flash
and tied, we went down to sink without untwining.
Today our bodies became vast,
they grew to the edge of the world
and rolled melting into a single drop of wax or meteor.
Between you and me a new door opened
and someone, still faceless,
was waiting for us there.

To me, this poem is about evolution. Our evolution. And our growth. You were always there. Squeezing my hand like a gentle reminder. Leading us here. To this day. Today.

Year 10, Month 9, Day 8. Because I loved you. Because I love you. I promise to love every moment with you. To Year 60 and beyond.

For our ring exchange, we recited the vows from West Side Story, alternating lines...

I, Hal, take thee, Shannon
I, Shannon, take thee, Hal
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and to honor
To hold and to keep
From each sun to each moon
From tomorrow to tomorrow
From now to forever
Till death do us part
With this ring, I thee wed.
With this ring, I thee wed.

Mozel tov! Hal is half-Jewish, so we included the breaking of the glass. Traditionally, the groom does it, but I felt left out of the fun and wanted to stomp on the glass too. Hal ended up stepping on my toe and I let out a little scream.

"I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU HUSBAND AND WIFE!!"

The kiss. Or a few!

MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY

Cue exit music. We chose More Today Than Yesterday, the cheesy one-hit-wonder by Spiral Starecase. Because really. It doesn't get more joyful than this. Before the ceremony began, we marked the wedding party's places with vintage percussion instruments.

As soon as the song came on, they grabbed their cowbells, tambourines and triangles for a sing-a-long celebratory exit! Feeling quite foolish, I might add. But that was partly the point.

Instead of following our friends up the aisle, Hal and I hung back for our post-ceremony row boat ride. We danced down the steps to the makeshift dock and waved to our guests who gathered around the edge of the bank above. Bon voyage!

Next week... we're on a boat.

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 13: Before The Ceremony

While Hal and I were taking our beach portraits, our guests were arriving via school bus! My mom hand-painted these wood signs to lead everyone down the long driveway...

Right this way
We'll see you soon
Get ready, get set
For a fun afternoon

Follow the music
Find your chair
Head to the water
We'll meet you there!

Funny side story: the wacky bus driver, a toothless older woman wearing pigtails with scrunchies and a neon reflector crossing guard vest, whom we later found drinking our beer and eating from our dessert table after the reception, got LOST on the way out to the house! Thank goodness, our buddy Tim knew where to go and turned her around.

Remember when I was looking for a smaller-sized big band or jazz orchestra to serenade our guests as they arrived? With our budget, this didn't seem possible. Then I discovered the Seattle swing band, Route 66. They were willing to cut down their crew, yet still keep a large sound, so we could afford to have them play a few hours.

Our friends and family meandered down the lawn to the theater seats and pews set up by the water. Designer, Kristen of Coates Willie, made the tepee and shipped it out from New York just for the wedding.

Introducing the cutest flower girl and ring bearer known to man: Talynn and Cannon, my bridesmaid Tara's delectable children. My mom and I made them pipe cleaner crowns, gold streamer wands and green flags.

Although we hired a caterer for dinner, we decided to save money by providing our own pre-ceremony snacks. This was a full-day affair, after all. We set out cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts, olives, flavored water and lemonade for our guests to nibble on as they arrived. The goldfish were a hit!

I love this photo. It's typical Hal, scribbling out his vows on a tissue box at the very last moment. He had them written on his iPhone and forgot to transfer them to paper for the ceremony.

Up at the house, my ladies and I had a toast! Or five! A bottle of champagne (and a can of Rockstar) was popped. I don't remember what we were laughing about, but it was some funny isht. So funny that we didn't even realize the groomsmen had started their descent! We quickly grabbed our bouquets and scrambled down the stairs.

My pops met us at the entrance to the circular garden, where we had a moment or two of waiting time inside. I have a vague memory of the girls and I singing a song? Sounds like something we'd do to calm my racing heart. 

One by one, they exited the garden on other side to walk down the aisle. Leaving my dad and I alone to take it all in. I grabbed his arm. Deep breath. Here we go...

Next week:  the ceremony, vows and all that good stuff! 

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 12: Beach Portraits

After taking portraits with the wedding party, our friends walked back to the house while Hal and I stayed a little while longer on the beach.

Skipping rocks wasn't planned at all, but it seemed only natural! I am not a good rock skipper compared with Hal, who usually gets 4 to 5 bounces each throw. But I was pretty proud of myself here. I got a nice 3 jumper at one point. Maybe it was all the wedding day excitement.

We were loving our time alone on the beach, until someone glanced at their watch. The guests were arriving!

I didn't want to let go of his hand. We walked back, mostly in silence. And the occasional bout of laughter when it dawned on us that we were about to get married. The next time we'd see each other, would be when I walked down the aisle.

Next week... the moments before the ceremony!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 12: Bridesmaid & Groomsmen Portraits

After our first look photos, I regrouped with my gals to take wedding party portraits. It was decided to do them before the ceremony so we could spend more time with our guests later on. Since we were walking to the beach, we slipped off our fancy heels and changed into comfortable flats. And me, into my beloved motorcycle boots.

I asked my bridesmaids to pick out their own vintage dress and hair accessories in the green, mint and gold color palette. I'm pretty sure they were each under $100. Don't they look fabulous? I wasn't quite sure how it would all come together, but I have to say, I couldn't have asked for a better mix of styles and shades. And their baby artichoke bouquets seal the deal!

The men were asked to find their own vintage (or vintage-inspired) suit and hat while Hal provided the green and gold ties he picked up at local thrift stores, including his own. The Harley Sportster was inherited from Hal's father and is his most prized possession. Makes for good tough-guy groomsmen pics, right?

This series cracks me up. I think Jon asked them to do something funny. So Hal apparently busted out a musical number. They look like an an all-male a cappella group.

We led the entire wedding party through a neighboring trail down to the beach. My brother and I used to spend our summers down here as kids, swimming in the Sound, building driftwood forts and searching for hidden treasures.

These walking shots made us laugh. We had to pretend like we were strolling at a normal speed. It felt like we were in a slow-motion movie scene. I loved how they turned out!

Next week... Hal and I alone on the beach.

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 11: The First Look

Remember when I asked Hal if he wanted to do a first look? He wasn't into it. But as you can see, we were convinced otherwise.

Heather and Jon scouted out a sweet spot in a quiet wooded setting on my parents' property. While my bridesmaids were still getting ready, Heather lured me out of the house to sneak up behind Hal, who was waiting for us with Jon. I was giddy with anticipation.

That special light you see near Hal's head? We're pretty sure it was his father. ♥

Only my face is shown in these shots, with uncontrollable giggles, I might add. But Hal's reaction was just as I expected. Calm, cool and collected with a big adoring grin.

My baby ain't 'fraid to show his emotions! You'd think a first look would get all the tears out before the ceremony, right? Wrong. As you'll see in later photos, we're both saps. What can I say.

The 360 degree spin and dress approval!

We're so grateful we had this chance to be "alone" before the hustle and bustle. Seeing each other before the vows didn't take anything away from the ceremony. It saved us time and calmed our nerves.

Stay tuned for next week... the lovely ladies and dapper dudes that make up our wedding party!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

P.S. If you like first look photos, here are 9 more.


{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 10: Getting Ready

My friends, today is a big day. It's the International Day of Happiness, woo! It's the first day of Spring. And it's the day I finally reveal my official wedding images by One Love Photo. There are a ton, so I'm breaking them up into easily digestible weekly segments. Thank you for following me on this journey so far. Over the past few weeks, I've really enjoyed being able to share with you the details and process behind the greatest creative project I've ever pursued, leading up to the happiest and most emotional love-filled day of my life.

Here's how it began. Our guests would be arriving at 1pm, so Hal and I woke up at 5am to practice our first dance. This seems crazy, I know. But we had been taking tango lessons and never had a chance to practice our choreographed dance on the smaller-sized dance floor my dad set up on the lawn. The sun was rising and there was still a layer of dew. We were slipping and sliding all over the place and couldn't help but laugh about the absurdity of it all. This was actually one of my favorite memories of the wedding. It was a sweet way to connect with Hal in the quiet early hours before the chaos.

My special lady friends came to the house around 6 am (such troopers) and we got to primping. My girl, Cara, spent most of the morning helping our day-of coordinator arrange the table settings and flowers, bless her heart. My maid of honor brought over a tray of fruit, croissants, OJ and champagne, which was such a nice gesture. I had zero appetite, but knew I had to cram something down so I wouldn't pass out later in the day.

While we were dressing upstairs, the boys got ready in the basement. Hal told me later that he was freaking out because he couldn't find his tie. But as you'll notice in the photo, he put it on before buttoning up. You can see the outline of of the tie as he's tucking in his collared shirt! So funny. I'm pretty sure that's why the rest of the guys were laughing at him.

My very sweet friend, Sarah Wong, did my make-up. She flew up from LA early for a trial run to make sure I was comfortable with the final look, natural and classic old-hollywood with a bright lip. The lovely Sophia VanSlyke did my hair. I call it "the illusion". People thought I cut it! I asked for a half-updo so the back of my dress could be seen and she came up with this pretty 20's style creation that worked perfectly with my headpiece. This photo was taken later in the day, so I'm a bit wind-blown. I actually prefer it this way.

The green part of the headpiece is an antique Art Nouveau woodland headdress from 1911 Germany! Pippa from Pippatree sourced it out for me. It arrived in a darling heart-shaped wood box with a matching men's corsage and a pillow embroidered with the names of the original bride and groom. I wanted to wear it like a halo, but it didn't fit around my entire head. So I took a piece of vintage jewelry that I already owned and fastened it to the ends to make a crown.

My gown is Tadashi Shoji. I posted before about my dress-selection experience and final fitting, but never clued you in on how many dang alternations this puppy needed. Like most brides, I lost a bit of weight. But my seamstress needed 4 separate appointments to get it so the back wouldn't bunch. The intricate beading and embroidery was extra tricky.

And remember how I told you my bridesmaids made the bouquets the day before? Here is it is. My beautiful artichoke bouquet with ferns and herbs. Theirs, which you'll see in later photos, are a smaller version with baby artichokes. The day after the wedding, I unwrapped my bouquet, boiled it, and savored every last bite.

Next week... the first look!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by One Love Photo; Dress by Tadashi Shoji; Shoes by Remix Vintage; Half of headpiece by Pippatree; Hair by Sophia VanSlyke; Makeup by Sarah Wong}

My Wedding 09: Welcome Sunset Cruise

Ahoy mates! After the rehearsal, the wedding party and our out-of-town guests met up at Jerisch Dock in downtown Gig Harbor. In lieu of a traditional groom's dinner, we rented My Girl, a local charter yacht for a cruise around the Puget Sound. Captain Paul led the way...

We were hoping to navigate over to my parents' house to point out the wedding venue from the water, but there wasn't enough time. Instead, we exited the Harbor and traveled underneath the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and back. Here's a map if you're curious.

The boat was two stories, with a full bar on the enclosed main level, and a covered dance floor up top. Hal had an iPod's worth of bossa nova we intended to play through the sound system, but we completely forgot to set it up. Doh! You know you're having fun when you don't even notice the lack of music. For food, we had a low-key taco bar for people to nibble on at their leisure.

Funny side note: It was around this time that I realized I was wearing my vintage lace mini dress inside out! I quickly changed in the bathroom and asked if people had noticed. Thankfully, they didn't, or they were too polite to say otherwise. Ay ay ay. That's how scatterbrained I was that day.

My cutie pie parents had just celebrated their 39th anniversary. 

A big thank you goes out to my big brother, Christopher, for being the official photographer, and to AAA for arriving in a flash when he locked his camera in the car moments before boarding!

After we docked, many of our friends went out for drinks and karaoke at El Pueblito down the street. But I went home for my beauty sleep. Tomorrow would be the biggest day. of. my. life.

Next week... the wedding photos!!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

My Wedding 07: The Website

For this week's wedding post, I'm revealing the website! My brother and I worked really hard on this puppy and it was one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process. Because as you can see, it ties everything together. Our colors, our engagement photos/art, the vintage nostalgia theme from our save-the-dates and the movie theme from our invitations, now all make better sense.

I definitely could have made things simpler by using one of the many pre-designed wedding websites available. What, Shannon takes the easy road? Never! Christopher built his own wedding website many moons ago, so I was thrilled when he agreed to help with mine. I shared my design ideas and with his expert coding skills, he manifested a playful and interactive website for me and Hal to enjoy for life. Yay for big brothers who happen to be photographers AND web programmers!

The coolest thing he did was the randomization code for the main photo on the homepage. I asked him to animate our head-shots so that one of us was always looking at the other at the wrong time. (This is something silly Hal and I do together for a laugh). But Christopher thought, and I now agree, that we should eventually look AT each other. He made it so we catch each other's eyes... sometimes! You have to watch for awhile to even realize our heads are turning back and forth.

For the PLOT header, we told our story. How we met, fell in love, broke up, got back together, broke up again, and reconnected for good. I don't think I've ever shared with you our full history before. So if you'd like to read up.. pour yourself a cup of tea and kick back. It's a long one!

The CAST & CREW part was extra fun. Since I already knew we'd be premiering our Amelie-inspired movie at the wedding (the video was added to the site later), I dug out our toddler photos and came up with a few more likes and dislikes that didn't make it into the movie.

We asked our bridesmaids and groomsmen to do the same. The result is a hilarious and quirky mix of cutie pie childhood photos and personality tidbits of our friends.

Christopher made a nice horizontally scrolling gallery of our engagement photos/art. This was the first time they were revealed, so I'm sure our guests were somewhat bewildered!

Hal had been collecting songs for our wedding soundtrack since before we got engaged. Combined with my own list of tunes that remind us our relationship, the list was 50 songs deep! We only wanted to give out one reasonably lengthed album as wedding favors, so we majorly cut it down to 20, plus a hidden track. It's an awesome sentimental-to-us mix of old soul, classic jazz, 90's rock and hip hop.

To save some stamps, we asked our guests to RSVP online. Christopher installed a clever form box that pulls down from the top.

As you click on each header, the body scrolls down to a new section of the site. At the very bottom of the GIFTS page, we put in a secret photo of us dangling from monkey bars. Some of our guests told us later they never knew it was there. Surprise!

So that's everything. What do you think? Are we nuts or what? To fully experience the entire website, visit:  www.shannonandhal.com

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

My Wedding 06: The Movie Premiere

Loves, I've been dying to show you our wedding movie!

Last year, I gave you a sneak preview with a few film stills. At the time, I hadn't seen any actual footage and was nervous about the final product. But Katia Herrera, our fabulous director, proved I had nothing to fear. She knocked it out of the park!

Hal and I are pretty big movie buffs. We loved the idea of setting up an outdoor screen at the wedding for our guests to watch classic flicks from blankets on the grass underneath the stars. A true green carpet premiere. But rather than showing full-length features, we landed an opportunity to make our own 3 minute, 28 second movie instead.

While writing the screenplay, I was inspired by one of my favorite movies of all time, Amelie. I wanted to tell our story in a similar fashion, to reinforce an emerging theme of our wedding: vintage childlike nostalgia and simple pleasures.

And here's where I gush. I watched Katia's save-the-date videos and immediately knew she'd be able to bring our vision to life. She is talent, folks. If you're a future bride looking for a super creative wedding photographer or videographer, Katia is your gal. She's based in Mexico, but is expanding globally and loves to travel. I adore working with people who get as excited about a project as I do.

So now, ladies and gentlemen, your feature presentation... 2G4E (together forever).

Sit back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

Director & Cinematographer: Katia Herrera
Assistant & French Voiceover: Samuel Catherine
Editors: Katia Herrera & Marcelo Hdz
Music: Amelie Soundtrack by Yann Tiersen

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

My Wedding 04: Tahoe Bachelorette Weekend

Last February, I gave you a teaser of my bachelorette with photos of the incredible Lake Tahoe house we stayed in. If you missed that post, make sure to go here and see Stonehenge in all its glory.

Exactly one year later, here are the photos from the rest of the trip. Me and my best girlies, playing the role of retro snow bunnies.

Upon my arrival in Reno, I was greeted by my friend Jenny's handmade bachelorette banner and a private SUV to take us to the house in style. My sneaky maid of honor, Robin, stocked it with bottles of champagne on ice. We arrived at Stonehenge giddy to meet the rest of the gals. As soon as I walked in the door and saw all of my favorite faces together in one room, I burst into tears for reasons mentioned earlier. It was such a beautiful and surreal moment. We spent the rest of the evening catching up, feasting on fondue, sipping bubbly and singing a cappella. This is what happens when you put 12 singers in a house together.

The next day, Robin made us my favorite mac n' cheese for lunch. It was gorgeous out so we decided to eat outside and soak up the sun.

Before the trip, I asked the gals to bring a retro bib overall snowsuit. You know, the kind you wore when you were 5? I found my super 70's bright green one, with a matching striped jacket, on eBay for $20. 

We thought it'd be fun to wear them topless in the snow. There was no one around except us, and hey, it was hot out! My bib artfully covered all pertinent lady parts. Others, however, did not.

Once it got dark, we nestled around the fireplace to open gifts. My gals got me a massive amount of lingerie for the honeymoon. And I got my gals hot chocolate on a stick and hand-crocheted mug cozies. I wrote about those cuties here.

Then we got glammed up for a night on the town. Like a good maid of honor, Robin took note of my aversion to typical bachelorette paraphernalia and surprised us with classy masquerade masks to wear instead. We ate latin fare for dinner and went dancing at a nearby club. This is normally not my scene, but I was feeling rather adventurous underneath the mask. Definitely in the mood to dance till I dropped. And dropped a few times, I did! Pictures not included. We came home and relaxed in the outdoor hot tub until the wee hours of the morning. 

On Sunday, I said goodbye to some of the ladies who had to leave. The rest of us lounged around the house in our pajamas for most of the day. We watched the Oscars that night and had a Little Mermaid sing-a-long slumber party.

And then woke up to this. I got my snow! Piles and piles of it.

My grade-school friend, Shawn, and I strapped on our matching Sorel boots for some outdoor play.

Don't ask why we attempted to do the splits. Bad idea.

All good things must come to an end. Have you ever tried to roll out luggage in a blizzard? It's quite comical. We were flying out that day and our airport ride's car broke down. After some panic, we thankfully made it in the nick of time, all planes departing on schedule.

And to finish with a bang, the Red Hottie slot machine spewed out $180 for me at the airport! I couldn't believe my luck.

The weekend was one I'll never forget. Big thanks and mad crazy love to my darlings, Robin, Kate, Tara, Jenny, Shauna, Tiffany, Alissa, Melanie, Lauren, Valerie, Shawn and Nicole, for going out of your way to make it happen. xo

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

My Wedding 02: DIY Save-The-Date Paper Dolls

I'm thrilled to share with you our save-the-dates!

To get the guests revved up about the wedding, I wanted to send them something unexpected. Something they could play with. Our theme wasn't yet established, but we knew we would ask our guests to come dressed in their vintage best. Racking my brain, I thought about old toys that conjure up nostalgic memories for all generations. Paper dolls? I bounced the idea off my mom and her eyes lit up. Yes!

I tried to draw the paper dolls myself, but failed miserably. So instead, we Photoshopped our heads onto vintage doll bodies. My mom and I scoured eBay for the perfect bride and groom with acceptable underclothes. I scored the perfect retro set! It came with hilarious outfits and accessories for the big day, the wedding night, and the honeymoon. No black kitties, but I found another hand-drawn cat image for Bailey. She had to be included, of course.

Initially, I planned to print on magnetic paper so guests could hang us on their fridge as a reminder. But I discovered reusable adhesive fabric instead. It's more affordable, lightweight, easy to cut, ink jet printer friendly, and leaves no residue. You simply peel off the backing and stick it to any flat surface.

Do you remember the hand-carved face stamp I had made? It was put to good use on our envelopes! I also got a custom address rubber stamp from NoteTrunk and designed a very simple H ♥ S logo for our postage stamps from Zazzle.

We got great feedback from our guests. Even my grandma loved them, which could have gone either way. A few friends sent us photos of the tux on me, the gown on Hal, and the garter around Bailey's neck!

P.S. For this project, a big thank you goes out to my mom, my brainstorm and research partner, my brother, the Photoshop wizard who made sure our heads looked like they belonged on our bodies, and my husband, who agreed to be seen by the world in shorty shorts and black knee high socks.

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by Christopher Bachmann Photography}

Our Weekend At Wellspring - Part 2

Yesterday, I gave you a tour of the interior of Wellspring's Tatoosh Lodge. Today, I'll show you around the property. Come, the sun is out. Let's take a walk...

Underneath the snow-covered gazebo is a barbecue. The boys grilled a few ingredients here for our baked potato bar. And made some friends who were spending the night in the tree house.

There are 3 luxury safari tents hidden among the trees. This one is called the Tropics because the floor is covered in 6 inches of soft white sand!

Soaking in the Japanese-style cedar spa was a highlight of our stay. The temperatures outside were below freezing, so you can imagine how soothing it felt to slip into a warm tub after a brisk walk in the snow.

They say the labyrinth is a metaphor for life's journey. This must be true. Because Hal walked the full spiral while I got impatient.

There are 6 rustic cabins hidden throughout the property, ranging from classic to deluxe. All complete with feather beds and a wood burning stove. Some with full kitchens and a jacuzzi tub.

How sweet is this little garden? I bet it's lovely in springtime.

Wellspring's resident Doodle! His name is Riley. He would surprise us from out of nowhere to sniff our hands, say hello, and run away. Boundless energy, that one. He visited again later at the lodge for some extra pets and fell madly in love with my friend Kate.

I was told to make sure I visited the forest sanctuary. With no signs, it was difficult to find the trail in the snow. But I followed a set of Riley's footprints which led me over a bridge and through the woods to the secret spot. 

The ceremony setting was majestic. Had I known about this place a year ago, I might have gotten married here. The towering evergreens and zen stone slab alter took my breath away.

Thank you, Sunny, for sharing your magnificent property with us. Wellspring is magical. There's no better word to describe it.

OUR WEEKEND AT WELLSPRING - PART 1


{This post is courtesy of Wellspring Spa & Retreat}

Our Weekend At Wellspring - Part 1

Hi friends! I'm back from my birthday weekend at Mount Rainier. We stayed at Wellspring Spa & Retreat, an easy 1.5 hour-drive from Seattle. This place is unreal. I truly think it's one of Washington's best kept secrets.

Wellspring is a boutique eco-resort near the base of the mountain, nestled within a 10-acre forest sanctuary. The property is sprinkled with with cozy cottages, safari huts, and even a tree house. Sunny, the owner, kindly put us up in the Tatoosh Lodge, the main cabin with a huge stone fireplace, a full kitchen and custom built 10-foot cedar dining table. Al Gore stayed here once upon a time. We suspect his visit was the inspiration behind An Inconvenient Truth.

Upstairs is an 8-person sleeping loft where our friends slept. It felt like camp!

Hal and I stayed in The Nest, a super romantic room with a hanging bed and skylight above to watch the stars. It felt like we were sleeping on a boat, being gently rocked to sleep.

The first morning, I sat with my steaming cup of tea in front of the fire, feeling giddy with content. No cell phones or internet to disturb the peace. I should go off-the-grid more often.

Well, I do admit. I sort of missed reading Facebook wall posts on my birthday. But that could wait. I was in a gorgeous rustic cabin surrounded by quiet natural beauty. I was more relaxed than I've been in quite some time.

Icicles!

For dinner, we set up a gourmet baked potato bar. Inspired by Joanna's smorgasboard, I went all out with toppings. There were the basics: butter, cheddar, sour cream, green onions and black pepper. And the more unusuals: steak, chicken and bacon (for Hal and the omnivores), goat cheese, gorgonzola, brie, parmesan, balsamic mixed veggies, mushrooms in white wine, grilled onions, sauteed garlic, sweet corn, broccolini, brussels sprouts, heirloom tomatoes, roasted red pepper spread, vodka marinara, artichoke dip, hot sauce, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, black beans, pickled jalapenos, baby cornichons, fresh basil, rosemary, cilantro and parsley. Phew! Best baked potatoes of my life.

In lieu of gifts, I asked my friends to bring a board game. Surprisingly, the most used game of the night was one that we found in the closet. Headbanz! Before you judge, it's harder than it looks.

Tomorrow, I'll show you around the magical snow-covered grounds!

OUR WEEKEND AT WELLSPRING - PART 2


{This post is courtesy of Wellspring Spa & Retreat}

Our Engagement Pics on 100 Layer Cake!

I'm so honored to be featured on one of my favorite wedding websites, 100 Layer Cake! Have you seen it? They posted our engagement photos. Blush!

A little back story. Hal was very adamant on not doing typical engagement pics. If it were up to him, we wouldn't have done them at all and I'm sure a lot of men would agree. So I tried to come up with an idea he would like, that represented us, minus the cheese. And he was down with retro graphic art.

I turned to Christopher, my photographer brother, for a sibling collaboration. He captured Hal and I goofing around in front of a green screen, doing things we actually do together in real life. Christopher then sent me the cut-outs of our bodies and I arranged them in Photoshop, adding different shapes, colors and other graphic elements.

If you've been following me for awhile, you'll know I was somewhat secretive about this and other details of our wedding. But I'm thinking about doing a new series starting in January: a weekly post about all the stages of my wedding planning, from how I asked my girlfriends to be bridesmaids, to our save-the-dates, to our website and everything in between. This will lead up to our professional photos of the big day.

What do you think? Would you be interested in learning about the behind-the-scenes of my wedding planning process?


{Photography by Christopher Bachmann}

The Gatekeeper & The Keymaster

There is no Shannon, only Zuul.

Happy Halloween! As promised, here are our costumes. From one of our favorite classic 80's flicks, Ghostbusters. You get it, right? Please say you do. At the parties we attended, most people hadn't a clue.

It pains me to have to explain, but if you're at a loss, I'm Sigourney Weaver's character, Dana Barrett, possessed by the demon Zuul, aka the Gatekeeper, who searches for the Keymaster, played by Rick Moranis. Together, they prepared for the coming of Gozer!

I lucked out with the oversized red/orange batwing dress. After scouring all of Etsy and Seattle, I finally found a good one in the basement of Red Light Vintage. I opened up the neckline to make it off-the-shoulder, paired it with an ugly belt and a bad 80's perm mullet wig. Hal wore wrinkled collared shirts and made the nerdy helmut with an upside down collander, chin guard, wires and plugs.

What do you think?  :)

PAST COSTUMES:

Bob Ross & Happy Little Tree

Failed Circus Performers

Tin Man & Friends from Wizard of Oz

Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Guess what we did on our last full day in Belize? As you can see from our extra awesome outfits, yep. That's right. SCUBA!! We upgraded our packaged snorkel tour to an intro dive. We've been dying to learn how. Especially Hal, who could spend all day every day in an underwater aquarium.

We took a speed boat to Laughingbird Caye, the southern most island in the central lagoon of the Belize Barrier Reef. It's one of the world's greatest scuba destinations.

This is Bertrand, our scuba instructor. And this is where my heart stops. He quickly flips through flash cards about breathing and what happens if you don't. Then we immediately strap on our gear and practice hand signals and other basics in shallow water. But I don't retain a thing he said on land! I fail the mask clearing numerous times. So Bertrand says screw it. Let's just dive. Sometimes you have to learn by doing. As soon as I went under, it was easy breezy. Kind of. Once you get the hang of breathing solely through your mouth with a strange apparatus.

We were down for 45 minutes on our first dive! We saw schools of fish and critters in conch shells and a barracuda. After lunch, we went down again. Via boat back flip! (That took some convincing). This time, reaching 70 feet when we're only supposed to go 40. We saw a lobster and a humongous ray.

Sadly, we have no underwater photos of the brilliant things we saw on the bottom of the sea. Just our memories. But we surfaced with ear to ear grins. We're officially hooked and would love to get certified. Do any of you scuba?

Once we got back to Turtle Inn, we took advantage of the complimentary massages for honeymooners. We've decided that here on out, all future trips will be honeymoons. Shhh, no one needs to know.

We hit up the oceanfront bar for pre-dinner drinks and toasted to our final evening with mini Sofia champagne.

"What should we toast to?" I asked.
He raised his can.
"To you. The best thing about me."

See why I keep him around?  :)

After a farewell breakfast with friends, we packed our bags and left for the airport. But in order for us to get there, we had to fly a tiny plane from a tiny airport. Just us and the pilot. Hal even got to sit up front! This was an adventure in itself. It was the perfect way to end a trip of a lifetime.

In the middle of the flight, we hit a stormy patch of weather. Raindrops hit the windshield and I braced myself during the turbulence. I immediately thought of JFK Jr., John Denver, Aliyah, and the long list of celebrities who died in small plane crashes. Great, this is how my life will end. On the last day of my honeymoon. But Hal gave me a reassuring hand squeeze and our pilot expertly guided us out of the dark clouds, bringing us down with the smoothest of landings.

From the little plane, we boarded the big plane. And 3 hours, a layover, and another 5 hours later, we were home.


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 12

On the morning on Belize's Independence Day, we woke up the heaviest thunderstorm I've ever experienced. It was thrilling! The rain pounded, the wind roared, and our cabana roof started to leak on my side of the bed. But I didn't even care. I actually watched the storm unfold as I showered. With floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the bathroom looked out to the private patio. It felt like I was outside, but with hot water raining down on me.

After the storm passed, we walked out to the main road to watch the local parade, which pretty much consisted of townsfolk crammed in the back of trucks dancing to music from their boomboxes. Love it. Can you believe that Belize only became an independent nation in 1981?

Afterwards, it was time for our Monkey River wildlife adventure tour. We were so happy to share it with our honeymooner friends, Jeff & Steph.

Meet Terry, our expert guide for the day. He actually grew up in the tiny Monkey River fishing village. We ate a traditional Creole lunch cooked by his mother, while his pops was sound asleep on the porch rocking chair.

It was such a beautiful ride.

After some quality river time, we parked the boat to explore the jungle.

We learned that breadfruit leaves have have a fuzzy back and they stick to any type of clothing. Terry and his friends used to play in these woods as a child. During team games, one team would cover themselves in the leaves in order to distinguish themselves from the other team. So I placed the leaf on my back and left it there for the rest of the day. My little leaf friend.

At last, we came upon a family of howler monkeys high in the trees. We heard them from the moment we entered the jungle. They make the most frigentening sounds imaginable, similar to the smoke monster from LOST. Or dying beasts with breathing problems. If I heard this sound without knowing what it was, I would have ran for my life.

I took a video so you could hear them too. Creepy, right?

On our way home, we hung out for a bit in shallow waters to try and spot a manatee. And we actually saw a few! Every once in awhile, they'd surface to breathe. Terry has eyes like a hawk.

Another day, another incredible tour in Belize. And tomorrow... possibly our favorite one yet.


To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 11

After three days in the jungle, Blancaneaux arranged for us a private transfer to Turtle Inn, Francis Ford Coppola's charming ocean resort in Placencia. Our fourth and final destination.

We got settled into our beautifully decorated Balinesisan style cabana and set off to tour the grounds.

That fancy coconut drink? I'd been waiting for one all honeymoon. Hal surprised me with it. Good hubs.

Borrowing Turtle Inn's wheels, we biked into town. Placencia is small, super quaint and 100% authentic. We really dug the non-touristy laid back island vibe.

We made it to the crooked dock and bought a few homemade coconut macaroons from Brenda's Caribbean Kitchen. As we left, Brenda shouted after us in her Creole accent, "See you 'round like a donut!" Needless to say, that became our phrase for the rest of the trip.

When we got back to the resort, we noticed that the bridge leading to the entrance was built over a pond full of turtles. I couldn't get enough of them. Aren't they the cutest little guys ever?

For dinner, not only was it Indonesian night, it was silent movie night. Score. Our entire table was filled with about 30 small plates of tasty morsels, no kidding. We stuffed ourselves silly while watching Buster Keaton on the big screen.

But this night was far from over. Lucky us, it just happened to be the eve of Belize's Independence Day. The entire village, including the Turtle Inn staff, met at the Barefoot Bar for drinks and dancing. It was pretty awesome seeing the front desk and concierge gals letting loose in normal street clothes. Apparently, we left before the party really started. But we wanted to get back - a storm was brewing overhead...

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 10

The next day, we had a tour to Caracol, the most extensive Mayan site in Belize. The adventure began with a brief visit to Rio Frio Cave, the largest cave system in Central America with a massive 65-foot entrance.

And then, the main attraction. Geronimo was our knowledgeable guide. He informed us that Caracol took 600 years to build and was only recently discovered in 1936 by lumberjacks. Situated 1600 feet above sea level with no body of water nearby, it remains a mystery how more than 150,000 people were able to survive there.

It's almost fully restored, but I was still surprised we were allowed to climb up the 135 foot pyramid of Caana (Sky Palace) where royalty lived.

The gal in pink and the guy in white were our tour buddies, Jeff and Steph, also on their honeymoon. We became fast friends.

Just when we thought we made it to the top, we were fooled. There was another plateau with an even higher structure to climb. Every generation built on top of the last.

That's a tomb. Looking in and looking out.

Kicking it with the Sun God, Kinich Ahau.

I like to take pictures of Hal taking pictures.

And finally. Finally we get to the top.

But now the fun part. Going down.

On the ground again, we came upon the ball court. I had a giggle thinking about ancient Mayans playing ball.

And then Geronimo picked up a tarantula!

It was a scorcher of a day, so on our way home, we stopped by Rio On Pools, to swim and cool off. Jeff & Steph got some great shots of us under the falls with their waterproof camera. I'll make sure to share them when I get the photos.

On September 20-21, a few days after we left Caracol, they held a huge Equinox celebration with a traditional fire ceremony performed by a native Maya shaman. 100 people gathered there to camp overnight underneath the stars and watch the rising sun over the temples. We were kicking ourselves for leaving too early. How amazing would that have been?

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 9

Our local guide, Jorge, met us in the lobby to take us on our tour to Barton Creek Cave. During the 45-minute bumpy jeep ride, rain came down in sheets. This made for an adventurous drive. But thankfully it let up as soon as we arrived.

Jorge stopped the car, pulled down an overhanging branch, and picked a few berries for us to taste. The leaves smelled so familiar, yet I couldn't place what it was. As we nibbled into them, the tips of our tongues became numb! They were from an Allspice tree.

We strapped on our spiffy blue life jackets and got cozy in the canoe. Me in front on flashlight duty, Hal in the middle on photo duty, and Jorge expertly steering from the back.

If you'd like to see more cave videos, visit our YouTube page.

Jorge told us that the cave was a spiritual place for the ancient Mayans, used mostly for ceremonies and sacrifices. It was the gateway to the underworld. If a water droplet fell from a stalactite upon your head, it was considered a blessing.

That's a skull, people. A human skull! The remains of 28 humans have been found in this cave. Most of them teenage girls.

And those are bats! It was hard to capture their detail in the photo, but there are hundreds of them all huddled together. Creepy cool. They were right overhead and I was worried one would fall on me.

About a mile in, the stalactites hung so low that we had to stop. Jorge said this is where he usually turns around, but since he liked us, he let us bend down to go a little further. And bend down we did. Our heads were between our knees. Not for the claustrophobic!

On our way out, Jorge shut down the lights so we could get a feel for how dark it really was. After a few moments, our eyes didn't adjust. That's how dark it was. Jorge stopped paddling and we were perfectly still. The blindness was powerful. All we could see was black. All we could hear were drops of water.

We slowly made our way back toward the entrance. It started with a tiny speck of light. It grew and grew until I could no longer tell what was moving, us or the light. It was breathtaking. So beautiful, I was moved to tears.

Hal and I were almost at a lost for words. I asked Jorge about something I heard in the cave. It sounded like children laughing. Perhaps up above the cave or in a nearby town. He said no, they must have been ghosts. I'm sure he was joking, but the little girl in me believed it.

We climbed back into the jeep and bounced our way back to Blancaneaux in the pouring rain. That was by far one of the coolest things we've ever done.

To be continued...

Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 8

We don't get ocean sunrises on the West Coast. So Hal and I set our alarms to rise with the sun before meeting our van transfer to Belize. And we actually woke up. That's a first and probably a last. To be honest, I think it was my first sunrise ever!

One 5-hour car ride, two tortas, a relatively painless border crossing, roadside dried plantains, a van switch, and 2-hours of bumpy off-roading later, we reached our first destination in Belize: Blancaneaux Lodge, a 20-room luxury eco-resort near San Ignacio, deep in the Maya Mountains. Francis Ford Coppola bought it while abandoned in the early 80's, fixed it up, turned it into a personal family retreat, then opened it for public in 1993.

Fun fact: Only wealthy Belizians have thatched roofs, when you'd think otherwise. That's because it takes a very skilled and knowledgable craftsman to build them. The palm fronds must be picked during the right cycle of the moon!

To ring the front desk, we used the conch shell-phone.

We were greeted by friendly faces and received a complimentary upgrade to the riverfront honeymoon suite! Complete with a heart-shaped lawn. The cabana itself was relatively small, but it felt very cozy. We could pick coconuts from our deck.

Exhausted from our early morning drive, we watched a fascinating educational presentation on the elusive jaguar (nerds!), devoured a homegrown meal at their Guatemalan restaurant, and hit the sack.

The next morning, we sipped our coffee and tea from our deck. For breakfast, they served fruit, fresh squeezed juice and a basket of fry jacks. What are fry jack, you ask? They taste like a donut. Deep fried doughy goodness.

Hal wanted to make sure we got some pool time. Here he is beach whaling again. He's the cutest.

We were dying to explore the grounds by horseback before our scheduled tour later that afternoon, but we were short on time. So we set off on foot, discovering acres upon acres of pine jungle, rivers and streams, fruit and nut orchards, organic gardens, and pristine natural beauty. Blancaneaux is truly a magical place.

To be continued...

Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 7

On fire from our ruins exploration, we decided to cool off at Gran Cenote, one of the largest underground freshwater caverns in the Riviera Maya.

We strapped on our snorkel gear and discovered an underwater wonderland.

After a delicious meal in town at El Asadero, we got back to Coqui Coqui and booked a massage to relax from the day's adventues. Above is the view from the spa. I made the mistake of requesting deep tissue. The lady literally beat me up. I had bruises for days!

We loved La Zebra so much, we went back again for salsa night! I wore my 60's orange day-glo dress that I forgot I had packed. The color really popped at dusk. We showed up late for the lesson, but watched others dance while we dined. Too shy to salsa on stage, we stole a few moments away from the crowd to shimmy in the dark. It was the perfect last evening in Tulum.

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 6

We woke up at the crack of dawn to visit the Tulum Mayan ruins. We were told to get there right when it opens to avoid the heat and the crowds. This gorgeous sunrise made us forget what time it was.

A little kitty greeted us at the entrance.

Check out the iguana admiring the view in the lower right hand corner of the photo above (click on the photo to blow it up). Since he blends into the rock, I just spotted him now! And doesn't the lone palm tree reminds you of Dr. Suess?

Tulum's ruins are the most picturesque Mayan archaeological site, perched on a cliff above the Caribbean. As recently as the 1960's, the site was accessible only by sea.

As we were leaving, the tour buses were just arriving. Getting there bright and early was the best thing we could have done. It was quiet and peaceful and almost mystical. We practically had the entire ruins to ourselves.

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 5

On our last day at Viceroy, the breakfast servers sent us off in style.

A taxi drove us to our next destination, Tulum. Our sexy ocean-front suite at Coqui Coqui took our breath away. We received a lovely welcome bag full of sweet-smelling perfumes, soaps and lotions.

The view from our balcony! Front, left and right.

Naturally, it was time for a nap. Noticing a trend?

We took a walk along the beach to explore. The sand here miraculously never gets hot. Yes, those are band-aids on the sides of my feet. This trip confirmed what I already guessed: I am the mosquito's favorite food.

We walked to Lina’s Mexican Cantina at the La Zebra for dinner. While I was munching on what could quite possibly be the best veggie tacos of my life, Hal excitedly points to the ground. It was a baby turtle! The waiter scooped him up and let us hold him. His little fins were going a mile an minute. We were told to take him to the sea. We temporarily abandoned our meal to save him and heard a commotion on the beach. Baby turtles were everywhere! There must have been hundreds attracted to the lights of the restaurant. It was so special to see a large community of people picking them up and steering them in the right direction. When we later told our story to Coqui Coqui's management, they said we were very lucky to experience the endangered sea turtle quest. It happens only a few days a year.

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 4

We were itching to hit the town and experience real Mexico outside of the Viceroy bliss bubble. So we took a cab to Playa Del Carmen. There's one long strip of shops, bars and restaurants and we sat down at the first place with a "cheap cerveza" sign. The waiter took the photo above and I'm not sure why we're laughing. But I'm pretty sure it's because he told us to say something stupid to get us to smile, like "guacamoleeeee".

I had to get my 'chos fix! In this part of Mexico, I noticed they use this particular mild white gooey cheese. I'm pretty good with cheese, but I couldn't figure out what it was and forgot to ask. We gobbled it right up. Loved those huge pickled jalapeno slices piled on top.

We walked towards the ocean. The light was beautiful out by the cruise ship dock, so we snapped a few. Are you tired of our mugs, yet? Clearly, we enjoy the self-portrait. This skill comes in handy on two-person vacations.

Back at the main strip, we searched for a restaurant to eat dinner. I spotted this place with swings around the bar. Done! As we were seated, our waiter took our photo with his camera. Before we could question why, he came back to sell us a bottle of tequila with our photo on it. We bought it because we were sucker gringos. While enjoying our burritos, an old man approached us with a guitar. Cancion de amor? Si senior.

This little man wanted to be in the mariachi band.

Since we were in the birthplace of chocolate, it was time for Ah Cacao, a chain in Mexico on every corner like Starbucks. Hal tried the super thick sipping chocolate. He couldn't get enough. And thanks to the hysterical Portlandia skit, we kept blurting out "cacao" for the rest of the night.



Our night ended with a bang. The weather had been perfect since we arrived. It averaged 85 degrees during the day, maybe 70 at night. As we were sitting at a table, the wind picked up. Fast. We noticed shop owners rushing about, moving their items inside. Strange, we thought. Rain began to fall. Fast. In a matter of seconds, it was a torrential downpour! We raced to an undercover table and witnessed our first tropical rain storm. It was hurricane season, after all. Ten minutes later, it was over. Shop owners moved their things back outside and people resumed the streets like it never even happened.

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 3

We woke up early the next day to something trampling on our roof. "What on earth is that?" I groggily asked Hal. "I think it's the monkeys", he replied. "They've been running back and forth overhead for the past hour." If it was anything other than monkeys, I would have given them a piece of my mind. But monkeys are forgivable. I imagined them playing a lively game of duck duck goose.

After a breakfast of fresh fruit and mexcian pastries, we parked ourselves on the beach to chill, read, nap, sip, dip, repeat.

Then it was time for a couple's massage. We chose the Poesia Del Mar (Poetry from the Ocean) treatment that takes place at the end of the dock. Heavenly. And the jet skiers got a nice peep show. The breeze kept blowing our towels off!

Later we migrated over to the pool. Happy man. If left to his own devices, he'd live in a pool.

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 2

We emerged from the jungle and a private palapa was set up for us on the beach.

We sat down with smiles, dug our toes in the sand, and drooled over the menu. It had our name printed right on it! Props to Chef Jetzabel Rojas, our meal was out of this world. I had the best jicama salad and chile relleno of my life. It was also the most expensive meal of my life, but you try to ignore those sorts of things on your honeymoon. The food, service, ambiance, and company were worth the price, one hundred percent.

After the meal, we took our bottle of red and moved from the table to a pair of chairs facing the surf. We sat there, not wanting the evening to end. We relived the wedding and laughed. We reflected upon each and every moment. Each and every guest. Never have we felt so much love.

It was now dark, so we walked back through the winding jungle path to find our room, but got lost along the way. We found the outdoor lobby instead, with its stunning light fixture. I took a photo. Hal took a photo of me taking a photo.

Inside our villa, was another glorious surprise. The floor was littered with flickering candles and a heart of rose petals on the bed.

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 1

Okay sunshines, here we go! Part 1 of our honeymoon journey begins in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. After getting hitched, we boarded a red-eye the very next day. To say we were exhausted would be an understatement. Since I didn't have time to pack before the wedding, I had a mini panic attack. Okay, a full on breakdown. All the stress of the prior days came out in the 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave for the airport. Poor Hal. He just married a crazy woman! Like a good husband, he calmed me down and we thankfully made our flight. I only left a few major items at home.

Once we arrived in Cancun, Hal found his name in the crowd. I've always wondered who those people are who get greeted with a sign. Cool people like us apparently.

We were shuttled to the Viceroy, welcomed with cool wet towels and milky lemongrass drinks, then escorted to our villa. It was divine. A private pool, an outdoor shower, and a hammock. What more could you ask for? Hal carried me over the threshhold. We were giddy. And sleepy. So we both passed out.

After nap time, we showered and set off to explore. Along the jungle path, we spotted our first iguana. The peaceful smell of incense led us onward. We reached the spa and were asked to face each other and close our eyes while a shaman blessed our marriage.

We meandered down the path to the beach and found a special surprise waiting for us there.

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

My Surprise Bridal Shower

Over the weekend, I thought I was going to a girls "happy hour" at my friend's house. But when I walked through the door, I nearly jumped out of my pants! My sweet bridesmaids, Kate and Tara, threw me a surprise bridal shower! I teared up when I saw the smiling faces of my mom, sis-in-law, her mom, my cousin, and a few more dear friends who all pitched in to help. Even Hal was in on the secret and strategically made me arrive late!

The theme was "Shan In Wonderland". Everyone brought me a vintage piece of china to use at the wedding. There were pom flowers hung on trees with money inside! Yummy tea party treats. Rare Polaroid cameras. A puppy in a princess costume. A dragonfly. A ladybug. My baby niece Ayana. And no bridal shower would be complete without a toilet paper wedding dress fashion show. I was the judge. Gina, shown above, clearly won.

Good work girls! You went above and beyond.Thank you again for showing me how much you care. I'm still on cloud nine from all the love. xo


{Images by: 1, 4-7, 9. Kate Perkins; 3. Evi Feltus}

Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay

From the dock at my Grandma's old house on Lake Stevens was one of the most spectacular fireworks shows we've ever seen. And they weren't even professional. Each house along the water shot off their own stand-bought fireworks. It was as if each neighbor was trying to outdo each other. We settled in our lawn chairs at the end of the dock and everywhere we looked was a new colorful explosion, the best ones right overhead. We'll never be able to view the fireworks from this spot again, since her house will be put on the market this summer. Very bittersweet.

Sasquatch Music Festival

Hello, friends. Did you have a nice weekend? We ended up going to the Sasquatch Music Festival at the last minute. My talented bestie, Melanie, is on tour with the band, Spiritualized, and we met up with her and our new favorite bass player for a lovely Seattle brunch before heading out the The Gorge Amplitheater to watch them play.

We missed a lot of great bands on Saturday and Sunday, but got to catch Feist, Silversun Pickups, Tenacious D, and best of all, my sweet Mel singing delicious gospel back-up for J. Spaceman. A powerful show!

How about you, have you seen any good live music recently?

My Brand New Baby Niece

Yesterday, May 24th, at 5:15 pm, my 8 lb 7 oz baby niece entered this world. I held her in my arms and my mom and I sang her a lullaby, the same lullaby my mother sang to me many moons ago. She's The Unnamed One for now, but I call her Swathed Bundle. She has Akiko's nose and mouth, Christopher's chin and cheeks. She cooed and yawned and I melted. I'm so in love.

Have a beautiful Memorial Day weekend, my dears. I'll see you again on Tuesday. Until then, enjoy the links...

Update! She has been named! We now call her Ayana.

The dreamiest wedding venue in Australia.

A shredder grater for music & cheese lovers.

This movie is finally out!

A Nancy Drew birthday party with sleuthing kits.

Magical glowing text art.

An awesome Miles Davis print.

The most charming Orla Kiely garden shed.

Birds from behind.

A nostalgic iPhone handset.

Steal like an artist.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Red Pants
• When I Wed...
• Planting Your Dreams

{Image by Hal}

A Sneak Peek of Our Wedding Movie

This will probably be the first of many posts about Katia, the director of our wedding movie. She's a brilliant photographer and videographer from Mexico who I've been communicating with for months over email. When we finally met and spent 2 full days together this past weekend, I discovered she's just as talented, sweet and funny in person. Plenty more on her later, but I squealed with delight when she sent over these sneak peek stills. They turned out so dreamy. I can't wait to see the first edit!


{Images by Katia Herrera}

10 Years Ago Today

Here we are. Me and my love. A full decade ago. This is one of my favorite photos of us back in the day. We're at the UCLA Jazz and Reggae Festival, about a month after we met. We look like babies. My hair was so long. His hair was so long.

Friends, I hope you don't mind, but I think I'm going take a little blog breather to celebrate. See you again manana!

And to Hal. My fiance, my best friend, and love of my life. Happy anniversary. I cannot wait to marry you. xo

Being A Bachelorette

I'm back from my bachelorette trip of a lifetime! It was everything I hoped for and more. There's something so special about having your dearest girls, from different time periods of your life, all coming together and befriending each other.

I didn't take many photos since I wanted to be fully present, so I mostly relied on everyone else to capture the memories. As soon as we compile them, I'll make sure to share a few with you.

For our big night out on the town, my incredible maid of honor gave me this beautiful masquerade mask to wear instead of the typical tiara. I felt like the Queen of Tahoe!  :)


{Image by Lauren Santiago}

More And More Snow

And more and more. The snow was supposed to turn to rain, but it kept dumping down all day today. I apologize to all you kids living in climates where snow is a common occurrence. I'm sure you could care less! :) But it's a rare and special treat here in Seattle. So I thought I'd share a few snapshots from around the house.

My Feature In Dashing Magazine

I received a heads-up tweet from Dashing Magazine that there may be a surprise for me in their latest January/February issue. I immediately clicked the link, flipped to Page 10, and squealed. My blog was featured in their Blog Lovin' section! I poured myself a cup of tea, expanded the pages to full screen, and read the rest of the magazine, cover to cover.

If you aren't familiar with Dashing, it's a brilliant new online inspiration magazine for creative gals. It was started by Charley, Fanni and Josie, three talented UK ladies with backgrounds in styling, music, and design. Their aesthetics and interests are very similar to mine, so if you're a regular reader of Happiness Is, I have no doubt you'll become a fan.

I'm flattered beyond belief to be included in such a beautiful publication. Thank you again, Dashing dolls!


{Images by Dashing Magazine}

Dinner Atop The Space Needle

Thank you all for the sweet birthday comments! I had such a lovely day. After the spa, Hal surprised me with dinner atop the Space Needle. In all my years of living in Seattle, I'd never eaten at Sky City Restaurant. The food was surprisingly delectable and the view? There's nothing like it. The restaurant rotates a full 360 degrees every hour, so you're able to see the entire city from your table.

The windows are stationary, so people were sticking post-it notes on the glass for others to read. According to the note shown above, I shared a birthday with many other patrons! Before we left, I wrote down, "you look pretty tonight" and sent it on it's way  :)

The highlight of the meal was definitely dessert. I got the Lunar Orbiter, an ice cream sundae served with a tall birthday candle and a show stopping presentation of dry ice. It has been on the menu since the World's Fair in 1962!

January 12th

If you need me, I'll be wearing my birthday suit at the spa. Ciao, my loves!


{Image of yours truly turning 3}

U:DON - The Best Noodle Shop In Seattle

My friends, today is the grand opening of a brand new Japanese noodle shop in Seattle, U:DON. And it just so happens to be owned and operated by my sister-in-law's brother, Tak Kurachi. We were invited to the soft opening on Monday to test out the dishes. It was so exciting to see his many years of planning come to fruition.

My brother, Christopher, was asked to photograph the interior murals and Hal was asked to model. So yes, on the wall there's an enormous blown up portrait of my fiance shoving udon in his face! It's awesome. I was at the photoshoot when it was taken, so I popped into the frame at the end of the session to get a few of Hal and I together. Nothing says love like noodle slurping.

If you live in the Seattle area, you must visit the restaurant! U:DON is located at 4515 University Ave, where the old Pita Pit used to be. The noodles are freshly made right in front of you. Extremely tasty and inexpensive. Here is the menu.

Please report back to me if you go. I'd love to hear about your experience there!


{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

Playing In The Leaves

Just a little teaser of my favorite day in Vancouver. More to come!


{Images by Alissa Lieppman}

Our Wizard Of Oz Costumes

We're back from seeing the Wizard! Actually, we never made it to the Wizard, because we couldn't take two steps on the yellow brick road without people wanting to take a picture with us.

Do you like our costumes? We all worked really hard of them and most everything is vintage or handmade. The funny thing is, the casting is right on. We didn't realize it until fully costumed, but each character portrays our individual personalities.

I can't even describe to you how much I love these ladies. Here's why. The day before we dressed up, we arranged a 4-part harmony version of the Wizard of Oz theme song. And a separate fully choreographed dance. Which we proceeded to sing and perform everywhere we went.

Vancouver was an absolute dream. I can't wait to share the rest of our photos with you later this week!

Our Ceremony Location

I might have given it away on my last post, but we've been able to make at least one major wedding decision. The location. We'll be getting married in my parents' backyard on the Key Peninsula of Gig Harbor, Washington. Where I grew up. They have a large rustic sprawling lawn that leads down to the Sound. The ceremony will be at the water's edge. I'm so grateful my folks agreed to host.

My dad took this beautiful image from his phone the other night. Here's another photo of the property taken from the house. You can see why the tides matter. The strip of land you see is called a spit, which creates a lagoon of sorts in front of the property. When the tide is super low, the water disappears entirely.

Thank you so much for sharing your insightful opinions with me yesterday about the date. You all made some really good points. We're still sorting things through and will hopefully decide on a day soon. I'll keep you posted!

My Love Grub Recipe

My darlings, it is high time I introduce you to one of my best besties, Tiffany Shinn. Otherwise known as Miss World. We became fast friends at USC when she joined Sirens, bonding over silly soprano lines. Since then, we've traveled Europe together, formed a book club, supported each other when the men in our lives wouldn't, and devoured more cheese than should be humanly possible.

Tiff is quickly becoming a big deal in the Los Angeles restaurant scene. She reviews hot spots from all over the country on Eat Your Heart Out L.A., a food and love blog. And she's a phenomenal writer. I challenge you to read one of her posts and not to drool on your keyboard or tear up with emotion. Each and every post artfully incorporates details of her personal life. Think Sex and the City, but with food.

She recently asked me to take part in her new series: Love Grub Recipes. Question: what special dish do Hal and I enjoy together the most? Read our not-so-surprising answer here, along with a sweet story of our relationship.

T-bird, thank you again for the heartwarming post. It is beyond words, as are you. Love you friend.

My Interview on The Daylight

My new Seattle friend, Laura of The Daylight, featured yours truly today for her Music + Style series! Would you like to see?

She interviewed me awhile ago but I had no idea she would put together such beautiful style boards. Makes sense, she's a talented artist herself. Also check out her first interview with Charity Rose Thielen from The Head And The Heart.

Thank you again, Laura! I'm flattered beyond belief!


{Image by Christopher Bachmann Photography, artistically rendered by Laura Burkhart}