So, I'm married now. whew! All the planning and stressing came together in one beautiful day at the beach. Honestly, it couldn't have been any better. I'll have to share all the details later, but for now, I wanted to share the same-day edit preview video that our videographer put together for us. You'll find it on their blog, here:
http://charleslaurenfilms.blogspot.com/2008/05/may-17-2008-same-day-edit.html
I have a LOT of scrapbook, art & craft stuff that I am getting rid of... I would prefer to donate the items to someplace where they will be used, rather than just going through goodwill. Does anyone know of anyone who might need some stuff like this? (Schools, group homes, foster homes, shelters, etc...)
Most things are gently used... but some are brand new.
Some examples of things I am getting rid of:
1. scrapbooking related magazines
2. paper
3. stickers
4. embellishments
5. stamps
Please let me know if you or someone you know is interested.
These are the words that Tony and I heard repeatedly yesterday. We were having "engagement photos" taken, which, after being engaged for so long already, was really more of an excuse to just get dressed up and have AWESOME pictures taken of the two of us.
It was a fun, but nerve-wracking day. Busy, busy, busy... I began the day with getting my hair styled by Sefe, at the Cartel Salon. I've been going to her for years now, and love what she can do. She made me look like me, but a bit more edgy. I LOVED it! (and Tony loved it, too...)
Then I headed to meet my wedding makeup artist, Berit. I had scheduled my makeup trial on the same day as the photo shoot, so that my face would be "photo-ready." Berit was simply amazing!!! She made me look HOT! She asked very poignant questions to help her out; things I wouldn't have thought of. She did fantastic things with my face...one of my complaints is that I usually end up looking much heavier than I actually am in photos, so she did a few tricks to define my face and jawline a lot more. I could definitely see a big difference, even in the "practice photos" in her studio. She even took the time to change my makeup a bit before I headed out for the day, making it more appropriate to a sunny outdoor shoot (rather than a fancy wedding look).
I left her studio at 2:00 and headed to the Irvine Spectrum, meeting up with Tony in the parking lot. We hurriedly changed into our first outfit (in our cars), and then had 5 minutes to scarf down some lunch before meeting up with out photographer, Katie, of Red Loft Studios.
She is awesome!!! I cannot stress this enough! She made us feel totally comfortable (or, as comfortable as a person can be when standing in the middle of a crowded shopping area, kissing and posing for photos). Neither Tony or myself are the "model" type...so as soon as the camera came into play, we were very aware that it was there and didn't quite know what to do with ourselves. Katie made us feel at ease, giving us a bit more direction than she might have had to use with others... and I swear we kissed more in this day than we had since we first started dating (no worries, though...Katie said that she hears that a lot). It was a bit weird at first, especially for Tony, who isn't a PDA person at all (PDA: public display of affection). It's extremely uncomfortable for him to be the center of attention OR to kiss in public...so, putting those things together, it took a while for him to relax a bit.
We started our photo shoot at the Irvine Spectrum, since it's one of our usual hangouts (and it doesn't hurt that it's got some fabulous fountains and architecture, either...and add the fact that we met there and BAM!...instant photo-ops). Funny how Tony and I spend a lot of time there, but never really noticed some things that Katie picked up on right away. I LOVE her artistic eye! She found various doorways and tile walls, etc., playing with patterns and light and shadows. Awesome!
We even got a few pics taken inside of Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Red Robin, and Champps (where we met and got engaged). Then we piled into my car (quite literally) and headed off toward Laguna Beach to continue. Once changed into our second outfits, we wandered the streets of Laguna. Again, it was awesome to see the creative sparks that Katie has... she led the way as we found various windows, walls, benches and other things to use as backdrops to our photos. One more quick "costume" change, and then it was onto the beach. Sigh...the sand felt wonderful on my bare toes after having been in heels all day... and we were able to finish with some amazing sunset pictures on the beach.
The photos came out absolutely gorgeous!!! Click here to go to Katie's blog posting of our photo shoot... http://saycheese.redloftstudios.com/2008/04/14/michelle-tonys-modern-love-story/ or just click on my photo album entitled "engagement photos" in the sidebar of this blog to see them here.
there has been a LOT going on in my life lately...some of it revolving around the wedding, and other stuff even more important. so, my blog is being neglected. i apologize to those 3 (or fewer) readers who might be following my life on this page. i will add spurts of info here and there, but promise to re-vamp the thing in a few months' time. don't give up on me quite yet...
okay, this is a big thing for me. (and I know i'm a dork, so whatever...)I headed over to Macy*s on my lunch break, still needing to find some halfway decent (sexy but comfy) shoes for Vegas nights.I found these and, out of desperation (and a bit of curiousity) thought I'd try them on... and they fit like a dream! made my boat feet and ugly toes look sexy as hell... and even though they are skinny heels (gasp) I had absolutely NO wobble issues. They are totally stable (though we'll see how i fare after a few drinkie-poos...)And to top it all off, they were on SALE!!! (I LOVE that word.) They were originally about $89, marked down to $50-something, and with a coupon I had, it brought it down to $45. woo-hoo!!!Here are the shoes... they're Anne Klein.I can't WAIT for vegas!!!
Wanting a few special items to wear on my honeymoon and not being able to find exactly what I was looking for, I decided to come up with a few of my own. (Actually, to be honest, the ideas were mine but Tony did most of the artwork for me, so I have him to thank for that...)
Not only did I want to wear something to proclaim my new wedded status for the heck of it, but also because I have heard that it helps to let people know that you are on your honeymoon, to get some special perks... and especially since we're going to Walt Disney World... I've hear they treat you extra special!!!
The above is a heart design that says "Just Married." Shown here on a raglan hoodie that will be the light jacket I use while on my honeymoon.
Above: on the left is a jersey t-shirt with the words "Just Married" and a floral/butterfly design. And on the right is simply a white tank top with the word "newlywed."
So, there are 3 new designs in my cafepress shop, available on a variety of items (mroe than what is just shown here). And while they were designed with my own personal intentions in mind, they are also available for sale if anyone is interested... www.cafepress.com/chelbug.
I have 2 brand new items for sale in my etsy store (www.chelbug.etsy.com). I have started to create my own jewelry; here are my first two offerings.
The above is a 7" brown faux leather bracelet with pink beads and a toggle closure that reads "life is good" when closed.
The charm on the above necklace is reversible...the words "balance" are engraved on one side and on the other side is a 3-d design. Green bead is for accent. Includes a 19" brown faux leather cord with lobster clasp.
Stay tuned for more offerings soon...
