To keep me cozy and warm

If I could afford it, I would sooooo rock this:

Etsy seller: englishdept

or maybe this:

Etsy seller: Rohm

These are more my price range:

Etsy seller: maryandangelika

Etsy seller: maryandangelika

Looking for something with more funk?!

Esty seller: frenchsugarvintage

I wish I could knit!

Etsy seller: filofashion

Etsy seller: bonzie

But I after seeing Mrs. Shortcake's and Miss Glitter's posts about cardigans, I think I might follow suit and rock a cardigan to keep me cozy and warm in the evening.

source

Now, a hunt for a cardigan...

SF looking for SM...with kids.

I am pretty much the last of my friends to have a child. It's quite interesting actually, about 95% of my non-married friends have kids, but only about 30% of my married friends have kids. That being said, I've seen my friends with kids go through lots of drama. Drama with their baby's daddy (whether they are still the boyfriend, or now the ex), drama with the court, drama with the now boyfriend, drama with the ex's new girlfriend....

As their friend, sometimes they call me to vent or ask advice. And I have to admit; sometimes I have a hard time sympathizing with them, because technically in my relationship, I am the "other" woman. Now, before I confuse you, I did not know Mr. Mek when he was dating his ex, (we'll call her "A"). I didn't come into the picture till about 3 months after they had broken up. Mr. Mek and A were young when they had Lil' B. By the time I met Mr. Mek, he was 22 and Lil' B had just turned 1. I was the first (and only) girl he seriously dated after his relationship ended with A, so it was really hard for both of them to adjust to each other being back in the dating scene and coming to the realization that their relationship wasn't going to work and that they weren’t going to be the "traditional" family.

A and I have a decent relationship. I wouldn't call her my friend. I've never, ever hung out with her, but I wouldn't be opposed to it. We're always very polite to each other. I've even bought and made her mothers day and Christmas gifts (always from Lil' B, of course). But it definitely wasn't always this way. The first year Mr. Mek and I were together was hard for her. I can totally understand where she is coming from; I'm the new girl that's around her son and I think deep down she was afraid of her son calling me mom. Something I would never let happen. I love Lil' B, but I would never try to take the place of his mom, he already has one. On the weekends that Mr. Mek would have Lil' B, she would go out with her friends, like any other 22/23 year old would, and drunkenly call him at 2, 3, 4 in the morning. This I found very disrespectful. Not only to me, but to herself and her son. Did she really expect Mr. Mek to put his one year old son in a car at 3 am to pick up his drunken mother? Where were her friends? Thankfully 3 years later, we've gotten past all the drama and have started to become a family. All of us. I hope that one day we'll all feel comfortable enough to maybe even take vacations together. A pipe dream? Maybe.

While I might not know first hand, I can imagine that being a parent, especially a single parent, is difficult, but what I think most people forget (or don't even consider) is how hard it is to be the one dating a single parent. Just about every fight, every issue, decision, every situation your significant other has with the mother (or father) of his child effects you too, yet you have no say, because...well...he's not your kid. He might not be my son, but I've spent time, money, rearranged my schedule for him. And while I'm totally okay and happy to do all this, it's sometimes hard to hear my friends complain about their baby's daddy's girlfriend, because I am that girl.

People give credit to single parents, no credit is given to those dating the single parents. Am I asking for you to tell me "good job"? No, I just wanted to spread awareness that the girlfriend of your baby's daddy isn't out to make your life hell and that we don't always have it easy either so please refrain from causing any unnecessary drama just because you can. It's not needed and really not realistic that your ex won't date till your kid is 18. Give her a chance and trust that your significant other is not going to intentionally danger your child or choose to date someone without your child in mind.

Save your Gocco Screens.

Somewhere I had heard a rumor that you can save your already burned Gocco screens in case you wanted to print the same design on a different day. Well, I put this rumor to the test and succeeded! Remember my return addy I printed on my invitations? I just didn't feel right tossing the screen in the trash when I was done, so instead I wrapped the screen in saran wrap and stuck it in the freezer. I was too lazy to clean the screen, so I didn't I wrapped it up and stuck in the freezer, paint and all.



Six weeks later, I pulled the screen out of the freezer, let it defrost for about an hour or two, then started printing away. It worked with no issues at all!

Worked like a charm!

Now I have envelopes for thank you cards already pre-printed with our return addy. I didn't even have to add any ink. How's that for recycling!

Wedding Guilt

While I've actually enjoyed planning a destination wedding, there are a few things that has me feeling guilty and it's all because we're having a destination wedding.

Unfortunately, majority of Mr. Mek's family and friends will not be able to make our wedding. Besides the undeniable cost, some of his family have been dealing with health issues or have military obligations, which prevents them from being able to attend. There are a few happy reasons why some can't attend; his brother and his best friend are both planning a wedding of their own, both to take place this summer. Out of the 19 guests who will be in attendance to our wedding, only one of them is a guest of Mr. Meks. His mom. While Mr. Mek is totally fine with this and really could care less how many of his family and friends are able or not able to make it, I can't help but feel a lil' guilty about it. Even worse, we weren't able to bring his 4 year old son to Hawaii with us. This I feel the worst about. Again, Mr. Mek is cool, calm and collected about the situation. I just feel bad that my bestest's lil' girl is going to be our flower girl and it would've been sooooo adorable to have Lil' B be in the wedding to, but alas, he won't be able to attend. I feel horrible that Lil' B won't be able to participate in his dad's wedding day.

I can't be the only one. What are your wedding day guilt's?

Mr. Mek, The Shoe Pimp

Mr. Mek is a shoe fan. A Nike shoe fan. If I'm a shoe whore, then he's a shoe pimp.

Mr. Mek can be very picky when it comes to his shoes and clothes. Which made picking out an outfit for him to wear on our wedding day very difficult, but in the end you can definitely see his style in his "groom wear". I suggested that he rock some nice loafers like Mr. Sea Breeze, but he wasn't having it (I tried). Nope, he went the Nike sneaks route and who am I to tell him what to wear? It's not like he had the option of picking out my shoes. So, we went the custom route and he "designed" his own wedding shoes.

source

The whole process is actually pretty easy. You just pick the shoe style you want, then you can click on certain parts of the shoe and change the color. You can even personalize the shoe with your name or slogan, if you like. Orders take up to 4 weeks for delivery; Mr. Mek got his in 2 weeks! These could also be great gifts for your groomsmen. What guy wouldn't like a pair of personalized, customized Nike sneakers?!

Instead of having the Nike brand name on the back of the shoes, we could have put any name in it's place.

The best part is, I can sooo see him wearing these again and again after wedding day.

How is your fiance relfecting his personality and style on your wedding day?

Luau "Reception"

Not sure if you noticed or not, but I've never posted about any reception details. Mainly because I don't have any reception details to blog about. In lieu of a traditional reception, we're taking our guests to a luau for dinner instead. This means no hiring of a DJ, no linens, no centerpieces, no caterer, no menus, no cake, which equals no stress. Instead, we're paying a flat fee per guest for a delicious Hawaiian menu, drinks and fabulous hula dancers as entertainment.

source

This also means eating with random people (other guests at the luau), no first dance, no father/daughter dance and no cake cutting. I'm alright with this. I actually am looking forward to a laid back dinner with family and friends, no pressure, no spotlight attention (other than the fact that I will, most likely, be the only one at the luau wearing a wedding dress), no stresses with vendors.

Yum...I mean source

Anyone else having a restaurant dinner instead of a traditional reception?

Bring on the cameras and aloha shirts...I'm a tourist!

I'm in limbo with our planning right now while waiting for our RSVPs to make it back to us (that's a hint for our family and friends!!). And since a few of our guests have called with some inquiries, I thought I would list a few of my favorite "touristy" things to do on Oahu.

source

1. Spend a FULL day in Waikiki. Some suggestions of what to do in Waikiki are:

• Take a surfing lesson on Waikiki Beach.
• Visit the International Marketplace. There are tons of little shops that sell jewelry and souvenirs.
• Learn to play the ukulele with free lessons at The Ukulele Hut!
• Later that evening head to Dukes or Mai Tai (at Ala Moana Mall) for some chill music and drinks or enjoy some of Waikiki's nightlife.

2. See Hawaii's state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapuaa, up close at the Waikiki Aquarium.

3. Hit up Kailua Beach. Rent kayaks and paddle out to the popular Moku Lua Islands. Bring your lunch and a cooler of drinks! You can spend the day on the small island, snorkeling, swimming, jumping off cliffs, and relaxing.

4. Take the scenic route to the North Shore. Settle in for a nice hour-long drive with some beautiful scenery and great places to stop; Macadamia Nut farms, Kualoa Beach Park, and don't forget the infamous Giovanni's Original White Shrimp Truck. This fabled coast is legendary for its perfect winter waves and professional surf competitions. When the waves are tamer during the summer, the beaches offer peaceful places to swim and sunbathe. Some nice beaches to stop at: Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay (There is a huge rock you can jump off of - if you are brave enough!), Shark's Cove (Bring your snorkeling gear for some fun!), Lani's (It's a turtle preserve! You can get up close to giant turtles on the beach or swim with them!).

Waimea Bay - source

5. Spend a day exploring Pearl Harbor. View the moving exhibits at the USS Arizona Memorial and explore the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, and the new Pacific Aviation Museum. Admission is free for the USS Arizona Memorial, but get there early and expect long lines.

6. Stop by the Aloha Stadium to pick up all your Hawaii souvenirs at the swap meet; every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday morning.

7. Sample a fresh cut, sweet pineapple and get lost in Dole Plantation’s 1.7 mile garden maze.

source

8. Take a guided tour of Iolani Palace, the only Royal Palace on U.S. soil, it was the official residence of the Hawaiian last two monarchs: King Kalakaua and Queen Lili'uokalani, then cross the street to view the King Kamehameha I statue.

source

9. Watch acrobatic dolphins and clever penguins (yes, penguins) at Sea Life Park. You can feed dolphins, turtles and get up close to so many different kinds of animals.

10. See seven authentically recreated South Pacific islands at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Note that if you take the scenic drive to the North Shore, this is on the way. Some packages end with a luau!

11. Check out one of the most peaceful locations on Oahu, the Valley of the Temples. The beautiful Byodo-in Buddhist Temple (and where our ceremony will take place!), which located within the Valley of the Temples, is a replica of the 900-year-old Byodo-In located in Uji, Japan.

12. Snorkel at Hanauma Bay Natural Preserve.

13. Attend a Luau! We recommend either Paradise Cove or Germaine's Luau.

source

14. Hike to the top of Diamond Head (Leahi) Crater for a postcard view of Waikiki Beach.

15. Go swimming with the sharks! (I soooo wanna do this!)

source

16. Surf the wave pool at the 29 acre Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. This is a really fun place for kids.

17. Stop at Nuuanu Pali Lookout to see the breathtaking view of the lush green Koolau mountains.

18. Marvel at the world’s finest collection of arts in the Pacific at the Bishop Museum.

19. Check out local art near Chinatown on “First Friday ” art walk event held every first Friday of the month.

20. Go Hiking! The island if filled with good hiking trails. Check out Moana Falls, Kapena Falls and Pali Trail, there are also a few good "hidden" trails.

If you're trying to do as much as you can in Hawaii in the shortest amount of time, I would combine some of the attractions. Some suggestions:

Day One: Hike Diamond Head, afterwards cool off by snorkeling at Hanauma Bay.

Day Two: Hit up the swap meet first thing in the morning and follow it by spending the rest of the day at Pearl Harbor.

Day Three: Head to North Shore to check out the beaches. On the way home stop by the Dole Plantation for a sample of pineapple.

Day Four: Spend the day experiencing native villages at the Polynesian Culture Center. Make sure you feast on their authentic luau dinner!

Day Five: Spend the day in Waikiki; see at top of post for suggestions.

Sales!

Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale is going on right now (in stores till January 12th) and if you're looking for some great threads to wear on your wedding day, now is the time to check it out! Once upon a time, I worked for Vickis. While every store will be stocked with different sale items, they do receive new shipments every week, so their stock of sale items might be different week to week. I stopped in at my local Vickis last week and was surprised to see the abundance of "bridal" undies they had! Most of these were on sale for $5.99, rather than the original price of $14-$16. I, myself, scored a pair of undies with the ruffles (second photo). :o)

source

Don't forget to check out Victoria's Secrets's website for cute dresses to wear on your honeymoon, or maybe even bridesmaid dresses for the "unbride". They also have some swim wear on sale if your going somewhere tropical after your wedding.

source

Bath and Body Works (who is corporately linked to Victoria's Secret) Semi Annual Sale is going on too, which could be a great place to pick up favors for your shower or gifts for your wedding attendants. Like this lil' kit, $10 (originally $30).

source

Have you been taking advantage of the after Holiday sales for your wedding or honeymoon? What sale suggestions do you have?

I am a photo whore: Part II

Our second engagement shoot was in New York City, by J'adore Love Photography, whom I found on the weddingbee classifieds. You bees should really take advantage of all the bee resources! Efrain and Jennifer from J'adore Love Photography are sooo cute; seriously they should be in front of the camera rather than behind it! We meet them in Times Square, where we shot there, Bryant Park and just outside the New York public library. It was very cold out, which made it difficult to find "cute" outfits and still keep warm. We did the best that we could do considering the weather.

A few of our favorites:

"Look hun, a bird."

I stop in the middle of the road to kiss ALL the time. :)

Peek-a-boo

I love hip hop, he is hip hop..all in all, I love him.

All Photography by J'adore Love Photography

I am a photo whore.

I am a photo whore.
I've never claimed to be much of a writer, which is why my posts are usually filled with photos and commentary rather than excellent writing. I loooove photography. Usually I am the one behind a camera rather than in front of it. But that's not what this post is about. I am a photo whore, in the sense that I had the opportunity for not just one engagement shoot, but two. From two different photographers in two different states. Yes, I am a photo whore.


Mr. Mek and I's first shoot was with Michelle from Redheaded Ninja. Can you believe I found her on Craigslist?! We met with her at Hershey Park to do our shoot. She has an amazing amount of energy. Seeing her excited about shooting made us excited to pose for her. Here are some of our favs:

The lil' one is Mr. Mek's 4 year old son. We'll call him Lil' B. He's a rockstar.

The two towers in the background are part of the Hershey Chocolate Factory.

The Dry Gulch train, is Lil' B's favorite ride. This photo is so candid; I like how Mr. Mek and I are both looking at Lil' B and that his hands are on both our laps.

Kissing on the Kissing Tower

This photo is just too cute for words. hehe.


My Fav.

Michelle survived the flying skee ball that Lil' B unintentionally almost threw at her head. Opps.

Trying to sneak a smooch on a moving carousel...not so easy.

If you look very closely you can see Lil' B playing between us.

All Photos by Redheaded Ninja check out her blog!