Wedding Wednesday - flying solo

Hello lovelies!  I am so sorry that I've been away from the blog for over a week!  What the heck happened?  I'm working on a very pretty and inspiring design board to share with you, but it'll have to wait until next week.  Right now, I'm going to get ready to go to my first "industry" party.  I'm going to Jose Villa's book release party and I'm going all alone.

I'm scared as heck but I need to do this.  For myself, for my career.  I want to get to know the people that inspire me on a daily basis.  The people who write the blogs that are like my bible.  The people that I dream of working with one day.  I want them to know who I am and I want them to dream of working with me too.

I already feel intimidated by all of their greatness.  But I need to realize that I'm great too.  I can do this.  Here I go.

for Japan, with love

The images of devastation continue to pour in and all we can really do is send love, prayers, hope and money.  Have you donated yet?  Please DO it.  I am incredibly happy to work in an industry that cares so much.  Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged have organized an amazing charity.  You can read more about it and donate HERE.  

Have a beautiful weekend and keep sending love to the incredible people of Japan.

XO,
J

kiss me

I'm (part) Irish.  Seriously.  I am.  

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!!  Enjoy this day and celebrate safely!  

Wedding Wednesday - proposal

I love a good proposal story...heck, I even love a bad proposal story.  I just love hearing how that incredibly special moment went down in your history.  In fact, it's always one of the first questions that I ask potential clients when I meet with them.  I love to see them come alive as they share their story.  

This one recently appeared on Green Wedding Shoes and I thought it was too sweet not to share.  It had me in tears almost immediately.  This couple shares a serious love of movies, so the Groom knew he wanted to incorporate that into his proposal.  He made this short film and was able to sneak it into a film festival in Austin, where the Bride was attending what she thought was a night of independent art films with some friends.  Incredible.  

Love truly lifts us up, doesn't it?   

Proposal Video from Behind the Scenes on Vimeo.

houseguests

Guess who's here?  Only two of my most favorite people in the whole wide world.  I am seriously looking forward to a few days of Mom and Dad time.  If I'm absent from the blog...these two beauties are the reason why.

bikini brain

Thirty is coming.  And it's coming fast.  As my birthday approaches there is much talk of how to celebrate it.  Thoughts of a party and a pretty party dress.  Maybe a fabulous trip and some necessary beach time.  Hell, why not both?!

Today I've got that possible trip on the brain.  I saw this bikini today and I'm pretty sure it will need to be in my suitcase when we make this trip.

Isn't it darling?  Only I want it in this color: 

Cause this color will look GREAT with a tan!  

Also, perhaps I need this...it's like the perfect-feel good-celebrating your birthday-strolling through town with a Margarita in hand dress.  

What, you mean you can't stroll through town with alcohol?  In my birthday fantasy you can, so just pretend with me.   Can't wait to finalize the plans and start shopping!  

bathing suit is J.Crew and dress from Anthropologie 

thoughts and prayers

I have always been incredibly proud of my Japanese heritage.  Years ago, I was blessed to be able to travel through parts of Japan with my Dad, Grandma and Great Uncle.  Three generations of us, traveling to meet a family member that I had only heard stories of.  It was an amazing trip and made me even more proud to call myself Japanese.

The people of Japan are proud, beautiful, honorable, brave and steeped in tradition.  My heart is breaking today for them, for all of us since we are all connected somehow.  They need our help, in the form of thoughts, prayers or donations.  It's one of those times where we need to come together as humans and help lift each other up.

Let it also be a reminder for you to really enjoy your life.  It's undeniably precious and it's too bad it often takes a disaster like this to wake us up to that.  Tell your loved ones how you feel and tell them often.  Hold no regrets or grudges.  BE well and BE happy.

XO,
J

Wedding Wednesday - darling program

One of  my current Brides recently sent me this picture of what is possibly the most adorable wedding program I've ever seen.  I am giddy about it and just had to share it with you!  

{image by: Paulina Ulloa}

It's fun, quirky and you get such a playful sense from the Bride and Groom.  Really sets the tone for what I'm sure was a fun and relaxed wedding.  

It's very DIY-able too!  If you are computer savvy, you could design this yourself and print it from home.  Or you could have your paper goods vendor make them for you.  

Kudos to this couple for letting their personalities shine!  

To see the entire wedding click HERE.  

closing

On Friday, I found out some really devastating news.  My favorite local book store is closing its doors.  It makes me beyond sad.  

I have had a long love affair with Borders Book Stores.  I believe it all began many years ago during college when my best friend and I would go there to "study" and end up with piles of magazines, cups of coffee and hours of conversation on our table instead.  

I know it's just a sign of the times, but I am going to miss it so much.  It's my escape.  I love walking through the aisles gathering books in my arms, dreaming of reading them all.  And I still love going there and sitting with more magazines than I could read through in a day.  I go there to work, I go there when I'm sad, I go there when I'm happy.  Like I said, it's my escape.  

I know there are other bookstores where I can now go, but this was my store.  It's been my store for six years...and now it's going away.  And that is sad.  

GO out and buy a book today and support your local bookstore so they don't all close in this e-reader happy society.  Savor the goodness of digging through the aisles of information and being surrounded by stories that have been around longer than any of us.  

I'll miss you Borders!  Thanks for all the wonderful magazine-reading, wedding-planning, vacation-researching, card-buying, coffee-drinking, novel-shopping afternoons that we've had together.  

chik'n

What are you doing next Sunday night?  I'll tell you what you're doing.  You're going to Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena for All You Can Eat Fried Chicken.  I know what you're thinking...all you can eat fried chicken?  Sounds good but not really date night worthy.  Here's the thing though, Vertical Wine Bistro is a nice, chic restaurant and the way they present this all you can eat masterpiece will make you feel like you are having fine dining fried chicken.  I almost felt bad licking my fingers...almost.

It's a prix fixe three course menu and it is really delicious.  It happens every Sunday night in March and I highly recommend it.  So if you live in LA, do yourself a favor and GO!

Here's a tip:  It's ALL - all you can eat.  Even the side dishes.  I'm kind of glad I didn't know this before the end of the meal otherwise I might have only eaten the collard greens and jalapeno cornbread all night long.  Seriously get lots of the cornbread.

Yum.

baby bug

I've got the baby bug.  No, this is NOT a post to tell you all that I'm expecting.  Far from it, in fact.  But I'm pretty sure that the baby bug has bitten me.  Maybe it's because I've got a large number of friends who are having babies this summer, maybe it's because I'm planning one hell of a baby shower for a very special friend and business partner.  Or maybe it's just because.  Anyway, today I'm sharing some of my baby bug favorites.  They are random...so consider yourself warned.

{Adam was recently asked to be this little angel's Godfather, we are both very excited about this huge honor}  

{THIS is likely one of my most favorite newborn sessions that I've ever seen.  shot by Pure Light Studio}

{Photographer Carolee Beckham is pregnant and documenting it in the most creative and wonderful way. She photographs her baby bump with the fruit that represents the size of the baby each week.  I am LOVING this and her super sweet dresses make me love it even more.}  

{Lastly, did you see Modern Family last night?  "Adoption...yay!"  See the clip HERE.} 

Adam and I are in for quite a journey whenever we decide it's time to grow this little family of ours.  I'll be sure to document it as we go.  We've got some preliminary research to do before we make any decisions, but I know we are on the path.  It's cause we've been bitten...by the baby bug!  

Best wishes to all my friends who are pregnant right now, I hope you are enjoying this very special and precious time in your life.  And I can't wait to meet your little ones!  

giveaway winner

Thank you to those of you who entered the notecard giveaway!  Thank you for wanting to keep the art of the written note alive.  The winner is....

Random.org has selected SIRI as the winner of these adorable notecards!  Yay for Siri, and she says she never wins anything.  Have fun writing notes and spreading gumdrop cheer!  

giveaway

Goody Goody Gumdrops!  It's the first Go. Be. Do. giveaway!  

This giveaway is to inspire the art of the written letter, snail mail and a notecard that makes you do a little dance at the mailbox.  These bright, cheerful and playful notecards were made by yours truly!  And I'd love to give them away to a reader.  It is a set of four notecards, all four feature the same design with a different embossed phrase and a cheerful gumdrop lined envelope. 

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is be a follower of this blog and leave a comment.  The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.  

The winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, March 3rd at 3 pm.  

Good Luck!  And happy notecard writing!