Guess What We did yesterday?

Image from here!

Ok, we did open a joint account, but not that type of joint! FH and I now have a "joint BANK account"! There is no turning back now! Ahhhhhh!!!!

Making room in my budget

for this:


Yes sir-ee Bob, I found me a live event artist thanks to this post I did last week. Heidi @Heidzillas commented saying one of her brides was doing this for her wedding. I emailed her back instantly asking for more info. I didn't even know where to begin in searching for someone with this type of talent... And Luckily for me, Heidi's bride, Tara didn't mind sharing. In fact she wrote me this email with all of her live event artist's info and how she found her. And although Tara's getting married in Cleveland, Ohio... lucky for me, her live event artist is actually from Orange County, CA. And Who's getting married in the OC? ME!!!!!!!!

So i contacted Karen @Karen Wall Garrison who is a custom fine artist/muralist/live event artist just to appease my curiosity. I really didn't think I could afford this and didn't know where to cut corners to try to make this work. After a few email's back and forth, I decided having this would be worth it, and surprisingly, her rates are VERY affordable.

Here are a few more examples of her work below... and you will notice, she is the newest addition to sponsor my site. Ladies... negotiate away. I was able to wrangle a discount by bartering services with her. We all know how powerful the blogosphere could be, and Karen who is amazingly talented will also find out that blog referrals are the best and plentiful.

So visit her blog, or her site and check out her amazing work. I can't wait to memorialize our wedding with this once in a lifetime chance to get it on canvas!





All images are from Karen's website and used with her permission!

Now the real question is: Do i have her paint our ceremony or part of our reception? What would you do?

Sony@ Bridal Bliss has gifted me this award:



So, with any tag or award, it comes with a few strings...
The Rules
1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design
2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap." Well, there's no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon :)
3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself

Ready, Set, GO!

10 Honest, but random things about Sony Bliss
1. I am average at most anything but excel at nothing
2. I have a BA/MA in international studies/relations focusing on East Asia
3. I learned many instruments while growing up, but excelled at none - piano, violin, clarinet and flute
4. I was a figure skater
5. I took German for 4 years and Japanese for 1.5 years and was taught Greek in second grade but remember nothing
6. I get motion sick on almost anything else but an airplane or boat.
7. My mom is my hero
8. I love my future in-laws
9. I am an aquarian to a T, a snake by the sun calendar and a dragon by the lunar calendar
10. I'm really excited that the Disney Family channel is coming out wit Au Pair 3

And ... let's see, i need to name 7 people...

1 GlobeTrotting Bride, Introverted Wife, It's a jamie Thing, Wedding Warrior, Broke Ass Bride, My Dream Ring, Budget Savvy Bride.

PS. don't forget to vote for the Broke Ass Bride... check out her blog for more info! You have until today to vote!

Lemon Inspiration

My lovely Wedding Coordinator, Paola turned me onto this...

All images from Here!

I love the fruitwood chiavaris against the yellow... even though i'm going for a softer yellow, this lemon yellow is beautiful! especially against the brownish red tone from the chair. Whaddya think? Have you seen any color schemes similar to what you wanted but brighter or softer in tone and loved it? Hated it?

The Letter B

I was assigned the letter "B" by Katy@ Tripping down the Aisle... to name 10 things I love that start with "B"!

1. Basketball...

{Image Source}

2. Bike... as in a Motorbike, but not a crotch rocket... I love Cruisers, like this one!

{Image Source}

3. Baseball

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4. Beer

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5. Bags... I love handbags...Any kind all kinds every kind

6. Blogging... 'nuff said, and y'all know you are too!

7. Books - i love reading fiction, Bridget Jones-esque type books. I also love historical fiction ... and non fiction, but i love to lose myself in some fun fiction lately

8. Brother ... well my brother is like one of my closest friends. He's always supportive... always understand and never judgmental... i couldn't be a luckier sister, even though he did run me over with a car when i was a toddler! Isn't he cute as toddler, with his doll and his guns ?


9. Beach - a pic of mom, me and FH at Huntington Beach



10. And finally... Boys... I love my boys!

Let's Rally and Help her out!

Only a few days left to rally and help her out! She really REALLY needs your votes! Take the two minutes it takes to help her out! :)

Y'all know i'm a diligent follower of many great blogs out there... and of course one of our fave's in the blogosphere is The Broke-Ass Bride. Not only is she full of great ideas, inspirational stories and fun, entertaining blurps from her own personal life... but she has been pretty loyal as a reader and supporter of many of our blogs... So let's all rally and help her out...and by helping her, you're helping her goals to have a GREEN wedding!!!

From the Broke-Ass Bride Blog

"Hunter and I have been chosen as finalists in a green wedding contest, hosted by Trees Instead! If we win first prize we get a free honeymoon to Costa Rica (!), but the top 5 finalists also win awesome, environmentally responsible prizes such as carbon offsets and trees planted for each guest!
Please take a moment to vote for us, it would mean the world to us if we could win. The easiest way to do so is via their website but one needs the following answers to enter in the form:

Here's today's answers to the questions - you can fill them in and submit the form by clicking here
Name: Dana LaRue & Hunter Stiebel
Date: 5/24/09
Title of the Baptism Page?: A Tree to Honor a Baptism
How much is the value of the amex gift card on the Love story giveaway?: $250
Where are trees planted for a Bar / Bat Mitzvah?: Moshav Nehalim, Israel
Complete this based on title on our memorial trees page "Complete this based on title on our memorial trees page"THE FAMILY RECEIVES AN ELEGANT......CONDOLENCE": Tree

I'm a Lady...

Rachel @ Girl Learning along the way and Melissa@ M&M Weddings and Jess @Project: Wedding, and Katy @Tripping Down the Aisle tagged me with a new questionnaire, one I haven't seen before! Here are the rules:

THE RULES:
Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people will be tagged.

So, here we go!

Make a list of things you can see without getting up:tv, mirror, dresser, pillows, blanket, cell phone

What were you like when you were five? shy and i played with babies.

What are you wearing now? Jeans and FH's sweatshirt

What color is your bedroom? cream walls, light blue with dark brown window treatments, and duvet.

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? Real Simple Weddings

Do you nap a lot? I wish

Who was the last person you hugged? FH

What’s your current fandom/obsession/addiction? blogging, eating, and anything wedding related

What was the last thing you ate today? Margarita Pizza from Cosi

What was the last thing you said aloud? I don't know what number i put

What websites do you always visit when you go online? yahoo mail, gmail, sitemeter, blogger, facebook, twitter

What was the last thing you bought? booked a room for Puerto Vallarta

What are you listening to right now? PTI

What movie are (or were!) you most excited to show your kids? Little Mermaid

If you could have any super power, what would it be? to heal people/animals/dogs!

What is your favorite weather, and why? Snow!!!!!!!!!

What time do you usually get up? 5:00AM

What is your most challenging goal right now? Debt, staying positive, loving unlovable people

Say something to the person who tagged you: Rachel... I love that i got to join you on your journey...from fiance to bride to wife! I love your blog, and i continue to read it b/c you are fun and inspiring! :)

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? San Luis Obispo... near the coast, farmland...

Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere with water!

What is your favorite children’s book? Guess How much I love you by Sam McBratney.

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: cheese

If you could meet anyone famous - dead or alive - who would it be? Abraham Lincoln - we do have the same birthday :)

I tag the following:

Tenille, Keonte, Katie@Indecisive Bride, Heidi@Truly Engaging, Melissa@ M&M Wedding (I tagged her before i saw she tagged me LOL), Sarah@I'm over it!

Don't be a Bridezilla...

I added the badge! So should you!!!

**********
At Weddzilla.com we give you the tools to stay calm and keep the "Bridezilla" in all of you away!

Show off the fact that you aren't a "Bridezilla" by adding the image below to your Facebook, MySpace, or Blog sites! If you are a Bride or Vendor that is signed up on Weddzilla.com already you can earn $5 bucks to use towards anything on our site for displaying this logo proudly! Please link it to www.Weddzilla.com if you can!

Once you have it displayed send us a note by clicking on the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any page on Weddzilla.com. Let us know where you posted it (include a link) and we will put the cash in your account!

Instructions on how to get this image on your page:

Downloading the image

1. Right click and select "Save Image As"
2. Save it to a spot you'll remember
3. Go to the place you want to put it up & upload!

Linking to the image

1. Rick click on the image and select "Copy Link Location"
2. Paste URL into any site that allows you to upload an image by location

Limited Edition!

Julianne Smith has a 2 new lines of garters out and they are super classy, chic and uber cool, so i had to share... and they are a limited edition! So make sure to check them out very soon!!





Be sure to check out her site and her blog...she's got many more styles that are not part of the limited edition, so make sure to click on over there!

Happy Lunar New Year ! :)

According to Chinese Lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year Day is the new moon day of the first lunar month. The Chinese New Year day is on January 26, 2009. This day is a new moon day, it is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system.

Fun Fact Trivia: although today is Lunar New Years, the new animal year does not start until next week:

In China's time zone, the first day of the Brow Cow Year is February 4th, 2009, because February 4th, 2009 is the first day of Tiger month and the Tiger month is the first month of the year in Chinese Fortune-Telling Calendar system.

In the Chinese Fortune-Telling calendar, the first day of the first month, Tiger month, is called "Start of Spring", which is when the sun enters the 315th degree on the tropical zodiac. In the China's time zone, the time of the Start of Spring is at Feb-04 00:49. So the first day of the Brown Cow year 2009 is on 04-Feb-09.

All Info Source/Image

Let there be Light! {Part 2}

So after exploring Lighting in the most basic sense, i need to figure out what I want!

Here is a picture of the inside of "THE" Venue:



As you can see, the inside is pretty blank... and by blank i mean, there's a lot that can be done to the room... The wood floors are awesome b/c we spare ourselves the expense of a dance floor! There's big windows and plain walls, that I think a little bit of drapery and uplights can do wonders too. Maybe with a few pin spotting we can highlight certain areas like the sweetheart table, or the cake...

I'd love a look like this

This look is very simple. I wouldn't do the stars on the side, but the uplighting in a few spots, the drapery on top... i like that
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Another look that is more dramatic is this:

I like this look because it's bright and cheery...
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I do like this look as well...

It's very evening lighting but with a brightness that is not as cheery as the look above, but still somewhat bright and mysterious.
{Image Source}

Are you doing lighting at your wedding? What kind of lighting? What helped you figure out how you will set your tone with lighting?

Weekend Inspiration...some yellows

{Image borrowed from here}
The shoes... drool

{Borrowed from here}

*If this is your picture, please let me know. I'll give proper credit. I found it on a thread here!

DC PEOPLE ... HELP!

I just got this email from my yahoo groups for DC ... if you live in DC, please be on the lookout for this dog:

From the Find My Dog Alli Blog:

Alli went missing at 11pm on Jan 21st, in the foggy bottom/west end area of DC. She managed to free herself from the person walking her after she was spooked by someone/something behind a fence.

She is a female newfoundland, who is black with a white spot on her chest.
She is wearing a black nylon dog collar.
She is very friendly, but can be spooked easily.

She responds to her name if it is said nicely, but does not know any other commands. Since she is a little shy, it is good to crouch down and call her name if you see her. She was last spotted late the night she was lost on the grass near 25th and penn. ave.

If you have any information, have sighted her, or have found her please call me at 818-519-8887 or 202-293-1525, or email me at jcommerford@gmail.com. There is a reward for the person who finds her or information that leads to her safe return. Thank you for your help

Great Aisle Decor Idaea!

Thanks to the Pissed Off Bride for some inspirational decor photos... I'm truly digging them! So much so, I had to steal from you!!! The image below is from theknot via the Pissed off Bride

Metro DC Area Brides!!!

From my favorite site:

Weddzilla.com will be at the Reston Hyatt on Sunday, January 25th from 11-3!

Bring your friends and come see us!

Several local vendors will be at the event as well. Now is your chance to come experience a smaller, more intimate bridal show. Please come out to the event and see us. We will have several Weddzilla staff members present, and can answer any questions you may have about Weddzilla!

**The Weddzilla Launch Party was the first time i ever won ANYTHING! and it was huge $250 towards stationary :) Come check it out if you are in the area!

Let there be Light! {Part 1}

Not having a venue secured and trying to plan wedding decor is pretty difficult... but since i feel "THE" venue is within my reach, i've been exploring ideas that i only bounced around in the past... (like here) and now... instead of just looking at the pretty lighting... I now need to actually learn about lighting to figure out what I need or don't need :)

Here are the types of lighting:

1. According to Wikipedia: "Intelligent lighting refers to stage lighting that has automated or mechanical abilities beyond those of traditional, stationary illumination...For this reason, intelligent lighting is also known as automated lighting or moving lights."

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2. Party Lights & Stand:

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3. According to wikipedia: "A floodlight is an artificial light providing even illumination across a wide area"


4. Pin Spots use 6 or 12 volt lamps that provide a pencil-thin beam. They are usually supplied with a 6V transformer and a 6V 30W lamp. They're very economical, and work great in clusters. also referred to as "rain lights"


5. According to Wikipedia: "A gobo is a template or pattern cut into a circular plate used to create patterns of projected light."

6. Methods of lighting:

• Downlighting is most common, with fixtures on or recessed in the ceiling casting light downward.
  

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• Uplighting is less common, often used to bounce indirect light off the ceiling and back down.
  

{Image Source}

Have any of y'all used any of the above? If so how? Part 2 will definitely explore, what type of lighting i want... but i'd love to hear about the type you've had or are planning to have!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!!!

It's a new year, so i have a new face...

Thanks to Katy @ Tripping down the aisle/Katy A Designs for my previous header, which was Oh so Fabulous!!!She created a little caricature of me which i totally loved!

 

But now that I have narrowed down my wedding colors, i thought it'd be nice to have my wedding blog reflect my wedding a bit... 

I have a new face... and it's all thanks to Elizabeth at Rainy Day Templates! She worked with me patiently to try to give me the look i wanted on my blog! She's amazing, fun and very skilled... 

Be sure to check out both of these talented bloggers for their amazing designs and graphics!

Do you love it? Do YOU? :)

Memories in Oil Painting

If i had the extra money in my budget, I'd love to get my reception memorialized in oil paints during the actual reception! It's such an amazing idea... and something you can keep forever that can be a staple in your home's decor... that isn't just a wedding picture, but is so unique and special...

Image from Langham Huntington Hotel Wedding by Karen Winters

Painting by Sam Day

Any body else done this before? I'm almost wondering if i should find space for it in my budget to make it happen... I simply LOVE the idea! And I just learned the term is "Live Event Painter".. i'm drooling for this!!

{Vendor} De-stressing Makeup Tip #1

From one of the awesome local vendors in the DC Metro Area, Barbara from Bridal Artistry is talented and works with a great group of make up artists in the local area! Reasonable priced, talented and willing to travel for your big day... what else could you want! :)

Bridal Artistry DC De-stressing Makeup Tip #1

Heard about the WOW!! factor of false lashes for your wedding day but worried about the pop-off possibility, the heavy lid-distraction, the Tammy Faye image?
Let me clarify your thinking… Every bride should look the way she wants to on her special day, but also the way she wants to be remembered in those wedding photos around for posterity. So… most brides go with a more or less feature-enhanced classic look.

Are your lashes short, thin, straight and resistant to curling? You are a prime candidate for false lashes. Individually applied lashes, especially from mid-lid to the outer corner of the eye can be lovely ~ brightening and lifting your eye without looking or feeling heavy. A full strip of thin, lashes carefully applied right up against the existing lash line adds beautiful volume and maximo glam to your look. You can even (once waterproof glue is fully dry) add a bit more black mascara to blend the real lashes with the fake and volumize. A light hand on the mascara here will avoid the Tammy Faye mistake, especially since you can buy black lashes.

Are your lashes long, full, naturally curled? Why, oh why would go fake when nature can be enhanced with a great volumizing and waterproof (note emphasis here) mascara. Let the first coat dry only slightly before adding another coat.


{here the bride just applied mascara to her own thick lashes}

The pop-off factor can be minimized by putting an extra dab of lash glue at either end of the strip or on individual lashes. The glue dries clear and unnecessary excess can be pilled up and pulled away from the skin (like rubber cement) after fully dry. When the tears flow – come on, you know it – blot under the bottom lashes and never rub or press on the whole lid. Waterproof glue and mascara will keep the lashes from suffering run-off and you will look more demure…

Finally, if you decide to go with lashes, experiment in advance of the wedding. After a bit you won’t even notice any extra “weight” on your lids, and, of course, if you show up one evening in jeans and false lashes ….


{here the bride opted not to do lashes, while her bridesmaid opted to get them}

Barbara Hill
www.bridalartistryDC.com

I'm FABULOUS?!?!!!!!! I AM!!!

Thanks to the Globetrotting Bride for giving me this honor...and most recently, also given this honor by Bridechka and the Westside Bride and Once A bride, Blushing Bride Bulletin!

The rules: List 5 obsessions/addictions that you have, and tag back to the person who gave you the award. Post the rules. Tag 5 more people!

My obsessions:

1) mushrooms - on everything, with everything... must have
2) Shoes - only 100+ and counting... FH says, no more until we move into a bigger place!
3) Colts, Angels, Lakers
4) my boys - FH, Juneau pup and Kota pup
5) reruns of LnO (Law n order), NCIS (my new fave), CSI (not Miami), Cold Case, Without a trace, Parent Trap, Disney Channel, and Fa La LA La lifetime...

I'm passing this fabulous award along to:

all my readers... b/c many of my readers are just absolutely fabulous, i don't think i can keep my list to just 5... please let me know if you do this, so i can link you :)

Inauguration Concert

For more pics, click here

I'm a cool "Chick"

A cool WEDDING "Chick"!!!

Guess who is joining the ranks of some other FABULOUS Bridal Bloggers...at Wedding Chick



That's right! ME!!!!!!!! "Yay ME!" (insert London Tipton-->From The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, Disney Channel... you know??? - please tell me i have a reader out there who also watches the Disney Channel?!?!)

I've just created my first post, so check me out at Wedding Chicks Bridal Blogger !! :)

Weekend Centerpiece Inspiration

I absolutely love the centerpiece with the baby's breathe... i really want to incorporate a lot of baby's breathes, so i thought i'd share these photos... its absolutely stunning!

Both pictures are from The Bride's Cafe



The mixed with different flowers in the other vases for the centerpiece is also kinda different, mixing and matching flowers... definitely diggin' this look!

What do you think of mix and matched centerpieces? Or using baby's breathe as the main flower?