Table Decor

Teal Vase for Tables

If you look close you can see a teal lantern in the photo above.  Found these at Target and sent a pic to my daughter to see if she'd like them in different sizes for the tables at the reception. Stephanie emailed back that she and Mike liked the lanterns a lot. So the hunt was on to buy them.Stephanie first bought a few in San Diego. I bought a few in the Roseville, Rocklin and Citrus Heights stores. And my sister Tracy started scouring the stores in the greater Sacramento area.

It was during our searches of every Target known to man that these lanterns had been discontinued. We had about a third of what we needed. I tried to buy them on-line but they weren't being offered anymore. Tracy went the extra mile and drove to some Targets near her work and found a few more. On a visit to my mom's I made a side trip to the Target near her house and found a few others.  By now we were close to the amount we needed. But not quite.

I did a quick tally and realized we needed five of the smaller sized lanterns. We'd looked everywhere and there weren't any more anywhere. I realized I didn't know how many Steph had actually purchased.  A quick call cleared it up.  She had bought five small lanterns.  Wow. We had the exact amount we needed. With a little help from each other and a little help from above.

Wedding Day!

The wedding was amazing. There were nice touches everywhere; a photo display from weddings past of parents and grandparents; a decorative tree to place wedding wishes on like so many leaves; beautiful table settings and more.

Right before the ceremony Christine admonished her mother and me not to cry.  Joanne and I did great--not one tear or sigh. Instead Christine and her father Greg shed tears. I know she didn't expect that.  But then life is all about the unexpected, that's for sure.

All Glammed Up

Well, here I am, all glammed up.  I had a different dress picked out for the wedding but my mother and my daughter said I looked like an old lady in it (well I AM an old lady...jeese).  Actually my mom's words were, "You look older than ME in that dress."

Trying to be helpful, my daughter emailed me links to different dresses on-line. About a week and a half before the wedding I ordered the one you see above. It turned out to be a good choice.  I got lots of compliments on the dress.  Oh yeah, and on the hair and make-up, too. Well, I guess it just goes to show--mother DOES know best.  Not me, but my mother.  And my daughter, too. 

Erick & Christine (bride & groom)

Greg & Joanne

           
THE REHEARSAL LUNCH BUNCH

We had the rehearsal luncheon at Terra Mia Ristorante in Livermore.  We tried to take a group photo but the restaurant was dark and the photos didn't turn out.  Above are the bride and groom and their parents.  We were all anticipating the wedding the next day.  And yet, we were all smiling, lol

Robin & David

Take a Hike

On the morning of the rehearsal, I met up with my sister-in-law, Sherline. She picked me up at the hotel and took me on her daily walk along a hiking trail at the Augustin Bernal Park in Pleasanton.  The trail goes up along a ridge and the views of the valley below are spectacular.  We walked and talked, catching up on the past several months since we hadn't seen each other in a long while.

Not only was the hike a great way to reconnect with Sherline, it was also a good way to get out the last minute jitters on all the upcoming wedding festivities. We had the rehearsal, the rehearsal luncheon in front of us that day and the wedding the next. Being on the hike with Sherline gave me a chance to stop and "smell the roses," and to take a minute to be grateful for all of the loving family that came to support Erick and Christine for the wedding. Erick and Christine are in love, yes, but they are also surrounded by love as well. Hking with Sherline was a wonderful way to realize that.

In Style

 This Sunday I'll be in the beauty chair for Erick and Christine's May 5th wedding.  Christine hired a hair stylist and a make up artist to make us beautiful. My hair stylist snapped this picture of me at my last appointment so I can show this weekend's hair stylist the look I'm going for. 

Actually I'll be okay with any hair-do the stylist gives me. With a make up artist and hair stylist helping me get all doll-ed up I know I'll be fine. It's a relief to know I won't have to try and make myself look stylish. I never inherited the "style" gene and need all the help I can get. So thanks in advance to the make up artist and hair stylist.  I'm truly in your debt! 

Having My Cake and Eating It Too

With Blackhawke Grill still under construction--it was our first choice for Erick and Christine's rehearsal lunch--we had to cast our net to other restaurants.  Erick and Christine reseached a few and came up with Terra Mia Ristorante in Livermore. It is run by three brothers from Italy.  I've been working with Francesco (think Italiano when you say his name) on setting up the date, time and menu. 

Our menu features home made Italian food such as insalda mista, okay that's salad, farfelle primavera, pollo saltimbocca and bigne.  While the word salad was easy to figure out I had no clue on farfelle primaver which is pasta served with fresh seasonal veggies or pollo saltimbocca which is chicken breast topped with ham and mozzarella cheese, served in white wine and sage sauce.  Bigne is dessert--a homemade cream puff, topped with dark chocolate. While I'm always willing to go easy on the main meal so I can save calories for dessert, I think it will be too hard to do this time around. So I say, "bring it on!"  Bring on the insalda mista, the farfelle and pollo saltimbocca.  But please don't forget the dessert.

Shower Power

Last weekend we went to Christine's family home for the bridal shower/cookie day. We played three shower games--which were fun--and also filled our plates with yummy Chinese food, including a roast pig, and traditional Chinese wedding cookies. But wait--there was more! For dessert we were served red velvet cake and cheesecake. While the food was wonderful, so was the company. Christine's family is warm, loving and welcoming. I can't think of a better family for Erick to marry into. Well done, son, well done.

Beauty Treatment

I flew down to San Diego this week so Stephanie and I could work on a few items for her August wedding. Getting trial make up done was on our list. Steph first tried a make up artist at a local spa and while the gal made Stephanie look nice, there wasn't really a "wow" factor.

The next day make up artist Erica Franksen did Stephanie's makeup and hair. WOW!  What a difference. Erica did a tremendous job and Stephanie looked amazing. Steph and the rest of us will be in good hands on the wedding day. 

And while Stephanie doesn't need that much help lookin' good, I sure do! I know Erica will be able to help me shine so as Mother-of-the-Bride I can put my best foot, er, face, forward. 

Bride's Cookie Day

Christine's mother sent out invitations to a bridal shower/cookie day for Christine. Christine explained that cookie day is a separate event but that her mother decided to combine the shower with cookie day.  My sister Tracy asked me about cookie day and I'd never heard of it. That's because the Bride's Cookie Day is a Chinese custom, one that helps the bride's family get through the sadness of their daughter leaving home.

Individuals from the groom's family deliver foods and gifts to the bride's family for a day of feasting, celebrating and blessing the marriage. Groomsmen deliver a whole roast pig, a symbol of purity, followed by an assortment of fancy beng, or pastries, that contain rich fillings inside delicate pastry crusts. There are usually nine beng varieties for the family to eat during the feast and for saving for later.

After the groomsmen deliver the food and gifts, the bride's family gives them gifts in appreciation of the groom's generosity. This gift collection includes dim sum dumplings and buns and an even number of each kind of bridal cookie.

This day of exchanging gifts is called the Bride's Cookie Day. There is more tradition than I went into but you get the gist of it. The groom and his family don't usually attend this event because it is meant for the bride and her family. However, Christine's parents are inviting families from both the bride's and the groom's sides to enjoy this event.  I'm looking forward to it.

A word of thanks goes to my sister Tracy for helping me learn about Bride's Cookie Day. One of her co-workers loaned her a wonderful book (that I'm buying) called "Good Luck Life," by Rosemary Gong, which is a guide to Chinese American celebrations and cultures. I would like to be able to participate in other celebrations or traditions and I think this book will help me with that.

Construction Zone

Construction Zone

We are holding off signing the contract with Blackhawk Grille for Erick and Christine's rehearsal dinner. They are closing soon for a remodel. They were supposed to close Feb. 1 and reopen around April 1. But with the construction delay, the manager is not sure when they will reopen. He thinks they should be open by mid-April and be completely ready for our May 5 rehearsal date.

The manager is attending a construction meeting next week and will give me a call with an update. Once I hear from him, Christine and I will decide if we should move forward or move on.

I guess there will be a few other concerns that will challenge the wedding planning. I think the trick is to take everything in stride and roll with the flow. Deep breath....now relax.

Taste Test

Since we wanted to try all of the restaurants in order to choose one for the rehearsal dinner, we decided to combine my birthday dinner with a taste test at BlackHawk Grille in Danville. David and I drove to the bay area to Erick's place.  We piled in Erick's car with Erick and Christine and headed to Danville for dinner.

We found out the restaurant is pretty fancy-schmancy.  The appetizers and salads were on the expensive side so to our waiter's dismay we skipped those and went right for the entrees. Christine choose the Grilled Salmon with lemon risotto, tomato butter and seasonal vegetables. Erick ordered the BBQ Short Rib Burger, with white cheddar, bacon, onion rings and sweet potato fries. David had the Fresh Fettuccine Pasta with chicken, and I had the Half Chicken, red potatoes, roasted lemons, basil and olive jus.

Each dish tasted delicious. By the time dessert came--apple crisp with salted caramel ice cream and chocolate chip cookie with cinnamon ice cream--the kids were sold on the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner.  I, on the other hand, was up for more taste testing.  But the restaurant's fare was so exquisitely good...I can live with their decision!  

Sentimental Journey

I've never been a sentimental person--tender-hearted maybe--but not sentimental. So my tears the other day took me by surprise.  I knew Stephanie's dress had come in and that she had her first fitting appointment scheduled.  No big deal.  I'd get to see her dress again the next time I flew down to visit.  Her fitting wasn't even on my mind that morning.  I was at work, writing on my computer, when my cell phone pinged.  I looked at the screen and it was Stephanie. 

 "About to go try my dress on."

Me:
"Oooh, can you get a picture to send me?

Steph:
"Nichole's going with me so I' sure we can lol."
 
I was so happy for Steph.  For about a half a second.  Then I realized that I wasn't going to be there with her for her first fitting.  I teared up a little but was able to  brush away the few tears that spilled out.  I grabbed my phone to send Steph another text. But I couldn't. By then I was crying so hard I couldn't see the cell phone screen. What the heck???? 

Somehow not being with my daughter for her first wedding dress fitting hit me really hard.  I realized how much I wanted to be there. Thank God for technology--her friend Nicole texted me pics as Steph turned this way and that in front of the bridal salon mirrors.  Even so it wasn't the same as being there and sharing that bridal dress fitting experience.  Me, sentimental?  Well, maybe I am, just a little bit.

Spectacles
It occurred to me, out of the blue, that the wedding photos will probably be taken outside. So what's the problem, you ask?  Well, my eyeglasses are transition lenses that go dark in the sunshine. If we are getting our photos taken outside I'll be looking like Stevie Wonder or Joe Cool. 


A friend at work, who also wears transition lenses, faced the same problem with her daughter's wedding.  The solution?  Buy an inexpensive pair of glasses that don't transition in the sun.  I asked my sister, who works for a major eye insurance company, the best way to find inexpensive glasses.  Her recommendation was to try Costco, JC Penney Optical or Lens Crafters, since they have sales from time to time. 


Sure enough, JC Penny Optical just had a sale.  I was able to purchase a great pair of frames with plain lenses for a very good price.  I'm one step closer to being ready for the weddings.  And that, of course, is a nice thing!

Rush Hour

Ah, this morning was delicious.  It's Saturday. Normally on weekends I get up at the crack of dawn and rush out to do groceries, gas up the car and do other errands. I end up rushing around all day and the weekend is over in a snap.  Today, even though I woke up at Oh-Dark-Hundred, I stayed in bed--warm, comfortable and cozy--until it was light out. I took my time getting out of bed, reading the paper and eating breakfast. What a difference. Of course, I haven't gotten anything done but I'm rested and relaxed which feels amazing. 

I tend to rush all the time. I rush to work, rush to meetings, rush to get work projects done and then rush home where I rush around some more.  I know with the two weddings coming up I'll be rushing to check things off my list of "things-to-do" for each.  I need to remember to slow down and savor all things wedding. Otherwise I'm going to miss out on enjoying the moments of each.  I'll miss out on the love, joy and happiness that will accompany both weddings. I'm not sure how I'm going to get myself to slow down but I'm going to try. Life is about living, not rushing.  I need to remember to live life, not rush through life.

Unlucky in Love

My mother has been married, let's see... four times. Her first marriage was when she was 18 years old. She annulled that marriage shortly after taking her vows. Her next marriage took place in her early 20's; I was born when she was 25. Soon after my birth, she discovered my father had been straying; she divorced him and became a single mom.  By the time I was two years old, she met a guy, Thomas Williams, at her work. The two hit it off  and married. Tom adopted me; my mom worked until my sister Tracy was born. Three years later little sis Wendy arrived. All was lovely for a few years. Unfortunately Tom was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died when I was 14; my sisters were eight and five.

Mom went back to work to support the three of us. After about four years she began dating again. At first she dated a variety of guys. Then she dated one man exclusively for a bit. It turned out he didn't like kids. She met another man and it became serious. The two married at a justice of the peace. The day after the wedding her new husband ordered my mom to turn over all of her bank accounts and house mortgage to him.  Well, no one ever "orders" my mom to do anything. But even if he'd asked nice, my mom wouldn't have turned over her assets to him just because he thought that was the way it should be. She asked him to leave, which he did in a huff. She annulled that marriage, too.

Many years later she met a fun-loving guy on the bus that took them both to work. They had great times together, tooling about on his Harley and getting together to BBQ with friends. He was looking forward to retiring early, buying an RV and traveling through the U.S. He asked my mom to go with him. She couldn't decide whether or not to quit work and travel with him. He retired and bought the RV. Two weeks later, before getting to travel anywhere, he suffered a massive heart attack and was raced to the hospital. There he never regained consciousness andhe ffpassed away. That was 28 years ago. Mom has been by herself ever since. But she's an independent gal and it sort of suits her.

It's easy to think my mother has been unlucky in love. I bet she would say that isn't true. I think she'd say, in her no-nonsense way, "Live and learn, kid, live and learn." I like to think that my mom has lived large and loved large. And that she is a better person for doing so.  

Marriages
I joke that I was a child bride because my hubby and I married so young. We will be married 41 years this March. I was barely 19 and David was barely 21. We thought we were old enough. But of course we were way too young. We couldn't even begin understand the challenges we were up against--that neither one of us had never left home, had never faced any real-life difficulties and that neither one of us was grown up enough to know what we wanted out of life or to know who we were as individuals. 

But we've had an incredible journey together. Like other couples we've had good times and bad times, uniquely happy times and incredibly sad times.  But it's that time we took growing together, when life was either generous or tumultuous, that bonded our hearts and souls. And so we'll stand together and watch both our children, Erick and Stephanie, join their hearts, minds and souls, with their beloveds, Christine and Mike. We will wish them love, joy and marriages that grow and bond.

It's January 2012 and I'm counting down.  My family is having two weddings.  That's right--two weddings in one year. My son and his fiancee, Christine, will be getting married in the Bay Area on May 6.  My daughter and her fiance, Mike, will be getting married in San Diego on Aug. 5.  As I've gotten older I realize that years come and years go.  But this year, with these two big events, will be a very special year. I expect a year filled with anticipation, challenges, hilarity and drama. I can hardly wait!