and the story continues. . . .

I’ll be posting pictures from the wedding as I get them in.  We have some great shots from the friend who did our engagement photos.  And eventually I’ll get photos from the photographers, which I can’t wait to get. . . but I have to wait because that’s just the way that it goes, I guess. =)

in the mean-time, if you are curious about some of the back-story, you can read the early posts on this blog, they have a lot of inside info.  

sam and i had a wonderful time in hawaii, but we’re both trying to adapt to sleeping with someone else in the bed.   i’m such a ridiculously light sleeper that it’s been hard to get a solid nights sleep.  but at least we aren’t stressed out about wedding planning anymore, so that’s a good thing. now it’s more a happy tired than an exhausted tired.   it’s nice to say hello to someone in the morning.  

we have lots and lots to do, clearing out stuff, sorting through stuff, throwing out stuff, setting up stuff, figuring out where to put stuff.   and figuring out what stuff we will have to get.   ah, stuff, my stuff and his stuff, where is all this stuff gonna go??? =)

check back, i’ll keep posting.   it’s my goal to write a book on all the things that i wish i knew before-hand.  or at least a blog entry.   

tired and happy,
karyn.

IMPORTANT!

PARKING may be difficult next Saturday!!! Please allow an extra 15-20 minutes or so for parking!!  You can park on Wells or on any of the nearby streets if the parking lot is full.   There is a lane to drop off people if you want to minimize walking for some of those in your party.   You can find a link with some maps of the area on our website to the <-- Left of this entry. 

We found out there will be a volleyball tournament going on at the high school.  So, Spread the word, and hopefully we can minimize the impact of the parking issue!  Thank you!! Looking forward to seeing you in a week! 

i have decided

that a wedding is basically 1) an endless compiling of lists and 2) asking people to do things.  

IT's OCTOBER 1!!!

only 23 more days to go. . . ! YIKES!!  both excited and totally frazzled. . . !

DATE, TIME, LOCATION

For those of you who don’t remember where you put your invitation, you can email us at ourbellanotte@gmail.com, and I’ll shoot the info out to you! Be sure to let me know who you are.  Thanks!

huzzah!

things to be grateful for -
1 - i'm not THAT sick anymore. hurrah!
2 - Someone is looking out for us, because we got some either free or REALLY cheap stuff:

• our honeymoon tickets were almost completely paid for by a special promotion sam had - yay for sam. we only have to pay 90$ each.
  
• i got a free photobook. i made a cute thing that i can display in the lobby. yay.
  
• i got TONS of free stuff from Vistaprint. It's almost ridiculous - program covers, car door magnets, a poster, t-shirts. It REALLY is completely ridiculous. Yay, vista print, you rock.
  

sick. . . =(

hello, friends . . . 

yes, i have come down sick.  what a total bummer.  and who has time to be sick right now??? pray for a speedy recovery.  

in the mean-time, we are planning to assemble favors and whatnot next week.  email me if you are interested in joining to fun.  =)

special guests

Sam had the idea of seeing if some of his old choir students might be interested in singing during the wedding.  I was rather doubtful that we’d even FIND them, but we ran into a student and they rattled off a list of the alumni that will be there, and I was SOO touched.   It will be SOOO neat to see these guys again.  If you read this, alumni, THANK YOU!!! =) I miss you all!!!

added to the blog today:

A COUNTDOWN - it's at the bottom

and MAPS - they are on the left.  

Who are these people - Part 2

ok, i'm going to need some help from sam on this one, but for now, i will do a cliff-notes version of who the guys are. 

Andrew Yee - Best Man   Andrew was Sam's college roommate for I forget how many years down at the illustrious and ever growing campus of UCI.  Andrew has a well developed appreciation for good food, really appreciates his friends, and likes to keep everyone connected.  He currently lives in the Bay Area, so we don't get to see him as often as we'd like, but when we do see him, he always makes us happy! 

Reggie DeLeon - Sam and Reggie played brothers in Thoroughly Modern Millie last year, and Reggie has been a great friend ever since!   Reggie also has a well developed appreciation for good food, really appreciates his friends and likes to keep everyone connected.  Reggie appreciates a good Game Night, always knows some place fun to go for dinner or dessert, and he happens to be responsible for increasing Sam's Coldstone Creamery consumption.  Reggie also has an adorable dog named Boo. 

Joaquin Nunez - I can't remember what show Joaquin and Sam first did together, but I know they have been in Forever Plaid, Something's Afoot, and many others, along with being fellow Christmas carolers.  Joaquin also really appreciates a good Game Night, and is always sure to have a funny story, finished with his trademark smile.  We also know JQ to be a great listener and sympathetic ear, who works hard and really appreciates an excellent beer after a long day. 

Jeff Eastridge - I don't know when Sam and Jeff first met, but I know it was before I met Sam.  =)  Jeff and Sam have lots in common as they are both high school teachers, both musicians, and both love to go to Disneyland after a long week at work.  Jeff also happens to be an amazing gourmet cook, whom we hope will continue to feed us after we are married.  (especially since sam and i know how to make about 3 dishes between us =)  )

Benny Mao - Benny just happens to share something that no one else does with Sam - an address!  Besides being a roommate, Benny is also a fellow musician and song-writer who can sometimes be seen doing solo gigs (www.bennymao.com),  is always super-supportive of our creative ventures, knows where all the best food in Monterey Park is, and can always be counted on to read things that are written in Chinese for us.    

I'm sure I left a TON of stuff out, and some of this may not even be 100% accurate, I may have even misspelled someone's name - but, I did my best, and at least the guys are represented. =) 

Who are these people - Part 1

Also known As, the bridal party roll-call!

I always think it's nice to kind of know something about those people standing up on stage in the matching clothing. So I thought I'd give a quick run-down on the Bridal Party and how we know them. I'll start with the Ladies:
Paula Joe, Maid of Honor and all-around amazing woman --
I've known Paula since I think I was 15 or 16. In fact, Paula was in the group of about 8 friends that I went to my Senior Prom with, even though she didn't go to my school, but went to our rival, Alhambra High! It just so happens that we both also went to Cal Poly Pomona and I remember many happy visits from Paula to my dorm in Palmitas Hall!
Emily Tokeshi, Bridesmaid and Fellow Book Lover --
Emily also went to Cal Poly Pomona, and also to Fuller, so we have much in common academically. We also share a passion for books, fond memories of many road trips, and an appreciation for our introverted natures. Emily was one of the people who helped me move to Colorado when I worked out there, and I will never forget our near-death experiences sliding out during a blizzard in the mountain pass near Moab, Utah.
Anna Kwan, Bridesmaid and Fellow Beach Lover --
I've known Anna as long as I've known Emily and Paula (Anna's cousin). I have happy memories of lying on the beach in Newport during the days when Anna was living on campus at UCI, of eating at Sushi of Napels, and of getting our gym membership at Bally's and working out at Jason's Step Aerobics class (oooh so 90's, I know!!)
Vivian Ling, Bridesmaid and former Housemate --
I've forgotten how many years I lived with Vivian, but I will NEVER forget our first dog, Milo, and how heartbroken we both were when we lost her. I also fondly recall Vivian's famous HotPot (yum), staying up waaaayyy too late talking when we both had to work the next day, and hosting happy (and highly decorated) holiday parties over the years.
Marianne Fritz, Bridesmaid and Stage Sister --
I first got to know Marianne because she played my sister in Proof. Our chemistry in that show could not have been just an act, because she has felt like a sister ever since. She shares my passion for theatre, whether performing, writing, reading, or watching it, an appreciation for Sondheim, and an appreciation of the importance of an excellent (and cold) beer after a long day.
Stephenie Sun - Candlelighter and Event Planner Extaordinaire --
Sam and I met Steph after she moved down here from Portland for a teaching program. We will always remember her first teaching year! Steph has been super supportive of all of my (and Sam's) creative ventures, is a great Disneyland buddy, and shares my excitement over an Excel spreadsheet. I will never forget our life-altering PacificNorthWest Trip, or Steph's hometown. Steph is also helping us to plan this crazy wedding event, and we owe her our sanity!
Naomi Shiraiwa/Peng - Candlelighter and Bride-to-Be buddy --
I have been ever-so-grateful to be going through this whole engagement process with a friend who is just a few steps ahead of me! This whole year I have been able to share the joys and freak-out moments of the engagement journey with Naomi, and have been the recipient of her constant encouragement and very sympathetic ear. 

Whew!! I made it though all the girls, hopefully some day soon we can get all the guys in here too! Check back, we'll try to continue posting. Between other wedding planning insanity. =)
happily,
karyn.

why i love sam, reason #53

one night during the wedding planning madness, sam and i sat down and tried to plan out the actual ceremony (who know a ceremony had so many parts?)  and it all went rather smoothly.  but, when it came to the wedding recessional, Sam and I didn't exactly see eye to eye.   for the past few years, i've pictured myself exiting down the the aisle and rocking out to "elevation" by u2.   sam, ever the classic type, imagined the excitement of trumpet voluntary.   both of us, being rather passionate about music, really wanted to stand our ground.  and so we were at an impasse, it would seem.   we decided to shelve the issue for the time being, and i told sam that i'd send him the mp3 and asked him to listen to it just to see what he thought.   

what he thought, it turns out, was something i never would have thought of.  he managed to blend the songs into a medley and put in all the other music that makes us feel happy and elated.  and so what we have is what we both want, and something totally unique as well.   leave it to sam to find a way to think outside of the box and come up with a win-win situation.  which, happens to be one of the reasons why i'm marrying him. =) 

Who Are These People?

Here I will be posting information about the wedding party.  Not tonight, though.  Tonight, I am pooped! 

Important

I think the following link should be included in all wedding planning websites and books!!!

http://andrew.triumf.ca/cgi-bin/murphy.html?U=4&I=9&C=4&S=8&F=1

things. . .

wow, there are a LOT of things to do.  I just realized that i’ve been totally forgetting about some things, like the actual marriage license thing and changing my name. . . **sigh** why are there so many things to do?? one thing at a time, one day at a time, i guess!

112

days until the wedding. .

**GULP**
on some of the bridal planning sites, like The Knot and so forth, they put this thing where they show you how many days you have until your wedding. Why do they do that?!? It's like the website is nagging me with how little time I have left to do all the things I need to get done.
Anyhow, 112. . .

MY RECOMMENDATIONS!!

Truth be told, being in this position, you get very focused on trying to get your appearance in order. Especially if you are like me, and you really don't know the first thing about all this stuff. Before this, I barely managed to wash my face before bed =). Now I spend half an hour going through this twelve step beauty routine, trying to fight both pimples and wrinkles!! So, since I've been going through this steep learning curve, I thought I’d share the totally WONDERFUL things I’ve found, because really, they are just so stinkin’ good.

1)Loreal Double Extend Mascara – this stuff will NOT come off! I can cry through a whole movie and it does NOT move. Amazing.
2) Mary Kay Microdermabraison cream. (Used with Netrogena’s electric scrubber) - this is amazing. All my rough skin, GONE!
3)BIOTIN – I’ve never had such healthy nails! This supplement ROCKS.
4)Clean and Clear, deep cleaning cream. Back-ne , gone!

Ok, that’s all I can think of for now. I’ll post more as I think of it.

GOOD NEWS!

The insurance stuff is starting to go through – thanks for your positive thoughts and prayers. . . ! Whew, what a relief. =)

More Fun Things!

Here are the flower garland head-bands for the flower girls that I made. . . . i'm excited, i think the flowergirls are going to be adorably cute. Aren't they always?!?!?

Fun things!

Here’s my bouquet =)

We got the trim for my dress and it was FUN!! :) it'll look something like this . .
~*Karyn

And here is a shot of sewing the mock up of my dress :)

Did i ever post a decent pic of the tiara?
~*Karyn

there should be a support group for the engaged -

Seriously!

The full ramifications of everything that needs to be done still has hit me with full force in the past two weeks, and I started having mini-anxiety attacks.  

One of the problems is I don’t handle huge events very well.  The millions of little details stress me out.  If I were managing a team, it’d be fine.  But it’s the thought that there are all these hundreds of things that I have to do, it starts to feel paralyzing.  I don’t handle that very well.   I’m not a details person, I’m a big picture person.   And there are SOO many of these things to be done, it just seems completely overwhelming!

So I had to talk to Sam and tell him that I really needed his help a lot more.  I’m sure every couple goes through something like this.  I was trying to do way too much and loosing my mind.  I had to ask Sam if he could take some of the load off, and do specific tasks.   At least knowing that I don’t have to do everything myself is comforting.  And knowing that we will meet to regularly discuss what needs to be done, and what we’ve done so far, is really helpful.

Here are my latest “oh good grief” items:
I have no idea how to get the boutonnieres taken care of.  The scary thing is, that I can now spell that word.  I need some kind of an inexpensive option for this.  I’m not totally sure where to look or how to start.

I need to find a way to decorate things and stay in budget.  At least i’m starting to have an idea.   I know I need to find a place where I can rent candelabra things for really cheap.  I found LOONG taper candles at Ikea for a very inexpensive price.  And they are pretty  AND I figured out what to do with a pumpkin!!! I’ll post a picture soon! =)

I need my dress to get underway, it makes me a bit nervous that it hasn’t started coming into being yet.  Tomorrow, if all goes well, LQ and I are supposed to go fabric shopping.   I hope we can get a good deal!

It would be really great if Sam could land a job for Fall.  That would take so much pressure off of us financially!  Please say a prayer that something happens on that front, it would really be most helpful.   

But on the other hand, I do have some “crossed it off my list” items – yay!

Wedding Cake – Almost done, we just need to get them a deposit!
By the way, the cake place was the run by the cutest people in the whole world! I highly recommend them if you happen to want a cake that looks like a rocket ship, or a car, or something fun like that.  I swear, they were just the most fun ever – and the cake was super delicious as well. =)  Cakes by the Pound, Alhambra.

My ShadowBoxes are very close to done.

Oh, I guess that’s it.  But, hopefully more “crossed off the list” items will happen soon! =)

Hopefully I will start to handle things a bit better too.  I was way too stressed out there for a while!!
**sigh**

Until next time,
Karyn.

i had one of those pre-wedding, stress-out, freak-out episodes today. . .

can anyone relate???  the whole thing just seems so overwhelming huge, it’s going to drain every last penny from my savings account, and it feels like i just don’t know if i can get it all done, because every little detail seems to take hours of research.  ahhhh. . . **sigh**  just wondering if how i’m feeling is normal!

I think i figured out what i can do with a pumpkin to make it a decoration i would actually like :)
~*Karyn

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update -

Do you think that maybe i've been a bit. . . busy? Maybe overwhelmed??
YES! The answer is YES! But here are things I have managed to get done:
Bridesmaids dresses - CHECK (thanks to anna, paula, and target!!!)
Engagement Photos - CHECK (thanks to chris and dom)
Save the Dates -- CHECK (thanks to photoshop)
Wedding Party Informed -- CHECK
Trial Run on Hair and Makeup - CHECK
Reception Site Booked -- CHECK
Venue Booked - almost a check.

AH! that's all I have time to post for now, but I'll catch up soon, I promise. . . at least, I think I promise. . .

ah, the joys of wedding planning. . .

so, we thought we had this brilliant idea of getting married in a theatre - it sounds really cool, right?  we thought so.  and the theatre where sam used to work is brand spanking new.   well, today we just found out that they want us to have a 1 million dollar certificate of insurance from an insurance company before we can rent the theatre.   argh!! say a prayer that maybe they'll let it slide when they realize it's just a couple of people trying to have a wedding.  or that we can somehow figure out how to get this certificate of insurance thing very cheaply, although that sounds like a near impossible task.  hopefully they'll just drop the requirement.  i hope so!!  the hoops we have to jump never seem to end!  

stuff. . .

some of the shock of the reality of life AFTER the wedding is setting in.  it came in the form of the realization that i have a whole apartment full of stuff.  and sam has a whole house full of stuff.  i was wrestling with the question - how are we going to make all of this stuff fit?  sam assures me that it is possible, and he has even been diligently trying to get his stuff organized and make extra space for me,  and yet i still have a bit of trouble really wrapping my mind around the idea of where all this stuff is going to go.  and for the past three years, every year, sometimes twice a year, i've gone through all my stuff and cleared out anything i could find to get rid of so that i could sell it at the monterey park garage sales.   at the last garage sale, i was a little hard pressed to find enough stuff to sell.  i think what happened is,  we've both been on our own for quite some time, and we have each acquired all the stuff one needs for living.  and then some.  and we are both creative types, which means that sam has a bunch of music stuff, and i have a bunch of art stuff, and we both have a bunch of stuff related to theatre and theatrical pursuits (like, say, tap shoes), and i work at home so i have a TON of office related stuff.  and did i mention that i have books? i have books out the ying yang.  three bookcases full.  i think i can get rid of some of them, but most of them i have because i know that they are really good, and i'm one of those people who refers back to books i've read.  especially if i'm speaking, writing or teaching.  but i have a frightening amount of books.  i'm sure i could probably get rid of a percentage of them if i put my mind to it, but there would still be a lot left.  and I just about have all the kitchen stuff that i need to make anything that i would try to make.  and egads, i have no idea how i wound up with so much bathroom stuff! seriously, i keep trying to use up bottles of cream and lotion and lip gloss, and it's like they multiply while i'm not looking!  how did i wind up with so much stuff? where did it all come from?  it boggles the mind.    i can’t foresee the future, of course, but i have a suspicion that if sam and i fight, we aren't going to fight over money or time, or the usual things like that.  no, our fighting may turn out to be the waging of little territorial wars as we try to find places to put all this stuff: who gets to have more real estate in the medicine cabinet and who should really throw their old what-ever-it-is out.  i can just see myself putting a masking tape line down the middle of the medicine cabinet and saying, " i get all the space on this side and you get all the space on that side, but my side's a little bigger, cuz i'm a girl."  and i can just imagine sam asking in frustration "do you REALLY need to have 5 bottles of shampoo in the shower?" and  me answering "it's NOT five bottle of shampoo, it's TWO sets of shampoo and conditioner, so that i can rotate products, and ONE bottle of dandruff shampoo  - just in case - and yes, as a matter of fact,  i DO need them all."  And I should be aware that the fact that i have six pairs of black boots may be some cause for alarm - who needs SIX pairs of black boots?!?  I do, apparently.  hopefully in the midst of all this we can take a minute to laugh about how absurd the whole thing is, and how we are lucky to have someone to share our stuff with, a place to put our stuff, or even to have stuff at all.      

Shocking realization: this will be the last year for lai see envelopes. although I've probably milked that one for Waaaaay too long! :)
~*Karyn

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Stage one of the guest book :)
~*Karyn

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Here are the pattern pieces to my dress!
~*Karyn

Another one for the martha stewart wedding file.

This isn't the best picture but i decided to make my bouquet from high end silk flowers. i wanted a particular shade of plum and i wanted it to last a bit longer than one day. i learned how to make one from martha stewart. she knows how to do everything, it's frightening! i think i'm going to enter pictures from my wedding to her magazine, maybe they will feature it! :) you never know. . . my next project is the guest book! :)
~*Karyn

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Annoyed by the high cost of tiaras this weekend i made my own. If you double click the picture you can get a closer view!
~*Karyn