Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Storytelling.

Oh, Matt! I usually have a lot to write when posting about a wedding. Upon request, Matt of Matthew May Photography sent over these wonderful shots from the October 2010 wedding. I left after touching up Rose post ceremony, but looking at these pictures, I feel like I was there the whole night. You can see more from Matt's point of view here. There's not much for me to say, so I'll just let his amazing images tell you the story of Rose and Chris and how their day transpired.
Love the photo of her dancing with her dad. So sweet and timeless. Thanks for sharing, Matt! If you're looking for the magical Matt to tell the story of your day, learn more at Matthew May Photography.




Sunday, June 26, 2011

Married!

Down on the Fajen Farm.... two little love birds tied the knot! Kim, Anne, Katie and I bonded over bouquets, boutonnieres, burgers, and makeup. Here are a few moments from the rehearsal and yesterday's party celebrating my wonderful friends, Sylvia and Mike.

Yes, Mike's dad planted flowers in the shape of a heart with their initials in the center. So awesome.

Big thank you to my beau who drove for two hours after work to join the party. The little details were amazing and the carnitas bar was one of the highlights of the night... along with this little dancing machine.

Congratulations Sylvia and Mike! Cheers for years!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Wedding Survival Guide

How to avoid the meltdown. Heading off to the very warm town of Wilton today to assist my mega friend Sylvia with various wedding projects. After thinking about how hot it's going to be for their fabulous farm wedding tomorrow, I thought I should jot down a few things to pack in your bridal kit to get you through the heat, smudges, and inevitable tears. Here are some things I consider must haves after years of wedding prep:
1) Cotton swabs for touching up around the eyes. Bring a gentle makeup remover for buffing out smudges after the ceremony.

2) Your lipstick or gloss you will be wearing throughout the day. Consider a color change for night when the lighting is softer. Go for something bold perhaps?

3) A hand cream to help your ring glide on smoothly during your ceremony.


4) Lip balm! You will likely be chatting a lot and sipping on some champagne which can dry out your lips. Keep it on handy for your hubby too!

5) Blotting papers if you are an over oil producer like me.
6) A translucent touch-up powder to tone down the shine.

Since this wedding has me thinking back to when we first became friends, here are a few images of me and the ladies from our college years. Here we are at a house party where the theme was "High School Reunion" and we came dressed as our future selves. My favorite is Kim (in the pink) dressed as Mrs. Right, obviously married to Mr. Right.
Here we are after drunken haircuts. Obviously not the best idea. I rocked a mullet for about three months.

Here we are with our lovely Katie, Sylvia's MoH. We love us some Katie!
Can't wait to party with all of you and the soon to be Mrs. You are a great friend and I am so happy be a part of your special day. Off to pack up my beauty arsenal to glam up the bride and her entourage. Michael Fajen- you are a lucky, lucky man. Cheers to Sylvia for finding your very own Mr. Right! Hope you detox major in the mud springs of Iceland during your honeymoon Sylvia!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Models at the Mandarin

On the 46th Floor... of the Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco. So high up and so amazing! I was invited to partner with Studio Six Boudoir for this inspiring session. Boudoir sessions are an awesome way to celebrate you! Cute little moms and their amazing lingerie collections= sexy stuff. Here's a snapshot of a little prep work sent over just this morning from the talented Kristy.

Thanks Kristy! Can't wait to see the rest!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Cheers!

Wine Lovers Engagement Session. Here are a few images from Chris and Rose's engagement shoot with the talented Matt of Matthew May Photography. We worked out a really natural look that was outdoor friendly. Rose had told me she was really nervous during the shoot- can't tell with these pretty pictures!



Stay tuned for more images of their beautiful wine country wedding. Shout out to Matt for sharing his inspiring work. Thanks Matt! Visit his site here for more wonderful images.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

I ♥ the 80s

Birthday extravaganza! On Friday, I celebrated with some of my nearest and dearest. I was SO happy that all of these people came out to party with me! Since last year's kid friendly birthday party at the Mirror Maze was such a success, I decided that I will always throw a birthday party that is nostalgic for all who participate!

Cousin Mel made these awesome cupcakes to help me celebrate and sent them with her hubby B. Thanks guys! For those of you who know "Sixteen Candles" those two actually named their oldest Jake Ryan. Really. These mocha flavored cuties included my very own fondant mix tapes. You all remember casette tapes right?

I had never tried rollerskating before, only ice skating and rollerblading in the 90s, so I decided my birthday was as good a chance as any! I also have lots of great little ones in my life, so I thought it would be fun to include them too. And since I was born in the 80s, why not make everyone dress up accordingly? I, of course, proudly wore bright blue eyeshadow. Here are some of my favorite images (and outfits) from the evening.


But first- Jamie and her famous lunge.


80s fashion show: Lindsay in a side pony tail, frosted eyeshadow, sweatband and NKOTB tee. Brittany wins for best 80s eyeshadow and blush contour. Kevin, and his Captain E-0 shirt, and Vincent rocking a Member's Only jacket over a Cosby sweater (I will miss you when you move to Chicago! As the NKOTB would say, "Please dont' go girl!").

Cutie Colin in RayBans, Kristina looking to get physical, physical and Soren in a sweet, sweet tie-dyed tank.

We ended the evening on a "high note" with an impromptu karaoke session at a random hole in the wall place found by my bestie Alex. Thank AcKLEX!

Hazelle came all the way up from the OC and brought cousin Anne Marie from Canada (who is an AMAZING singer). In a rare performance, Kevin graced everyone with TLC's "No Scrubs".

Thanks to everyone who came out, old friends and new! I hope you all had as much fun as I did- I felt so loved... which is the best gift ever.