Avoidance.

Is futile. Still, I am doing my best to avoid the following things in the final month before the wedding. 

1) Stress - no explanation needed. 

2) Salt - the obvious source of bloating and breakouts.  

3) Peanuts - yes, they induce breakouts. Oily salty little things. 

4) Seaweed - more salt, more breakouts. 

5) Greek yogurt - while great for digestion, the active ingredients also trigger some mean zits! 

6) Dairy - cows eat lots of salt licks all day, and therefore the salt is in our dairy products. Rough for me, since I love ice cream so much. Luckily, there's Scream Sorbet.

7) Clarisonic - yes I know I once sang its praises, but now that I have been getting monthly facials I see no need for the harsh bristles. I have switched to the much gentler enzyme peel, which eats up the dead skin on the face's surface. Much softer results, and way better for your skin in the long term! 

I get a lot of questions about where to get facials. I have tried places all over the Bay Area. Hands down Nofu in Alameda has the most amazing esthetician Susan (who taught me about what foods to avoid) with the best, most gentle products. I signed up for the six month bridal bootcamp and my skin has never looked better. So great in fact, this will now become part of my regular routine, even after the wedding. I don't even wear foundation on a daily basis anymore! Which is great since it cuts down on prep time in the morning. 

Wedding plans have been going smoothly. I've been drinking plenty of water, getting more sleep and just relaxing whenever possible. I've even found time to read again, and settle in on my couch with big cups of tea and long books. Working in the wedding business the past few years has really helped me to understand about pacing yourself, planning ahead, and not sweating the small stuff. 

I'm just looking forward to marrying this guy. 

Gems!

Because everyone knows how much I love sparkle. I'm alive, I swear! It's just been a busy couple of months filled with bridal faces, the weddings of close friends, and lots of celebrating. 

Here's what you need to know to catch up. First of all, my best friend just flies back and forth from Oklahoma because she loves me so much. Second, my sister knows all the things that I love best and rolled them into one wonderful party just for me. The basics consist of Hello Kitty, Ring Pops, Asian snack foods, sparkly things and amazing people. Below are a few of my favorite images from my bridal shower from a few weeks ago. 

I had a lot of fun. And I am so grateful that all of the important women in my life were there to celebrate with me!