Mr. and Mrs. Brian Moreno

On August 5th, Brian and Melissa had an idyllic backyard garden wedding complete with blooming florals and white lanterns hanging delicately from tree limbs. It was picturesque to say the least. I had the honor of coordinating their wedding and although it was a lot of work, it was so fun to see Melissa's vision come together and know that I got to play a part in creating her perfect day. Brian and Melissa chose to have a smaller, more intimate ceremony - but incorporated simple touches that were so representative of their relationship - they served cheesecake popsicles from the restaurant they both work at and had a were serenaded by a beautiful violin & guitar duo. She looked absolutely stunning and from what I heard, was incredibly happy - as a wedding coordinator, I really couldn't have asked for more! Congratulations Brian & Melissa! Cheers to many years of happiness!

WHAAAAaaaaaatttt?!?!?!?!!!!!!

I just looked at the calendar and realized it is August 25th…what the heck happened to this month? to this summer for that matter! It seems like only days ago I was amping up for what looked like the craziest summer of my life thus far and now in the flashiest of flashes (can you name that movie?) it is behind me and I’m heading into a lay-low weekend including a yoga pant champagne brunch and project runway….FABULOUS!

August has been a FULL month – I coordinated a wedding for my friends Brian & Melissa, wrapped up my work-life at Ev. Free Fullerton and transitioned to a new job at AkinsParker Creative, welcomed my dear friends Josh & Jenny to Orange County, coordinated a wedding for my friends Joe & Carrie, and am now attempting to find my footing in a ridiculously messy house littered with remnants from the many celebrations and events this month (really this summer) has held. You should have seen my laundry piles on Sunday…my washing machine (RIP Maybelle) broke at some point during the summer and hasn’t been functioning for at least a month…the accumulation of my dirty clothes was extraordinary…thankfully Gerdie (my new washer) arrived Sunday afternoon and some progress has been made. Maybe there is hope for the hideodeous mess that covers my bedroom floor. I guess it is a good thing that everything is a mess though – just proves that having loads (no pun intended) of fun has been my priority!

Anyway, lots of stories to come – and sorry about the WEEKS you’ve had to spend staring at Heidi Klum’s face…

Project Runway Season 9

TOMORROW is the BIG DAY!!! TOMORROW Project Runway returns for a WHOLE NEW SEASON! (Can you tell I'm a little excited???) PR is one of the absolute best shows on television...and I LOVE ME some Tim Gunn!! Tune in at 9pm on Lifetime, Thursdays beginning July 28th (TOMORROW in case you missed that concept from earlier in the post) and your life will IMMEDIATELY be a little bit better! YAY!!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Linthicum

It happened, she walked down the aisle, they said "I do", and now she is his wife. She was a stunning bride - truly one of the most GORGEOUS I have ever seen...she was giddy...overwhelmingly excited to be starting a new chapter with him. He was beaming as well. It was almost perfect watching the sunset over the Pt. Loma Cliffs as they danced in the background, the clancking of glasses often interrupting their moves and forcing them to give each other one more kiss. Her daddy sang to her during the toast...it was perhaps the most tender moment of the day. They are SO loved. We are SO blessed to have shared in their day. I could not be happier for my dear friend. Cheers and Congratulations resound in my heart...and I CANNOT wait to welcome them home to Orange County! WOOHOOOoooooo!!

a LOADED weekend...

4 years ago TODAY (July 22) I was on a ferry headed for Ellis Island with the World Changers New Orleans Team and my lifelong best friend Anna Powell was in California getting ready and heading to the church where she would become Mrs. Anna Garcia (she is now Dr. Anna Garcia...AMAZING!). She was a BEAUTIFUL bride. I can still remember VIVIDLY getting back to our hotel in New Jersey late that night and opening an email from my dad containing tons of pictures from Anna's BIG day and just sobbing. 4-years later, I still can't believe I wasn't there to see Anna walk down the aisle. NEVERTHELESS, I am SO thankful for our friendship and glad that I can celebrate their anniversaries through the years. SOMEDAY I hope I'll be married to a wonderful man and we can be "couple friends!"

Last year TOMORROW (July 23) I was in San Juan Capistrano getting ready for my dear friend Shalina's BIG day. She was beaming as she walked down the aisle...she was SO excited to start her new life with Craig as her family. Her wedding was SO FUN for me - it was the second wedding I had ever coordinated, and there were so many perfect moments. My favorite was probably when Hey Soul Sister started playing and Shalina found me amongst her guests and exclaimed, "SHELL, it's OUR song!"

SUNDAY (July 24) my OTHER lifelong best friend Jenny Holden will walk down the aisle and become Mrs. Jenny Linthicum...and then she and her husband Josh will move 100 miles north and live like 15 minutes from me in Orange County! WOOHOOO! I'm SO looking forward to celebrating my dear friends this weekend...and let me just tell you...there will be PICTURES coming!!!

It's a weekend LOADED with love...YAY!!

t'was the freaking weekend baby...

I went out and HAD ME SOME FUN!

This weekend was full (par the usual THIS summer) of MONUMENTOUS events. It started out on Friday evening with the viewing of the most epic theatrical release of the summer - HP7-2. If you haven't seen it yet, go, it's SO WORTH waiting in line for (and yes, I should have been more vigilant about actually getting in line - but dinner sounded so good... sorry Shalina and Craig...but at least we got decent seats and weren't in the front row thus ruining the rest of the weekend due to intense neck aches...). PS The Help may compete with HP for best movie of the summer, but I'll have to let you know once its released in August! Saturday was Adri & Erwin's southern California wedding reception...it was SO GOOD to see my dear ol' roommie from years past AND celebrate her nuptials. Erwin is a good man...and Adri is ALMOST here legally for GOOD! YAY! From the reception, I drove to San Diego to participate in Jenny's personal shower (aka...lingerie and unders hanging EVERYWHERE and the big s-e-x word was discussed a LOT) followed by her bachelorette. The shower was really nice - the girls did a REALLY great job. The bachelorette was downtown at a wine bar entitled, "syrah" which really becomes a club after 10pm. There was some drinking, some dancing, A LOT of people watching, and there are probably some questionable photos out there, somewhere, here's to hoping they don't show up on facebook. Sunday (which came WAY TOO EARLY if you were wondering) we celebrated my brother's 29th birthday with breakfast for dinner (sausage balls make my heart happy - they sound disgusting but they are SO GOOD and they are a SWOPE family classic for sure! mom cheated and made them with turkey sausage so they weren't nearly as good...but i swore i wouldn't tell kev...i didn't...and he didn't mention it...i was SURE he would make a big deal out of it) and homemade ice-cream...which Madeline REALLY enjoyed! I didn't leave for Orange County nearly early enough so the drive was a bit brutal...but it was GREAT being home for all the big MOMENTS. This weekend is Jenny and Josh's wedding...AHHHHhhhhh so fun! I guess I better figure out what I'm going to do with my hair, nails, makeup, etc. and SOON!

when no one shows up,

we play cards!

this week, only 4 of us showed up to LifeGroup...so we DITCHED our discussion of "Searching for God Knows What" and headed for Golden Spoon. While eating our delectible dessert (i got chocolate, peanut butter, and classic coffee...AMAZING), we decided to play a quick game (or two, or three) of "screw your neighbor" which actually has a real name, but that's the one i remember! 'twas fun. maybe our other friends should skip more often...or maybe we should just do more eating and card playing...either way!

brown paper packages tied up with strings...

I would like to introduce you to my new FAVORITE shower tool…the luffa. I know what you’re thinking, everyone has a luffa shell – you’re crazy. FALSE. I have a luffa from the luffa farm (located in Nipomo, CA) and it is unlike any luffa you’ve ever used (unless you got one from the luffa farm, and then you probably already know what I’m talking about). The luffa farm was a VERY interesting experience. I had no idea that luffas were made from cucumbers…I would have thought they came from the sea like the sponge but no – they’re grown in a greenhouse like botanicals. CRAZY! Seriously though, the luffa is abrasive enough to actually get the job done, but soft enough that it isn’t a skin irritant – it lathers well and rinses easily. Oh, and the BEST part, you can extend its life by tossing it into the washing machine with your whites once a week! Whaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!!! Honestly I’m SO impressed. AND I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to use an ordinary luffa again.

i'm getting REALLY excited...

weddings, babies, and birthdays, OH MY!

This weekend kicked off the official wedding madness that you will see as a constant theme in my blog throughout the months of July and August…weddings are my life this summer…and I honestly couldn’t be happier – great friends getting married and starting new adventures – perfection!
Kristin & Marshall kicked it all off with a wonderful afternoon celebration at Marina Village on Saturday, July 9th. Theirs was the first wedding I’ve coordinated in San Diego and I’ve got to say that having a bunch of Gateway people helping get everything done was AMAZING. Those people work like no one I know. So many contributed their time and talents to make Kristin & Marshall’s day special and it did not go unnoticed. I truly COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT without them – and it was SUPER FUN to say “MOM, I’ve got another job for you.” The day ran smoothly and the bride and groom were happy and THAT is all that counts, that and the super sore feet I have to prove a job well done.
I spent the night with Kevin and Jamie after the wedding so I could get some morning time with Madeline. We had chocolate chip pancakes and strawberries for breakfast, watched a little Madeline, and played her new favorite game- there’s crocodiles. The girl is HYSTERICAL!
Sunday afternoon was Lisa Trapp’s baby shower for Grace Olivia, her daughter that could literally come ANY DAY NOW – she is due in 2 weeks. I’ve known Lisa for literally as long as I can remember – and our friendship really changed dimensions when I went to stay with her and Jason in England while I was studying abroad at Oxford. She was pregnant with her first then – and NOW she’s having number 2! Grace received LOTS of fun gifts, including 4 tu-tu onesies! They are ADORABLE. We laughed at the shower and the way the seating happened – Anna, Sarah, Jenny, Lisa and I all sat at one table – and our moms sat at another – I guess the kid table will always be a reality in our lives! Interesting that at 26, 28, and 29 we’re still kids!
The weekend ended with birthday dinner for Shalina. We had In-N-Out, she opened her gift, and we played with Sophie (Shalina & Craig’s puppy) for a while before saying goodbye. It was the perfect way to finish a busy and FULL weekend.
This weekend is just as busy…so get ready for a full report on Harry Potter 7 (Friday evening with Shalina & Craig), Adri & Erwin’s California reception, Jenny’s personal shower & bachelorette, AND Kevin’s 29th birthday party! WHEW! The fun doesn’t stop here friends…it keeps rollin’ ALL SUMMER LONG!