HAPPINESS IS...

Our Second Birth Story

Hello there! How has it already been 2.5 months since our little Wren was born? 

If you remember Bowie's birth story, this one was also like something out of the movies. It's how we do things around here. The birth was so quick (3 hours) that Hal almost missed it! I still laugh about how nothing made it out of my bag - no candles, crystals, essential oils or Hypnobabies this time around. But I'll take fast and furious over long and laborious any day. Makes for a great story, that's for sure. And we're fortunate that we had someone there to help me tell it to you today - our birth photographer, Whitney Hardie.

Birth photography was not on my list of must-haves going into this pregnancy. In all honesty, I was extremely hesitant about letting a stranger document such raw and intimate moments. Would her camera clicking distract me? Would I feel self-conscious? Would the images scar our children for life? But as soon as we met for an initial consultation, Whitney and I connected instantly and her warm and calming presence put me at ease. All my concerns were addressed and as promised, she was an absolute ninja. I barely even noticed she was in the delivery room. And the final images? You'll see below - they speak for themselves. They still make me emotional. I love being able to re-live this once in a lifetime event. And seeing your birth from someone else's perspective is quite amazing - like an out-of-body experience. We're so happy to have had these memories preserved. I only wish Whitney was with us for Bowie's birth as well! Pregnant friends, if you're on the fence about hiring a birth photographer, do it. Seattle mamas-to-be, Whitney is your gal. 

So here we go. My darling Wren, below is the beautiful story of how we met...

...

You were due on January 2nd. I was hoping for a New Year's Day baby because it was a full super moon on the 1st. You know me, I'm silly about that kind of stuff. At the very least, I was determined to have you after Christmas (who wants to compete with Jesus?) But on December 22, 2017, at just under 38 weeks, you came knocking on my door. I woke up around 5am with what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions. I'd had them throughout the third trimester, frightening me with each tightening of my uterus. Since your brother Bowie was 1 month premature, I was extremely anxious about going into labor early again. Although I was considered full term, I still wasn't mentally ready (would I ever have been?) With each contraction, I told you, "no, no, not today baby, not today." You must have been giggling inside. I drifted in and out of sleep until around 7am when the pressure waves felt regular, so I began to time them. They were 10 minutes apart. This was all new to me, since Bowie's labor started with my water breaking. What did 10 minutes apart really mean?

I woke up your Papa, told him the news, and got into the shower to see if the hot water would slow things down. It didn't. I could barely stand up in the stall. As soon as I got out, I called my midwife. Since second births happen quicker, she said I should come into the hospital. I naively asked her if the contractions were possibly a false alarm? She chuckled and said "no, you're having a baby today!" Eek! I got dressed, dried my hair, and threw a few last minute items into my bag. Standing up and walking around sped things up considerably. I was doubled over in pain every 30 seconds or so. It didn't even occur to me that the time between my contractions would increase and intensify so rapidly.

Meanwhile, your Papa called my folks to start their 1.5 hour drive up to Seattle. He called Whitney, so she could meet us at the hospital. Then he got busy getting Bowie fed and dressed. We planned to leave him with my brother who lives in the neighborhood, but they were in Hawaii and we foolishly didn't have a back-up plan. Total parent fail! In hindsight, we should have dropped him off with a neighbor, but we figured your grandparents would get to the hospital in time to take him while I labored. Famous last words.

Once we got in the car, it seemed as though my contractions were happening every 15 seconds. I had to unbuckle my seatbelt, lean forward into the dashboard and breathe through them with all the concentration I could muster. I remember saying to Papa, "you're going to need to drive a lot faster!" Poor Bowie was probably so confused. Papa explained to him that you were on your way and Mama was going to be okay. At one point, I truly thought I was going to give birth in the car. BUT we made it to the hospital. Papa carried Bowie along with all our bags, while I trailed behind, stopping to breathe through a contraction every few feet. We rushed up the elevator to the delivery ward and the nurses directed me to a room. I waddled in, changed into a birthing gown and immediately climbed into the bed. Bowie was chatting up a storm so I asked Hal to take him outside. I needed silence. And I couldn't bear to have him see me in so much pain.

They left the room as my midwife came in to greet me, strap on a monitor and check my cervix. I was 6 cm dilated. She left to go get a birthing ball while the nurses asked me all sorts of annoying questions and tried to insert the saline lock into my arm. But there was no time for stillness in between contractions. As soon as one pressure wave ended, the next one began. Then it happened - I felt the strong urge to poo. I remembered this sensation all too well from Bowie's birth and knew exactly what it meant. You were ready. You were coming.

My midwife came back and checked my cervix. I asked if could push, dreading the thought of holding you in like I had to with Bowie. But she gave me the green light and I was so relieved! Someone asked if I wanted your Papa in the room. I said "YES! GO GET HIM!" A nurse raced out to the waiting area, gave Bowie a piece of chocolate, and told Papa to RUN! He arrived just as I began to push you out.

He cheered me on as I crushed his hand with my grip. I was so eager to see you, my midwife had to remind me to only push during the contractions! About 2 pushes in, my mom arrived, right as your head was crowning. Then one final push!

My midwife caught you at 10:33am and immediately placed your tiny purple body below mine. I looked down into your familiar eyes and weeped.

YOU'RE HERE.

They flipped me over and I got to hold you on my chest, skin to skin. The most magical feeling in the world. 

My placenta was delivered soon after and my midwife sewed up a very minor tear as you instinctively made your way to my breast for your very first feed. 

Your papa was so happy he made it in time.

And he couldn't wait to bring your brother into the room to meet you. Bowie was in awe of your tiny nose and mouth, that looked so similar to his own.

We named you Wren for a few reasons. Papa chose it because one of his favorite drummers is Alan "Reni" Wren from The Stone Roses. I loved the name because the wren is considered the most sacred bird in many cultures, particularly to the Druids. It symbolizes wisdom and healing. Around the New Year, an apprentice Druid would go out by himself into the woods and if he found a wren, it was a sign that he would be blessed with knowledge in the coming year. The wren is a very tiny bird with a big voice. The wren's elusiveness is a metaphor for finding divinity within all things. Your middle name, Keone (pronounced key-own-ee), is Hawaiian for land/sand/earth. We felt it went perfectly with Bowie's middle name, Ocean.

The next day, the hospital photographer stopped by to take a few sweet portraits of you and all of us together at last....

Wren Keone O'Keefe, you are one special soul. So incredibly loved. With you here, our family is complete.

 

 

{Images by Hardie Photography and Bella Baby Photography}

And Then There Were Four

Our baby boy is going to be a big brother! To another baby boy! I still can't quite believe it myself. Since it took us 3 years to conceive Bowie, I (wrongly) assumed it would take a very long time to get pregnant (and stay pregnant) again. Especially with my "advanced maternal age". But it happened during our very first month of trying, and we weren't even on fertility meds. We were shocked. And terrified. Still are! But excited beyond belief.

This baby seems to be very serious about joining us earth side. It's been a smooth pregnancy so far. He's been enduring all sorts of feats, including one bad car accident and one crazy toddler jumping / crashing / climbing on my belly. Despite some extreme fatigue - which could be related to chasing around a high energy 22-month old - I've been feeling wonderful. And pretty darn lucky.

Here are a few fun outtakes of this photoshoot with Bowie. Which only took about a gazillion snaps to get right!  

 

Thoughts 15 - Life After Giving Life

 

Hello loves.  Remember me?  I never intended to take such a long break from the blog, but my goodness, motherhood hit me like a ton of bricks.  And now that so much time has passed, where do I even start?

I actually started writing this post months ago, but the interweb gods decided to crash my browser, deleting everything I wrote, leaving me in a puddle of tears.  I took that as a sign to relax, take some pressure off, and focus on being a mama.  No one was sitting in front of their computer waiting for me to hit publish.  But still.  When you've been blogging regularly since 2009, it felt strange to not share my post-baby life with you.  Plus, I figured if those effortlessly stylish Instagram mamas with 4 home-schooled children could run a business and keep a blog going, why couldn't I pull it together?  Who ARE those women? 

Almost seven months have gone by since our little love was born.  Seven months!  The best and hardest seven months of my life.  And it may sound crazy to some, but I'm just NOW starting to see the light.  Just now starting to feel less anxious, more confident.  Less stressed, more appreciative. Just now feeling rested enough to actually convert thoughts into words - although I've still yet to sleep longer than 4 hours at a time since his birth.  Oy. 

 

Motherhood is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.

- Donna Ball

Shell-shocked is a good term to describe those first few months.  I was living in survival mode every second of the day, just trying to keep this tiny human alive.  With a preterm baby, we suffered through it all - daily doctor appointments, jaundice, breastfeeding challenges, low milk supply, hair-pulling colic, head shape and heart rate scares.  

Then came hormonal postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and sleep issues that are still working themselves out.  I will never forget counting down the seconds until Hal came home from work, so I could pass off the crying baby to cry in the shower alone.  

 

 

Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did - that everything involving our children was painful in some way. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed and yes, in pain. The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human body and yet, each child represented just that - a parent's heart bared, beating forever outside its chest.

 

- Debra Ginsberg

 

While pregnant, I was so naive.  It's comical really, how naive.  You can imagine, you can read books and you can listen to other people's experiences, but I've learned you can't really prepare yourself because you have no idea what you're in for - what your particular baby will be like.  I foolishly assumed and hoped that since I'd had an easy pregnancy, I'd have an "easy" baby. Laughable, I know. 

Our sweet pea just so happens to be one of those "spirited" babies, persistent, dramatic and adorably demanding, pulling all theatrics to get what he wants the moment he wants it.  Sounds familiar - I shouldn't have been surprised.  He also has a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out) and fights sleep with everything he's got.  But at the same time, this kid is ridiculously happy and charming after a good snooze and a big meal.  Now that his personality is emerging more and more, I've noticed how remarkably expressive and goofy he is - we might have another performer on our hands.  And his eyes.  They are angelic.  He smile heals.  He is pure light and joy in physical form.  

 

We dance with the baby every night now, spinning round and round the kitchen.  DIzzying, this happiness.

- Jenny Offill, Dept. of Speculation

 

Now and again, when I awake to screams in the middle of the night, when I experience an overtired meltdown in public, when he hurts and there's nothing I can do to help.  During teething, shots, or a difficult developmental phase....  I wish the days, weeks, and months will end so I can sleep again.  So I can have time to myself.  So I can get back to work.  

But it was such a difficult path to get here, I've made a vow to stop wishing away the hours.  The days are long but the years are short, they say - which I never really understood until now.  There's a song that chokes me up every time I sing it to Bowie before bed: 

 

Where are you going, my little one, little one
Where are you going, my baby, my own.
Turn around and you're two, turn around and you're four.
Turn around and you're a young man going out of the door.

 

This new life?  It's the real deal.  The lows make the highs even higher.  The joys brighter.  I thought I knew happiness before having a baby.  But my heart now explodes on a daily basis.  His smell, his skin, his squeals.  I laugh more than ever.  I live in the moment like I've never done before.  It's messy and monotonous, but oh so magical.  THIS, to me, is what happiness is. 

 

Babies are soft. Anyone looking at them can see the tender, fragile skin and know it for the rose-leaf softness that invites a finger's touch. But when you live with them and love them, you feel the softness going inward, the round-cheeked flesh wobbly as custard, the boneless splay of the tiny hands. Their joints are melted rubber, and even when you kiss them hard, in the passion of loving their existence, your lips sink down and seem never to find bone. Holding them against you, they melt and mold, as though they might at any moment flow back into your body.

- Diana Gabaldon

 

---

As for the future of this blog, to be honest I'm not quite sure.  I'd love to get back on my weekly schedule again.  If the babe ever naps in the crib or anywhere other than my arms, the carrier or the car seat, it might be possible.  But I'm not going to stress about it if I can't make that happen.  I DO know that I'll be using Instagram as a micro-blog, linking here when I have more photos to share or something to say that exceeds 150 characters.  So please find me (@shanrockeileen) to follow.  And I hope you'll sign up for my newsletter (see sidebar) to be notified when I do get a chance to post.  Thanks, friends.  For hanging in there.  For your comments, support, love and loyalty over the years.  ♥

 

Our Birth Story

Hello friends!  I've temporarily emerged from the baby cave to share with you our birth story.

Today was Bowie's due date, which I can't quite believe.  I often wonder what I'd be doing right now if he decided to arrive when he was supposed to, still content in the womb.  I have a romanticized vision of myself nesting around the house, sipping red raspberry leaf tea, reading a novel, having quiet conversations with baby before settling in for our 3rd nap of the day.  Or taking photos of our finished nursery nook, cleaning the house so guests can visit after the birth, packing our hospital bags with the utmost thought and care.  Maybe even some last minute pampering - a pedicure, massage, gentle yoga and long walks under orange October leaves. 

If anyone was NOT ready for their baby to arrive a whole month early, it was me!  But like all unexpected circumstances, it makes for a great story.  One that has taken me quite some time to sit down and write - let alone find the time between feedings to piece it all together for the blog.  It's long and detailed and a bit graphic, but I want to be able to look back on this 20 years from now and remember every single moment of the happiest day of our lives. 

On September 19th, we attended our friends' 80's-themed wedding reception in full costume.  I wore an oversized shoulder-padded blazer over a short sequined mini dress and nude nylons with crimped, teased hair.  Hal wore pegged jeans, suspenders down around his waist, and straightened his hair with a deep side part so it strategically fell over one eye.  We took a few awkward prom pics, danced to the Spazmatics (for as long as I could in 3-inch pointy pumps) and were sitting down for a rest when I felt a small gush in my underwear.  I excused myself to go to the restroom.  But the little gush turned into a larger one as I scurried across the dance floor - leaving a trail behind me!  This can't be my water, it just can't.  In the bathroom, I stripped down my pantyhose and gushed some more.  I texted Hal: "bring my bag - I think my water broke!"

My heart was racing when we got in the car.  Is this really happening?  Panic set in as I listed off all the things we didn't get done.  The car seats weren't installed, the IKEA-hack dresser / changing table wasn't complete, our house was a complete disaster zone.  I lamented over all the business projects I didn't get a chance to finish.  And tears welled up in my eyes when I thought about the maternity photoshoot we would have to cancel.  Hal convinced me to not jump to conclusions and call the hospital for advice.  So I left them a message and we waited for a response.

At home, I continued to gush on the toilet when our midwife called me back.  Even though I wasn't feeling contractions, she wanted us to come in to make sure it was indeed my amniotic fluid that was leaking.  If not, she'd send us back home.  But if it was, she said GET READY TO HAVE A BABY TONIGHT!  Gulp.  Hal relayed the information to my parents and our doula.  I hung up the phone and began to cry.  Please be a false alarm.  Please be a false alarm!

Racing around the house in a packing frenzy, I grabbed the smallest set of newborn pajamas I could find and searched for something to wear myself when I realized I hadn't done laundry!  Disgusted, I threw some dirty clothes into the bag and tried not to think about the cute birthing outfit, robe, socks and other hospital "essentials" I was planning to acquire later that week.  I hadn't even emailed the Birth Preferences worksheet to our midwives yet.  So I printed out a few copies to give to the staff upon arrival. 

After a nervous 10-minute drive to the hospital, we were escorted to the very last birthing room available.  Apparently, everyone in Seattle was having a baby that night!  We'd been told just one day prior that they're rarely at full capacity.  I couldn't help but wonder what big celestial event was going on to warrant so many babies being born.  As it turned out, that weekend fell smack dab in between the two September eclipses, hmmm.  The nurses hooked my belly up to the monitor and ran a few tests.  They concluded that the fluid was definitely amniotic, as suspected.  This is really happening.

Around 10pm, our midwife came in and explained that labor would need to start very soon, because there's a high risk for infection after your water breaks.  She gave us time alone in the room to see if the contractions would start naturally.  If they didn't, she recommended Pitocin to get the ball rolling.  I wanted a drug-free birth with no interventions, so that wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear.  Hal put on some Nina Simone as I paced the room, waiting for contractions to start.  Every now and then, I'd feel some mild cramping, which Hal started timing.  Later, he told me that it was hard to take me seriously walking around with my crimped 80's hair! 

Since I was 4-weeks early, the baby monitor had to stay permanently strapped to my belly throughout the entire labor.  And it wasn't cordless - so I had to haul it around like a purse everywhere I went, even in the shower or tub.  I remember getting tangled up in it often.  Highly annoying and itchy, but I grew to appreciate it later on as it showed the peaks of my contractions and let us know that the baby was okay. 

My parents arrived around this time, but I wasn't in the best of moods.  I was worried about the potential complications of a preterm birth.  Would our baby be fully developed?  Would he have to stay in the NICU?  Already, nothing seemed to be going as planned.  Which is laughable really.  Because if you've ever given birth, or know someone who has, you'll know it very rarely does.  Maybe it was the daily positive conditioning from my Hypnobabies tracks, but not once did I consider how I'd react if the birthing experience was anything other than what I imagined.  Hal took me for a walk around the hospital halls to get my head straight and put things into perspective.  Accept what is.  Let whatever happens happen.  And focus on what's important - bringing our beautiful boy into the world.

And that's when I decided to stop letting my fears ruin the experience, as they were no doubt inhibiting my body from doing what it was supposed to.  Around 1am, the midwife checked in on us, suggesting Pitocin yet again.  I refused, knowing deep down that my baby would come when he was ready.  She offered to give us a few more hours.  Perfect.  

We set out my mom's crystals, diffused some lavender essential oil, and settled in for the night.  Hal on the couch, my mom in the rocking chair, and me in the bed with headphones listening to my Hypnobabies tracks.  The threat of being induced motivated me.  I remember silently talking to our baby, begging him to make his move sooner rather than later.

He must have heard me.  The mild cramping became stronger, waking me up from a light sleep.  Around 5am, active labor had officially begun!  Hal called our doula, Vivianne, to let her know it was time.  She arrived soon after and helped me with the breast pump because nipple stimulation is a great way to speed things up.  I remember being intimidated by the breast pump, not knowing what to expect - my nipples are extremely sensitive!  But it wasn't so bad, just a strange and slightly irritating sensation.  After a while on the pump, my contractions were definitely getting stronger.

First I labored in a semi-squatting position on the bed. They placed a handrail near the foot of the bed so I could hold onto it during contractions.  There was a giant mound of pillows behind my back to lean back on in between.  This felt good for early labor, but the constant squatting eventually got to me.

One thing I wasn't expecting was the shakes!  My adrenaline was so pumped up, I shivered during most of early labor.  I felt like a newborn fawn whenever I tried to walk to the bathroom to relieve myself.  The nurse kept taking my temperature to make sure I wasn't getting a fever.  

We tried a few other positions to get comfortable.  One was standing up and holding onto Hal for support, but I wasn't having it.  I felt a strong urge to sit down and lean forward during the pain.  Someone brought in a birthing ball for me to sit on.  This felt wonderful.  During contractions, I'd lean into a pile of pillows on the bed, rotating my hips on the ball.

Around this time, I started to get in a good groove with my support team.  Vivianne was right beside me during each contraction, telling me when they were almost over.  My mom and Hal took turns placing cold washcloths over my neck and bringing me water to sip through a straw with occasional bites of applesauce.  They gave me so much positive encouragement, telling me how strong I was, how proud they were.  This was invaluable. 

When your water breaks, they try not to check your cervix too often to eliminate the risk of infection.  But after awhile, I got curious about my dilation.  It felt like I was laboring intensely for quite some time - I had to be pretty far along.  I requested a check and to my extreme disappointment, I was only 4 cm.  I remember looking at Hal with tears in my eyes, not knowing how I could continue laboring for another 6 cm.

Someone suggested a shower to relieve some pain.  I was ready to try anything.  I stripped down and sat on a stool in the shower stall while Hal sprayed hot water on my back.  It felt wonderful.  But that was short-lived.  The shower stall was tiny and I was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

After the shower, we found another good position to labor in.  I sat on the foot of the bed and leaned into the birthing ball during contractions, which I noticed were coming less frequently.  I welcomed this break, as I was able to lean back on pillows and fall asleep in between the pressure waves.  I always knew my expert narcoleptic sleeping skills would come in handy!  However, it was a strange sensation because I wouldn't exactly call it sleep.  I was in a beautiful, spiritual space - peaceful beyond words.  That place you go in deep meditation, almost out of body.  

The nurses came in to check on us, as they noticed the contractions getting further and further apart.  We were regressing.  If they didn't start speeding up in the next hour, they would need to start inducing.  Again, the threat of Pitocin revved me up.  I played Hypnobabies again using one headphone earbud, while listening to thunderstorms, ocean waves and singing bowls (ASoftMurmur.com) on our bluetooth speaker.  At the same time, Vivianne did acupressure on my hands and feet.  Almost immediately, my contractions sped up.

This is when things start to get a little foggy.  The pain was SO intense with very short breaks in between.  As soon as one contraction ended, another one began with no time to relax.  I remember getting into a powerful rhythmic rocking movement with the birthing ball, swaying from side to side, while Hal and my mom switched off rubbing my lower back.  All my concentration was on the breath.

At one point, I felt a major urge to poo.  They told me that was a good sign - that the baby has dropped.  So they checked my cervix and I was 7 cm.  Progress!  Soon the urge became more than an urge - I felt a strong NEED to push!  They told me not to, because I wasn't fully dilated.  Easier said than done.  Not pushing felt nearly impossible.  I surprised myself with loud, guttural grunts.  He wants to come out now!

Someone suggested the birthing tub, since water slowed things down for me earlier.  They would just need 15 minutes to get it ready.  During which time, Vivianne reminded me to focus on my breathing like never before.  If I broke concentration for even a millisecond, the urge to push overcame me and I'd be gasping for air.  Instinctively, I moved onto the bed on all fours when the nurses said the tub was ready.  The midwife decided to check my cervix one last time and amazingly, I had gone from 7 to 10 cm in those 15 minutes of tub preparation!  

She gave me the green light to push.  "You're having a baby!" she exclaimed.  And I hear Hal break down with emotion.  I never felt so much love for him as I did right then.  He grabbed my hand as I began to push.  And strangely enough, the act of pushing, although painful, was a huge relief from the struggle of not pushing.  In between contractions, I leaned back in child's pose to rest and muster up enough energy to push some more. 

Maybe 10 minutes had passed before I felt the sharp "ring of fire" during crowning.  But it was a temporary pain.  And before I knew it, our midwife asked me if I wanted to touch the head.  I reached down in between my legs and was amazed by how squishy it felt.  A few more final pushes and one primal roar... his head emerged!  Then his shoulders and body followed.  At 12:36 pm, OUR BABY WAS BORN! 

I flipped onto my back as they brought him to rest on my belly.  Our sweet beautiful boy.  He was warm and familiar.  Extra alert, taking in the world.  We immediately locked eyes, through tears, communicating love without words.  That moment will stay with me forever. 

After delivering the placenta, my mom cut the umbilical cord after it stopped pulsing and they brought him up to rest on my chest.  Hal and I laughed and cried together, marveling over this perfect tiny being we created.  Those long fingers, big ears and wispy blonde hair!  I had a very minor vaginal tear that was stitched up while holding him my arms.  But I was too busy cuddling our babe to care.

When asked his name, I initially told the nurses we hadn't yet decided between the two we were considering.  We wanted to wait and see what he looked like.  But Hal said he knew.  And with that, so did I.  Bowie Ocean was introduced to the world.

Thinking back on this day, I feel empowered and proud.  I trusted and surrendered to my body and my baby.  I found a strength in myself I never knew existed.  And despite his surprise early arrival, we ended up having the birth I had imagined after all - relatively short (7 hours), unmedicated and uncomplicated.  Although weighing only 5 lbs, 14 oz, he was healthy and we were released from the hospital in 24 hours.  I feel so very fortunate.   

Bowie, if you're reading this one day - you've made your Papa and I the happiest we've been.  Thank you for choosing us as parents and allowing us to experience this incomparable, indescribable, unconditional love. xo

 

{Images by Bella Baby Photography}

We Had A Baby!!!

My loves, he arrived!  Mr. Bowie Ocean O'Keefe, our little starman, decided to join us 4 weeks early, much to our surprise.  Teaching mama her first big lesson about surrendering.  Trusting life to unfold as it will.

He has papa's nose and feet.  My mouth, ears and hands.  His eyes are perhaps a beautiful mix of us both.  For now, a dark sea blue.

With a preterm baby, our world has become a foggy blur of feeding, sleeping, pumping, repeat.  Every 2 hours, until he gains the weight he needs.  I'll be taking a short maternity leave from the blog for a few weeks until I'm feeling more comfortable with the new schedule.  I hope to pop back in at some point to share our birth story before those special memories fade.  Would you like to hear how it went?  It begins like something out of a movie!

P.S.  If you want to stay in touch during this time, come say hello on Instagram. 

A Brief But Beautiful Babymoon in British Columbia

This is the year of road trips.  First there was the Washington coast.  Then Northeast Oregon.  Now beautiful British Columbia!  We packed up our bags for a quickie babymoon adventure over the border into Canada, through Vancouver, and straight up the Sunshine Coast.  

Our first destination was Rockwater Secret Cove Resort....     

We walked through an elevated forest boardwalk to reach our special tree house tent overlooking the Pacific.  Talk about a luxury glamping experience!  Our suite had a giant pillow top bed - the kind that pulls you in and holds you captive.  With a color hydrotherapy jetted tub, a cozy gas fireplace with heated floors, gorgeous shoji screen doors, and private deck lounge chairs I immediately put to use.  We both agreed we could live here permanently.    

The entire property is magical.  Had we stayed longer, we would have taken one of their kayaks out for a paddle.  I did however manage to squeeze in a relaxing prenatal massage along the water's edge.  With the sun warming my skin and the waves gently lapping at the shore, I dozed off and woke up with a puddle of drool on the pillow.  It definitely made my body forget it sat in the car for 6 hours straight just prior.    

After a blissful night in our tree house, we woke up slow, sipped hot tea on our veranda, ate a peaceful breakfast at their restaurant and hit the road.  Someone please have a destination wedding here!  Can you imagine?

Ferries.  They're romantic for sure.  And the most scenic way to cross the Northwest channels - especially when you're on a motorcycle.  But only if you manage to catch them on time!  We had to take two ferries to get to our next destination on Vancouver Island and while the first one worked out flawlessly, the the second one was a bit of a nightmare.  We sat for 6 hours in line waiting to board, missing 3 departures all together and wasting an entire day at the ferry terminal.  This was a Monday!  Turns out there was a huge music festival that weekend and people were returning home.  I made a mental note to avoid this for next time.

Sadly we didn't arrive at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort until around 10pm.  It was dark and the restaurant was closed.  But the hotel staff surprised us with a glorious cheese and fruit platter in our personal fridge!  Which naturally made my night as I popped juicy strawberries and brie wedges into my mouth while marinating in our suite's jetted tub.

And the next morning, shortly after sunrise, I opened the curtains to THIS! 

Can you believe that view?  That deck itself is as large as the entire first floor of our house, no joke.  We spent the early morning hours watching the beach-goers below dig for crabs, build sandcastles and fly kites.  We couldn't wait to join them.  

But first - a fabulous breakfast at Cedars Restaurant and a dip in the infamous Grotto Mineral Pool.  After your soak, you go upstairs for endless tapas, exclusively served to robed spa guests only!  Anywhere that encourages fancy dining in bathrobes is where I want to be.    

Feeling fully rejuvenated, we spent the remainder of afternoon at the beach frolicking around the eternal low tide.

One night just wasn't enough, so I've decided to return for our next family trip.  Although we stayed in their fancier oceanfront suite, the grounds have a distinct campground feel with cozy log cabins sprinkled throughout the property.  Kids rode bikes through the woods and families enjoyed bonfires on the beach.  They even have entertaining recreation programs for little ones and a very special Vacay It Forward charity initiative that I'd love to support.  

The drive home was pretty and pleasant as we made our way south through Victoria, boarding another ferry into the States just as the sun sunk below the horizon.  We were quiet and reflective.  Appreciating these last moments together as a family of two.  And anticipating future adventures as a soon-to-be family of three.   

 

This post is sponsored by Rockwater Secret Cove Resort and Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort. The content and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!

Expressing My Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, you. I'm about to get started on the corn pudding, but first, like last year and the year before, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for a few beautiful things....

• The smell of chai tea simmering on the stove.
  
• The freedom and comfort of working from home.
• The blissful state a Reiki healing can bring.
• The magic that happens when painting wet on wet.
  
• The loud and unapologetic laugh of my husband in movie theaters.
• The warmth and crackle of our fireplace during the holidays.
• The fearlessness of wearing wellies in the rain.
• The funny conversations I have with my 2.5-yr old niece.
• The endless list of travel plans with my book club sisters.
• The ingredients that make up my famous (to me) Shannon-medley casserole.
• The songs that inspire me to write my own.
• The unconditional love I receive from my parents.
• The surprising synchronicities that give me direction.
• The encouraging dreams that push me forward.
• The sweet baby I'll one day hold in my arms.

And if I do not tell you enough. This space would be nothing without you, my kind readers who I am honored to call my friends. Thank you. For your visits, your comments and your love. xo

{Original image by Keri-Anne}

Thoughts 10: Self-Care Strategies + A Free Printable Calendar

 

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.

– Etty Hillesum

 

During the holidays, many of us place our happiness on the back burner. There are just too many parties to plan, too many gifts to buy, and too much work to get done before the end of the year. We tend to put ourselves last in an effort to please others. Which as you know, leads to exhaustion, stress and illness. I have a handful of friends experiencing this right now and it breaks my heart. Especially when something can be done about it.

I've talked about self-compassion before. And sadly, our society tends to view it as selfish, lazy or overindulgent. This couldn't be farther from the truth. When we care for ourselves deeply and deliberately, we naturally begin to care for others in a healthier and more effective way. Happiness spreads!

 

Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line.

– Lucille Ball

 

If you ever hear yourself say, "I'm too busy for ____", then maybe it's time to make self-care a priority. Here are a few helpful tips....

1.  Ask yourself the big questions. Where am I feeling deprived? What do I want more of in my life? What do I need less of? What is causing me to feel resentful and why? Knowing these answers will help you with the next two steps.

2.  Make a NO list and honor it. Get honest and write down things that are not serving you well in health and mind. Set strong boundaries. You can say no to taking on new projects at work. Over-committing to social situations. Rushing around to the next destination. Checking your phone during meals or conversations. One that should be on everyone's list: feeling guilty when implementing your NOs.

3.  Make a YES list and calendar it. This is the fun part. Write down 3 small things you can do each day to honor and nurture yourself. Listen to what your body and soul are craving. It can be anything from spending 5 extra minutes in the shower, reading a chapter of the your latest novel, bringing home fresh flowers, journaling before bedtime, taking an after-dinner walk, allowing yourself a power nap, or even something as simple as looking up at the moon. Anything that gives you a moment of bliss, however brief.

 

When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.

– Jean Shinoda Bolen

 

If you're at all like me, things don't happen in my world unless they are scheduled in. So I created a printable calendar to keep you on track....

 

 

DOWNLOAD YOUR SELF-CARE CALENDAR HERE

Write down a YES for each morning, afternoon and evening. And make it a part of your routine. Make it a ritual. Sure, we've all got a lot on our plates - balancing work, business, family, health, and friends is no easy task. But that's why it's so important to carve out time for yourself. Remember, no matter how busy a person is, they always manage to make time for the things that are most important. So make yourself the most important thing. Your loved ones will thank you for it.

 

Your finest work, your best movements, your joy, peace, and healing comes when you love yourself. You give a great gift to the world when you do that. You give others permission to do the same: to love themselves. Revel in self-love. Roll in it. Bask in it as you would sunshine.

- Melodie Beattie

 

Get Happy: 8 Hugs A Day

In his TED talk, Dr. Paul Zak, professor and neuroeconomist, gives us the ultimate prescription for happiness:  8 hugs a day.

We've all experienced the power of a hug. How it can turn a bad day around and make everything a little better. But now we know why. According to Dr. Zak's study, hugs release oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that acts like a hormone. Oxytocin is released in the body when we feel safe and connected, increasing compassion, empathy and trust. Since the effects last around 30 minutes, the goal is to cause our brain to regularly release oxytocin throughout the day.

So go home and hug your partner, pet, family or friends tonight. 8 times. Doctor's orders!

*** HUG ***

{Artwork by Blanca Gomez}

Our Anniversary Stay at Friday Harbor House on San Juan Island

For our 2nd anniversary, we took the Harley up to Anacortes and rode the ferry to San Juan Island.

The great thing about motorcycles on ferries? VIP Treatment! They're much cheaper than cars, and you're allowed to drive past all the other vehicles to the front of the line. First to board, first to exit, and first dibs on seating.

We immediately got to work on a community jigsaw puzzle to pass the time. A gaudy oil painting of cats! One hour (and major puzzle progress) later, we left the pieces in tact for the next brave ferry passenger.

Two blocks from the ferry terminal, we arrive at Friday Harbor House, a sweet little boutique inn that sits on a bluff overlooking the harbor. As you can see, the views are something else! 

We slipped on a dress / collared shirt and made our way to ground floor for a NW locally-sourced dinner at The Bluff. We sat down just as the sun was setting and ordered a bottle of red, sharing the brussels sprout salad with house-made ricotta with plums and hazelnuts, and the grilled romaine caesar salad with wild mushrooms and aged goat cheese. Strangely, there wasn't a vegetarian main entree, but Chef Aaron Rock made a special linguine for me with veggies so fresh, I would have guessed they were plucked directly from the earth mere moments before they were cooked and served on my plate.

Enticed by the enormous full moon, we took an evening stroll around Friday Harbor after dinner, bought some sweet treats, and returned to the room to snuggle by the fire and soak my sore motorcycle bum in theeee jetted bathtub of my dreams! See, this is what you dream about when you only have a shower at home.

In the morning, we feasted on The Bluff's continental buffet-style breakfast, filling our bellies with steel-cut oatmeal, chewy house-made granola, english muffins with raspberry jam and chamomile tea.

After breakfast, we walked to the harbor to release one of our guest book wish boats into the ocean, as we now do every year. Technically, we released it into the Puget Sound, but those sweet sentiments will reach the sea eventually!

San Juan Island has a 38-mile loop around the perimeter which makes for a perfect scenic bike ride, whether there's a motor attached or not! We bought sammies in Roche Harbor for a bite to eat in the sun, drove by Lakedale Resort where we glamped a few years back, and watched kayakers paddle around at Posey Island State Park. Arriving back at Friday Harbor just in time for an ice cream cone and the afternoon ferry home.

A lovely ride. A lovely stay. Celebrating 2 years of marriage with a most lovely man.

This post is sponsored by Friday Harbor House. The content and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!

Our 2-Year Anniversary - And 2nd Wedding Video!

2 years! It's been 2 years since I married the love of my life! My, how time does fly. I still get misty thinking about that magical day. We'll be celebrating this weekend with an overnight stay on San Juan Island, underneath a September 8th full harvest moon ♥

Below is our 2nd never-before-seen wedding video by Son of Sharkpig. If you remember, the first one was all about the romance (watch it here). This one is all about the FUN!

Song is More Today Than Yesterday by Spiral Starecase from our 2G4E Soundtrack.

NEW READER? CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE WEDDING SERIES

{Image by One Love Photo}

Life In Five: 05

Celebrating: the day Hal and I met 12 years ago today. Yes, it was love at first sight, and I give you permission to gag. We're pampering ourselves with an overnight staycation here in town. Should be a jolly good time.

Designing: my friend Melanie's wedding invitations. A great honor and an even greater responsibility. I'm more paranoid about making hers perfect than I ever was with my own! We're doing watercolor and calligraphy, my current specialties :)

Learning: soooo much about online marketing that my brain hurts. I'm in home stretch of B-School and teetering on information overload. But it's the good kind of overwhelm. The exciting stuff. It will probably take the rest of the year to fully implement my new-found knowledge into the blog and budding art biz, but my goals are precision clear. Stay tuned for a post about the top things I've learned.

Detoxifying: my life, starting with the nasty chemicals I've been putting into my hair and skin. There are so many healthier options. Finding the best natural and organic personal care products will take some trial and error, but I've already found a few gems. I'll make sure to share my list once it's ready.

Researching: my next big adventure. This actually isn't anything new, as I plan fake vacations all the time. But I've got the travel itch, what can I say. We won't be able to go anywhere grand any time soon, since this is the year of weddings in LA. But I'll be saving my pennies for someplace exotic in 2015. Thinking about Iceland with my love. Or Istanbul with my girls. Or Bali with myself!?

What have you been up to lately?

Get Happy 15: Fresh Flowers

Happy Love Day! I'm over on Dreams In HD today with my latest Get Happy installment, talking about how fresh flowers make us happier human beings. I believe it. Hop on over to Molly's inspiring blog to read more.

Will you be celebrating big tonight or laying low? We usually hide out at home while Hal cooks me something heart-shaped. But with Valentine's Day landing on a Friday this year, we might actually paint the town red. Or pink! They're playing Pretty In Pink at our local indie theater where you snuggle up in cozy booths and watch the movie as they serve you dinner & drinks. 

Have a mushy gushy sappy cheesy over-indulgent evening, my sweets! Why not.

Rosaspina's Vintage Italian Wedding

Would you ever have your wedding guests take photos instead of a professional photographer?

The idea scares me a bit, but Rosaspina did just this and her vintage-inspired reception was artfully documented by friends and family using old film cameras. The images look like something out of a 50's Italian romance. La dolce vita!


{Images via Rosaspina Vintage}

Anniversary Guest Book Wish Boats

Our first anniversary was mellow and sweet. We ate breakfast at our favorite house-converted-restaurant, Wild Mountain Cafe, took a paddleboat out for a spin on Greenlake, relaxed in sensory deprivation pods (more on that tomorrow), window shopped in Ballard, and enjoyed a lovely dinner at Serafina.

But before the sun went down, we started a new tradition. If you remember from the wedding, we asked our guests to write down a few words on origami paper and fold them into wish boats.

Write us a love note. Your hopes & advice. Leave us your wishes. And fold it up nice.
Every year. On our anniversary. One boat will be read. And set off to sea.

All year, we kept them in my grandfather's suitcase, together with the un-erased chalkboard sign. Down by the lighthouse at Discovery Park beach, we selected one boat to read and release out into the water.

I just so happened to choose my college roomie's paper boat, who just so happens to be a gifted writer. We snapped a photo of her touching note, so we wouldn't forget her words. It was the perfect wish for our first paper boat release, the first of many more to come.

Do you have any anniversary traditions?

Our Wedding Video By Son of Sharkpig

 

I've been holding onto this video for a long time, waiting for our 1-year anniversary to share it!

The talented Mr. Steve Pappin of Son of Sharkpig filmed and edited it for us. I can't imagine how long it took to turn 12+ hours of Super 8 footage into a 5 minute song. And this is just the first video - we'll be getting second reception vignette later on.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do, friends. I tear up every time I watch.

P.S. If you're curious, the song is from our soundtrack: Excuses by The Morning Benders.


{Pre-edited image by: Regine Ali; Video by: Son of Sharkpig}

The Perfect Imperfect Love

Bob Marley will always remind me of Hal. And this quote will always remind me of our relationship. I love the message, don't you?

This weekend marks our 1-year wedding anniversary. My goodness, how the days fly by. Since we're celebrating later in the month with our coastal road trip, we have nothing big planned. Maybe a nice dinner out with some live jazz. On Monday, I'll be sharing with you our official wedding video by Son of Sharkpig! Stay tuned friends. It's a goodie.

Have the loveliest of weekends. And please enjoy the links...

 

How to make a rug with a paperclip.

Yay, it's time for fall boots.

A cute and clever way to hide the ugly remote.

I've gotta try this bitchin' sauce.

An illustrated bucket list is an excellent idea.

Turn a men's dress shirt into a girly apron.

Have you ever tried tunisian tea?

An office/studio of my dreams!

A sweet little set of felt pumpkins.

How to style a hair bow.

 

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Lovely Ladies
• Circles of Life
• Why I Love Him - Reason #98

 

{Pre-edited image by Flumina}

40 Years of Marriage

Over the weekend, my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. They met in high school and fell in love on a band trip to Europe. He played the drums. She played the bassoon. They attended college together, married after graduation and had two (bratty yet adorable) kids at 23 and 25. They raised us broke while paying off student loans and attending grad school. I'm not sure how they did it, but here they are. Forty years and one grandchild later, still going strong, still head over heels in love.

Thank you, Mom & Pop, for being an example. For teaching me how to love, forgive and persevere. As Hal and I near our 1-year anniversary, we are humbled and inspired by your commitment to one another. We aspire to follow your lead, so 40 years from now, we can celebrate the same.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

My Wedding 25: The Grand Finale

As the dance party wound down, it was finally dark enough for our movie. The world premiere green carpet screening of 2G4E.

At dusk, the flowers were pulled from the firepit and a roaring bonfire was lit. It was a nice escape for our guests who wanted a break from the dance floor. Hal's brother, Greg, set up an awesome gourmet smores bar with marshmallows, chocolate, mint, peanut butter, and cookies instead of grahams.

We served buttered popcorn in an old-fashioned popper while my brother manned the projector. Blankets were spread out on the grass in front of my dad's homemade screen: a white sheet hung between two trees.

After the movie ended... we heard a BOOM! 

The fireworks show began. My dad and cousin shot them off up near the house. To the amazement of our California guests, this is one of the perks of living in the boonies of an unincorporated county in Washington. We bought extra mortar shells from 4th of July and saved them for the wedding. I later learned that a few friends were out in the row boat, stranded by the low tide, and watched the entire show from the water! 

It was magical. And the only way to end our grandiose backyard DIY wedding. With a big, loud, colorful bang.

My dear friends, I hope you've enjoyed our photos as much as I enjoyed sharing them. Thank you again, Heather and Jon, for perfectly capturing our love and editing a crazy amount of images for this little (25-post) series! It's been such a pleasure reliving every moment of our most special day.

Watch our WEDDING VIDEO by Son of Sharkpig!



{Images by One Love Photo; Movie by Katia Herrera}

My Wedding 24: The Party

After our world record attempt, the familiar Hava Nagila boomed over the speakers. Get ready kids, it's Hora time.

Our good friend, Jenny (in the polka dots) led the way, belting out the lyrics. I'm not Jewish, but I've been to a fair share of Jewish weddings over the years. I knew enough to hold hands, link arms, skip around and twirl.

Then this happened.

We were hoisted up to ridiculous heights in flimsy folding chairs. At first, too many men held me in the back with not enough support in the front. I felt myself slipping forward into face plant position. It was exhilarating! Glancing over at Hal flying high above the string lights was one of my favorite moments of the night.

My buddy, Jeremy, aka DJ Bishop, spun some old-school hip hop to get the party started right. You may remember him from my Mad Men-inspired birthday in Palm Springs. He used to DJ all our college parties at USC.

At one point, Luqman challenged Hal to a dance-off...

Requiring ultimate concentration.

I'm not sure who won, but it was the first time I ever saw Hal attempt the splits. I guess it takes an extra special occasion.

And wherever there's a bridge, I go under.

NEXT WEEK... the GRAND FINALE!

{Images by One Love Photo}

Our Custom Family Portrait By Nan Lawson

My heart is warmed by your thoughtful comments, emails, and messages regarding Bailey's passing last week. I don't know how I would have survived without your support.

While cleaning up her things, I dug out the custom portrait that Nan Lawson made for our little family last December, which we've yet to get framed. I cried happy tears, seeing the three of us together. I love that she'll always be remembered in this way.

Coming home to an empty house has been the hardest part. But being outdoors in nature has helped me heal. We had a nice intimate celebration on the 4th, and relaxed with friends at the Seattle Beer Fest over the weekend.

We took motorcycle rides to the park and lazy afternoon naps in the sun. We ate sandwiches on the beach and read books in the shade. With Bailey right there beside us.


{Image by Nan Lawson} 

My Wedding 22: The World Record Attempt

Key word: attempt. Had we tried to break Jimmy Fallon's world record earlier in the day, we would have gone down in history as the longest pop n' lock arm wave!

Considering we had just over 100 people at the wedding, we thought we had it in the bag. 52 was the number to beat. But half the guests left during our motorcycle ride and the head count quickly diminished. When we got the video back, we counted... 52. A TIE! We were one person shy.

The Recordsetter rules:

- participants must grasp hands and create a full circle
- record only counts if arm wave returns all the way to the first person
- must provide video evidence

Fail. Let's try that one again...

Thanks to Mr. Steve Pappin, the Son of Shark Pig himself, we have our video proof...

 

Since then, the world record for longest pop n' lock arm wave has been broken by 528 middle school kids. Grrr. Even still, it's fun to say, that for a brief moment in time... we were once world record tiers.

NEXT WEEK... the DANCE PARTY!



{Images by One Love Photo; Video by Son of Shark Pig}

My Wedding 21: The Motorcycle Ride

As the sun began to set, Heather and Jon stole us away from the fun and games for some more fun and games... on Hal's motorcycle! If you've been following my blog, you'll know that his Harley is very special to us both. Hal inherited it from his late father and drove it up from California with a ring. He proposed to me on a bike trip soon after.

I grabbed my leather jacket, slipped on my boots, and off we went up the driveway...

... very slowly. I'm dying of laughter because my cousin drove the photographer/videographer team along beside us in my parents' golf cart! We felt so silly. And yes, we were sans helmet for aesthetic purposes. Kids, do not try this at home.

All was fine and dandy, until we made our way home. Until I felt a sharp tug on my leg. Until I screamed for Hal to stop. Until my train got caught in the back tire!!!

The outer layer of chiffon was completely ripped off. Hal untangled the mass of fabric wound up in the wheel spoke while I looked down at myself in shock. Did an accidental trash-the-dress session really just happen? Laughing it off, I thanked heaven for gown lining and for not being indecently exposed. I have a faint battle scar on my thigh to this day.

Something goes wrong at every wedding. This was our something. But it makes for a great story, right?

NEXT WEEK... our WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT!



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 20: Fun & Games

During the reception, I received a few comments from parents. They loved how we catered our wedding to children. This took me by surprise, because that wasn't our original intention. Entertaining the kiddos was secondary to entertaining ourselves. All the fun and games we provided were there for purely selfish reasons! But of course, we were thrilled to see the littles having just as great of a time as we were.

The Viewmaster table number holders were a big hit with small kids...

And big kids alike.

Instead of a photo booth, we opted for a flipbook booth so we could make our own 7-second mini-movies! The boys at Fliptography shot the film, printed and cut the frames on the spot, and stapled the books into instant party favors. Hal and I did the swirl n' kiss while some of our guests got extra creative, acting out entire scenes.

The vintage percussion instruments leftover from the ceremony were quickly snatched up and put to use. The big band we hired had to leave after dinner, but you wouldn't have known from the jams coming out of these boys and girls!

I adore this shot. Hal was overjoyed when miss Charlotte made him a crayon drawing. 

And what's a backyard wedding without lawn games? We placed a few hula hoops, plastic balls and a corn hole set out on the grass. My dad almost built a life size Jenga game, but that bright idea was quickly placed on the bottom of the "I'll get to it if I get to it" list. We did, however, have some giant Pick-Up Sticks which were sadly left inside the house! Although I'm not sure the kids would have known what to do with them. Do they even know what Pick-Up Sticks are?

Let's not forget the tepee playhouse, which I failed to take a single photo in. Doh! Thankfully, my beautiful maids did not.

NEXT WEEK... the MOTORCYCLE RIDE. Vroom vroom!



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 19: Performances & Speeches

With full bellies and hearts, we sat back down for a few very special performances and speeches. My bridesmaid, Melanie Nyema, is sort of a big deal. Right now, she's touring the world, singing back-up for the one and only Taylor Swift. You may have seen her on the telly! Hal and I were so honored when she agreed to perform one of our favorites by Etta James:

SOMETHING'S GOT A HOLD ON ME

My other two bridesmaids, Tiffany and Alissa, were her Pips. Do you remember all 3 of these beautiful faces from my recent Charleston adventure? 

My girl Lauren Santiago is also a big deal. Complex Magazine's 50 most desirable bachelorettes! She sang the second solo of the evening, and rocked the house with a classic soul tune by Edwin Starr. 

TWENTY FIVE MILES

Believe it or not, Melanie and Lauren both sang back-up for me when I was pursuing my solo career in LA. And later, Mel and I sang back-up for Lauren when she started writing her own songs. I have so many special musical memories with these two. Including the craziest gig imaginable, singing for the troops in Guantanamo Bay. And we almost started a record label together! Ah, the dreams of youth. 

Many of my good friends sang with me in Sirens, our all-female a capella group at USC. We had enough of them at the wedding to sing one of my solos, Sooner or Later, originally performed by Madonna in Dick Tracy. Our former musical director, Guang Ming, re-arranged it for modern day and rounded up the gals (who live all over the country) to learn and rehearse the song via conference call! I always imagined singing for my husband on my wedding day. These women made my dream come true.

We originally recorded the song my freshman year, the Sirens' first year of existence. Due to the sound quality and strange arrangement, I'm slightly embarrassed to post this audio. But it will have to do! 

SOONER OR LATER

"Sooner or later you're gonna be mine. Sooner or later you're gonna be fine. Baby it's time that you faced it, I always get my man.

Sooner or later you're gonna decide. Sooner or later there's nowhere to hide. Baby, it's time, so why waste it in chatter? Let's settle the matter. Baby you're mine on a platter, I always get my man."

"But if you insist, babe, the challenge delights me. The more you resist babe, the more it excites me. And no one I've kissed, babe, ever fights me again. If you're on my list, it's just a question of when. When I get a yen, then baby amen. I'm counting to ten, and then..."

"I'm gonna love you like nothing you've known. I'm gonna love you and you all alone. Sooner is better than later, but lover, I'll hover, I'll plan."

"This time I'm not only getting, I'm holding, my man." 

And it only took 10 years to get him! 

After the entertainment, we began the speeches. My dad gave a touching toast, although well over the 2-minute max! He told the now-classic story of Hal's first visit to their house and offered some heartfelt advice for a loving marriage.

For "not being prepared to speak", Hal's mom gave arguably the best speech of the night. It was pure comedy! She had the crowd roaring one moment, then wiping their eyes the next. 

My maid of honor, Robin, unfortunately had to follow Hal's mom, but did so with grace, humor and class. She gave a beautiful toast that brought me to tears.

I thought the speech by Erik, Hal's best man, was right up there with Hal's mom's. He has a brilliant wit and I honestly can't remember laughing so hard at a wedding speech before in my life. It truly goes down in the books. We're are thankful to have video footage!

My big bro, Christopher, gave another fabulous speech, full of love, jokes and childhood memories. Impressive, considering I gave him one very limiting prerequisite: be nice!

I'm not quite sure what Hal's brother is doing in this shot, but it may have been a reenactment of a bodily function. And from there, he trailed off into some unresolved issues. We love you, Greg, but how many did you have to drink?  ;) 

Hal's youngest brother, Micah, brought the house to tears as he choked up before finishing his first sentence. 

Somehow, the microphone was handed off to us. Standing before our favorite people, who flew in from all over the world, to celebrate in the backyard I grew up in, absolutely blew my mind. There were so many people I wanted to acknowledge, but I was at a loss for words. We gave our unrehearsed thank-yous through watery eyes and lumps in our throats.

NEXT WEEK... some FUN AND GAMES!



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 18: Food & Drink

Dancing the tango built up an appetite! A lot of brides say they either weren't hungry at their wedding, or they didn't have time to eat. Not the case here. I was ready to stuff my face. A late afternoon dinner was provided by Skillet, the acclaimed Seattle food truck. They served up our favorite comfort foods out of their vintage Airstream trailer.

Chef Josh Henderson worked with us to create a custom menu to satisfy me and my family, the veggies, Hal and his family, the meaties, and everyone in between...

PASSED APPETIZERS:

• Roasted sweet corn crostini, tarragon, creme fraiche.
• Parmesan risotto bites, English pea puree, truffle aioli

DINNER BUFFET:

• Grilled watermelon salad, balsamic reduction, watercress, sea salt
• Artichoke barigoule, braised hearts, mirapoix, saffron
• Poutine, hand-cut fries, vegetarian gravy, cheddar, grana padano, herbs
• Butternut squash mac and cheese, truffle, parmesean, cheddar
• The burger, grass-fed beef, arugula, blue/brie, bacon jam, brioche
• The portobello burger, grilled peaches, gorgonzola, balsamic reduction

My dad lovingly made us the chalkboard menu door. I'm currently trying to find some wall space in our house to hang it up. I almost don't even want to erase it!

My pops also built the bar, using scraps of old wood. Scott Mallard, our bartender, served up two signature cocktails. Hal's was named, "Hal In Washington", made with whiskey and Martinelli's. Sounds strange, but it was delightfully pleasant. Mine was called, "Green Eyed Lady", made with gin, cucumber and mint. We served local beer from from 7 Seas & Sound Brewery kegs, and cold non-alcoholic drinks out of a canoe filled with ice.

Kelly of Tortes and Tarts baked a lovely assortment of dessert table goodies: brownies, cookies, pie pops and cannolis, presented with the tea party china I was given at my bridal shower.

I initially wanted a cake made of cheese, but it would have melted in the sun. And Hal craved the real deal. So we asked my cousin, Isaac, who decorates cakes in his spare time, to make us one. We asked for something small, simple, and chocolate. He delivered, beautifully. 

The wood cake platter was given to us by a neighbor who happened to be clearing trees in his yard a few weeks prior to the wedding. I'm sure he thought we were nuts, but he sawed off a slice anyway.

We fed each other to the duet Hal and I recorded for our soundtrack.

YOU BELONG TO ME - By H+S

No cake fights here. We played nice and didn't make a mess. Although I'm sure Hal was mighty tempted!

NEXT WEEK... a few very SPECIAL PERFORMANCES.



{Images by One Love Photo; Catering by Skillet; Bartending by Scott Mallard; Beer by 7 Seas Brewery and Sound Brewery; Desserts by Tortes and Tarts; Cake by Isaac Lind}

My Wedding 17: The Dancing

After our post-ceremony row boat ride, a few family portraits, and what felt like a 2 minute cocktail hour, it was time for our first dance. The Argentine tango! We've been taking lessons sporadically ever since we met, so it was a natural choice for our wedding.

However, Hal is not a fan of choreographed tango. The beauty of the dance is, after all, improvisation. But knowing us, if left to our own devices in front of a large crowd, we'd freeze. So Hal finally agreed to learn a choreographed routine to the classic, Por Una Cabeza. With it's emotional highs and lows, the song symbolizes our 10-year on and off relationship. We studied privately with Tony & Ilana for 8 weeks. They taught us how to wow our guests with subdued basic steps and a few showy tricks.

POR UNA CABEZA

When the music began to play, I was a bundle of nerves. I sat myself anonymously in the audience, while Hal eyed me from across the dance floor. He smoothly walked over and offered me a flower, which I snubbed. So he got down on one knee, and I accepted.

Oh okay. I suppose I'll dance with you.

The dip. Tony & Ilana told us to hold it 8 seconds for a dramatic effect. It felt like years! Whenever we practiced this move, we'd crack each other up, trying too hard to be serious.

We begged our choreographers to give us a climactic one-legged drag across the dance floor. We sort of look ridiculous in the photos, but I promise, it was cool.

Yes folks, that just happened.

After the dance was over, we were in hysterics! I couldn't believe we performed a tango in front of all our friends and family. We had a few small nervous fumbles, but I'm sure no one noticed. I was so proud of Hal for remembering his steps. And so relieved I didn't fall on my face.

I did a quick change back into my gown for the father-daughter dance. I chose a song by Jim Croce that reminds me of my childhood...

TIME IN A BOTTLE

If the giggles give it away, my dad and I did not practice our moves.

Hal and his mother danced to one of her favorite songs by The Beatles. Doesn't she look darling in her vintage Chanel?

HERE COMES THE SUN


NEXT WEEK... THE FOOD! Nom nom.



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 16: Design Details

For today's weekly wedding post, I'd like to take a step back from the actual event and show you all the handmade design details.

My mom painted the directional signs on scraps of wood, similar to the ones leading our guests down the driveway. I didn't notice until halfway through the wedding that the fireworks sign was upside down! Apparently, the arrow was painted in the wrong direction, so my dad nailed it wonky on purpose. I think it adds a bit of quirky charm.

We chose simple off-white linens over long tables with natural-colored wood chairs. It was a puzzle figuring out the table layout on the imperfect lawn. I wanted a U-shaped around the dance floor so everyone could face each other, but our space wasn't wide enough. Thanks to my dad's mathematical magic, he made it all work to my liking. The layout made it feel less like a wedding and more like an intimate dinner party... of 100!

Here's where the vintage mismatched plates and antique green bottles come into play. My original plan was to have only ferns, herbs and greenery on the tables. But the flower farm dahlias were so inexpensive, I'm so glad we used them instead. I love the bright pops of color. There were a ton of leftover baby artichokes after making the bouquets (they were shipped to us in a huge batch from Pezzini Farms in California). So we peppered them around the bottles as table decor.

We numbered the tables with nostalgic vintage Viewmaster reels placed halfway inside Viewmaster viewers, spray painted gold. I collected them all year long! When our guests arrived, they were given a green ticket to match the Viewmaster table numbers and find their spot. 

Remember the little plastic dinosaurs? Hal cut a slit in their backs to hold the Viewmaster reel place cards with our guests' names printed and glued to the center. If there was a reel from my collection that reminded me of someone, I used it to mark their seat. For example: Lauren Santiago got a travel reel of Santiago, Chile. Our friends from Arizona got a Phoenix reel. Outdoorsy friends got a national park reel. Our pilot friend got an outer space reel. And of course, the children received cartoon reels. I got such a kick out of watching people click through their viewers with big grins on their faces.

Our wedding favor was a CD of our soundtrack, placed inside kraft card stock sleeves. Each disc had a different engagement photo printed on the label. We burned the songs onto Verbatim Vinyl CDs to look like old 45s. If you're curious, you can listen to the entire 2G4E soundtrack on Spotify.

Wondering who the heck H+S is on Track 1? That's us! Before the wedding, I begged Hal to record our own version of "You Belong To Me", the ukulele duet from The Jerk, one of his favorite movies. Like a good fiance, he agreed. This was a big deal, people. Hal is NOT a singer and he hates the sound of his voice recorded. I think he did an awesome job. 

You can hear it for yourself...

YOU BELONG TO ME - By H+S

Wish boats took the place of a traditional guest book. We provided origami paper and invited our guests to write down their hopes and dreams for our future together, fold them into a paper boat, and place them in my grandfather's old suitcase. Every anniversary, Hal and I will select one to read and sail it off to sea. 

Our 2G4E marquee letters were lovingly made by Hal himself out of cardboard, gold spray paint, and small round bulbs. We hung them from the string lights over the dance floor and they looked even more beautiful as the night grew on. We kept them after the wedding and now they're hanging on the wall above our bed. 

NEXT WEEK... our FIRST DANCE TANGO!



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 15: The Rowboat Ride

It feels like it's been awhile since the last wedding series post! To refresh your memory, I left you hanging at the end of the ceremony. We exited down the steps onto the dock, waved goodbye to our guests, and climbed aboard our getaway vehicle. An old rowboat! My dad gently nudged us out to sea as husband and wife.

I shared a sneak peek of a few of these shots when Heather posted them on her blog. If you missed them, go and take a look. Today, I'll reveal the rest, with a funny behind-the-scenes story.

Meet Jordan, Hal's buddy and handsome coxswain of the OTHER boat. We had a second rowboat to hold Jon and Steve, the media team. As you'll soon find out, Heather smartly remained on shore.

As a child, I spent many memorable summers on these waters, paddling around in the canoe with my family. It was such a treat to be able to experience this again, with my love on our wedding day.

It was around this time that Hal and Jordan decided to race. Silly boys. It was also around this time that Jordan, Jon and Steve noticed that their boat was leaking! My dad warned us that one of the rowboats was nearing the end of days. Thankfully, Hal and I chose the solid one.

Hal and I wrote our vows to each other on large pieces of paper folded into wish boats. We intended to release them into the lagoon as a symbolic gesture. It was a sweet idea in theory, but there were a few minor flaws. After discovering the other rowboat was sinking, we realized we forgot the paper boats on land! My dad had to run to retrieve them and relay them back to us.

When released, the boats didn't float away as beautifully as they did in my imagination. The current tipped them over and pushed them against the boat in a sad state. Wah wah. It was quite hysterical.

From the water, we heard the band playing and our guests enjoying the cocktail hour. We were itching to partake in the festivities, so we swiftly rowed back before the tide left us stranded. My dad tied up the boat and escorted us up the steps to join our friends and family.

NEXT WEEK... the DESIGN DETAILS.



{Images by One Love Photo} 

My Wedding 14: The Ceremony

Today, I'm delighted to share with you our ceremony! Cue the music....

SOULFUL STRUT        

The entire wedding party came down the aisle to Soulful Strut, by Young-Holt Unlimited. We chose this song because Hal used to say back in the day, there's no way to not look cool walking to it! It really does give you a natural swagger.

While the girls and I were waiting in the garden, the boys lined up next to Brian, our officiant, one of Hal's best buds since high school who got ordained online just to marry us.

Then came the children's parade. Cannon got shy and froze, so his pops carried him down the aisle and waved the flag for him!

Since the aisle centered around a fire pit which couldn't be moved, we stuck dahlias into the ashes to pretty it up. Later in the evening, the flowers were pulled out to build a bonfire.

Then the band began to play my song. My favorite love song of all time. One Hand, One Heart, from West Side Story. I found the most beautiful brass quintet version and asked the band director of Route 66 to learn it for my entrance.

ONE HAND, ONE HEART

As you can tell, it was a long descent! I walked down the entire length of the yard. But I loved having this time with my dad. We giggled the whole way down.

By the time I got down to the water, my emotions got the best of me. Hearing my song. Seeing so many happy faces. I just couldn't believe this was happening. I locked eyes with Hal and lost it. Almost forgetting to hug my dad goodbye.

Brian acknowledged Hal's father, Hal's adoptive father, and my grandfather. All of whom have all passed on, but were with us in spirit and forever in our hearts.

One of my best friends and freshman year college roomie, Carrie, was supposed to be a bridesmaid. But she got an amazing opportunity to work in Africa for a year, helping mothers in childbirth. I was so proud of her, yet selfishly heartbroken she wouldn't be at the wedding. A few weeks before the big day, she pooled her flight miles with Eddie, a mutual friend of ours, and flew to Gig Harbor from Africa! I was over the moon. She didn't have any wedding attire, so my sponsor, Ruche, kindly shipped us the chiffon mint dress from their bridesmaid collection.

I asked Carrie to do a reading. Keeping things light-hearted and playful, we chose passages from nostalgic story books...

A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with kind words and loving thoughts. “I like this Dinosaur,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny. He is also quite clever, though I will not tell him this for now.”

“I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur,” thought the Dinosaur. “She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice. She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”

“But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “He is also overly fond of things. Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”

“But her mind skips from here to there so quickly,” thought the Dinosaur. “She is also uncommonly keen on shopping. Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”

“I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”

“I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping,” thought the Dinosaur. “For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.”

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old. Look at them. Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs. And that, my friends, is how it is with love. Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together. For the sun is warm. And the world is a beautiful place.

We asked Helen, my dear family friend and neighbor since childhood, to read the second passage from a classic book we all know and love...

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

‘What is REAL?’ asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. ‘Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?’

‘Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When someone loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’

‘Does it hurt? Asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’

‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’ ‘ It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.’

‘I suppose you are real?’ said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse only smiled. ‘Someone made me Real,’ he said. ‘That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.’

For our final reading, we asked my cousin Kassia's cherub children, Sawyer and Miles. They are brilliant beyond their years. And c'mon, those dimples! Each line of the poem alternated between the two boys...

Me Without You by Lisa Swerling

Me without you is like...
Sky without blue
Hair without do
Ghost without boo
Kung without fu
Peak without view
Biker without tattoo
Cow without moo
Dove without coo
Eskimo without igloo
Party without yahoo
Clock without cuckoo
Harry without you-know-who
Fisherman without canoe
Kanga without Roo
Foot without shoe
Picnic without loo
Rainbow without hue
Shoobee without doo
How without do-you-do?
Rebel without a clue
Mowgli without Baloo
Cock without a doodle-do
Panda without bamboo
Show without queue
Sneeze without atchoo
Yacht without crew
Potty without poo
A picture that's skew
A knot I can't undo
Me without you?
What would I do?
Phew!

At the end of their poem, their little identically-dressed brother, Teague, ran out of the crowd to join them! It was the cutest thing ever. I guess he was used to being around his older brothers while they rehearsed at home. 

Then it was time for Hal and I to recite our personally written vows. My wedding anxiety dreams about not having my vows ready in time prepped me well. 

Hal has requested that I keep his vows between me, him and our guests. But I don't mind sharing my own with you...

I'm not sure how I got through them with the lump in my throat.

Day 1, I loved you before I knew I loved you. Because I already knew you. Because you didn't know that I already knew you. But maybe you knew all along.

Month 2, I loved you because you'd laugh, and I'd laugh because you were laughing, and it'd go on like that until we could physically laugh no longer.

Year 3, I loved you because you'd ask me to talk, but I couldn't. So you'd ask me again. And again. And again, until I talked. You never gave up. Even when I began to talk too much.

Year 6, I loved you because it wasn't just me who loved you. My friends loved you. Their men loved you. Strangers loved you. The world was charmed by your charm.

Year 8, I loved you because you left behind your known life to share an unknown life with me. This might be why I loved you most of all.

Long after we chose this date to get married, I came across a poem by Pablo Neruda that reminds me of our relationship. Strangely enough, it's called, September 8th:

Today, this day, was a brimming cup,
today, this day, was the immense wave,
today, it was all the earth.
Today, the stormy sea lifted us in a kiss
so high that we trembled in a lightning flash
and tied, we went down to sink without untwining.
Today our bodies became vast,
they grew to the edge of the world
and rolled melting into a single drop of wax or meteor.
Between you and me a new door opened
and someone, still faceless,
was waiting for us there.

To me, this poem is about evolution. Our evolution. And our growth. You were always there. Squeezing my hand like a gentle reminder. Leading us here. To this day. Today.

Year 10, Month 9, Day 8. Because I loved you. Because I love you. I promise to love every moment with you. To Year 60 and beyond.

For our ring exchange, we recited the vows from West Side Story, alternating lines...

I, Hal, take thee, Shannon
I, Shannon, take thee, Hal
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and to honor
To hold and to keep
From each sun to each moon
From tomorrow to tomorrow
From now to forever
Till death do us part
With this ring, I thee wed.
With this ring, I thee wed.

Mozel tov! Hal is half-Jewish, so we included the breaking of the glass. Traditionally, the groom does it, but I felt left out of the fun and wanted to stomp on the glass too. Hal ended up stepping on my toe and I let out a little scream.

"I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU HUSBAND AND WIFE!!"

The kiss. Or a few!

MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY

Cue exit music. We chose More Today Than Yesterday, the cheesy one-hit-wonder by Spiral Starecase. Because really. It doesn't get more joyful than this. Before the ceremony began, we marked the wedding party's places with vintage percussion instruments.

As soon as the song came on, they grabbed their cowbells, tambourines and triangles for a sing-a-long celebratory exit! Feeling quite foolish, I might add. But that was partly the point.

Instead of following our friends up the aisle, Hal and I hung back for our post-ceremony row boat ride. We danced down the steps to the makeshift dock and waved to our guests who gathered around the edge of the bank above. Bon voyage!

NEXT WEEK... we're ON A BOAT. 

{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 13: Before The Ceremony

While Hal and I were taking our beach portraits, our guests were arriving via school bus! My mom hand-painted these wood signs to lead everyone down the long driveway...

Right this way
We'll see you soon
Get ready, get set
For a fun afternoon

Follow the music
Find your chair
Head to the water
We'll meet you there!

Funny side story: the wacky bus driver, a toothless older woman wearing pigtails with scrunchies and a neon reflector crossing guard vest, whom we later found drinking our beer and eating from our dessert table after the reception, got LOST on the way out to the house! Thank goodness, our buddy Tim knew where to go and turned her around.

Remember when I was looking for a smaller-sized big band or jazz orchestra to serenade our guests as they arrived? With our budget, this didn't seem possible. Then I discovered the Seattle swing band, Route 66. They were willing to cut down their crew, yet still keep a large sound, so we could afford to have them play a few hours.

Our friends and family meandered down the lawn to the theater seats and pews set up by the water. Designer, Kristen of Coates Willie, made the tepee and shipped it out from New York just for the wedding.

Introducing the cutest flower girl and ring bearer known to man: Talynn and Cannon, my bridesmaid Tara's delectable children. My mom and I made them pipe cleaner crowns, gold streamer wands and green flags.

Although we hired a caterer for dinner, we decided to save money by providing our own pre-ceremony snacks. This was a full-day affair, after all. We set out cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts, olives, flavored water and lemonade for our guests to nibble on as they arrived. The goldfish were a hit!

I love this photo. It's typical Hal, scribbling out his vows on a tissue box at the very last moment. He had them written on his iPhone and forgot to transfer them to paper for the ceremony.

Up at the house, my ladies and I had a toast! Or five! A bottle of champagne (and a can of Rockstar) was popped. I don't remember what we were laughing about, but it was some funny isht. So funny that we didn't even realize the groomsmen had started their descent! We quickly grabbed our bouquets and scrambled down the stairs.

My pops met us at the entrance to the circular garden, where we had a moment or two of waiting time inside. I have a vague memory of the girls and I singing a song? Sounds like something we'd do to calm my racing heart. 

One by one, they exited the garden on other side to walk down the aisle. Leaving my dad and I alone to take it all in. I grabbed his arm. Deep breath. Here we go...

NEXT WEEK:  THE CEREMONY, the vows and all that other good stuff! 



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 12: Beach Portraits

After taking portraits with the wedding party, our friends walked back to the house while Hal and I stayed a little while longer on the beach.

Skipping rocks wasn't planned at all, but it seemed only natural! I am not a good rock skipper compared with Hal, who usually gets 4 to 5 bounces each throw. But I was pretty proud of myself here. I got a nice 3 jumper at one point. Maybe it was all the wedding day excitement.

We were loving our time alone on the beach, until someone glanced at their watch. The guests were arriving!

I didn't want to let go of his hand. We walked back, mostly in silence. And the occasional bout of laughter when it dawned on us that we were about to get married. The next time we'd see each other, would be when I walked down the aisle.

NEXT WEEK... the moments BEFORE THE CEREMONY. 



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 12: Bridesmaid & Groomsmen Portraits

After our first look photos, I regrouped with my gals to take wedding party portraits. It was decided to do them before the ceremony so we could spend more time with our guests later on. Since we were walking to the beach, we slipped off our fancy heels and changed into comfortable flats. And me, into my beloved motorcycle boots.

I asked my bridesmaids to pick out their own vintage dress and hair accessories in the green, mint and gold color palette. I'm pretty sure they were each under $100. Don't they look fabulous? I wasn't quite sure how it would all come together, but I have to say, I couldn't have asked for a better mix of styles and shades. And their baby artichoke bouquets seal the deal!

The men were asked to find their own vintage (or vintage-inspired) suit and hat while Hal provided the green and gold ties he picked up at local thrift stores, including his own. The Harley Sportster was inherited from Hal's father and is his most prized possession. Makes for good tough-guy groomsmen pics, right?

This series cracks me up. I think Jon asked them to do something funny. So Hal apparently busted out a musical number. They look like an an all-male a cappella group.

We led the entire wedding party through a neighboring trail down to the beach. My brother and I used to spend our summers down here as kids, swimming in the Sound, building driftwood forts and searching for hidden treasures.

These walking shots made us laugh. We had to pretend like we were strolling at a normal speed. It felt like we were in a slow-motion movie scene. I loved how they turned out!

NEXT WEEK... our portraits ALONE ON THE BEACH. 



{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 11: The First Look

Remember when I asked Hal if he wanted to do a first look? He wasn't into it. But as you can see, we were convinced otherwise.

Heather and Jon scouted out a sweet spot in a quiet wooded setting on my parents' property. While my bridesmaids were still getting ready, Heather lured me out of the house to sneak up behind Hal, who was waiting for us with Jon. I was giddy with anticipation.

That special light you see near Hal's head? We're pretty sure it was his father. ♥

Only my face is shown in these shots, with uncontrollable giggles, I might add. But Hal's reaction was just as I expected. Calm, cool and collected with a big adoring grin.

My baby ain't 'fraid to show his emotions! You'd think a first look would get all the tears out before the ceremony, right? Wrong. As you'll see in later photos, we're both saps. What can I say.

The 360 degree spin and dress approval!

We're so grateful we had this chance to be "alone" before the hustle and bustle. Seeing each other before the vows didn't take anything away from the ceremony. It saved us time and calmed our nerves.

NEXT WEEK... the lovely ladies and dapper dudes that make up OUR WEDDING PARTY.

P.S. If you like first look photos, here are 9 more.


{Images by One Love Photo}

My Wedding 10: Getting Ready

My friends, today is a big day. It's the International Day of Happiness, woo! It's the first day of Spring. And it's the day I finally reveal my official wedding images by One Love Photo. There are a ton, so I'm breaking them up into easily digestible weekly segments. Thank you for following me on this journey so far. Over the past few weeks, I've really enjoyed being able to share with you the details and process behind the greatest creative project I've ever pursued, leading up to the happiest and most emotional love-filled day of my life.

Here's how it began. Our guests would be arriving at 1pm, so Hal and I woke up at 5am to practice our first dance. This seems crazy, I know. But we had been taking tango lessons and never had a chance to practice our choreographed dance on the smaller-sized dance floor my dad set up on the lawn. The sun was rising and there was still a layer of dew. We were slipping and sliding all over the place and couldn't help but laugh about the absurdity of it all. This was actually one of my favorite memories of the wedding. It was a sweet way to connect with Hal in the quiet early hours before the chaos.

My special lady friends came to the house around 6 am (such troopers) and we got to primping. My girl, Cara, spent most of the morning helping our day-of coordinator arrange the table settings and flowers, bless her heart. My maid of honor brought over a tray of fruit, croissants, OJ and champagne, which was such a nice gesture. I had zero appetite, but knew I had to cram something down so I wouldn't pass out later in the day.

While we were dressing upstairs, the boys got ready in the basement. Hal told me later that he was freaking out because he couldn't find his tie. But as you'll notice in the photo, he put it on before buttoning up. You can see the outline of of the tie as he's tucking in his collared shirt! So funny. I'm pretty sure that's why the rest of the guys were laughing at him.

My very sweet friend, Sarah Wong, did my make-up. She flew up from LA early for a trial run to make sure I was comfortable with the final look, natural and classic old-hollywood with a bright lip. The lovely Sophia VanSlyke did my hair. I call it "the illusion". People thought I cut it! I asked for a half-updo so the back of my dress could be seen and she came up with this pretty 20's style creation that worked perfectly with my headpiece. This photo was taken later in the day, so I'm a bit wind-blown. I actually prefer it this way.

The green part of the headpiece is an antique Art Nouveau woodland headdress from 1911 Germany! Pippa from Pippatree sourced it out for me. It arrived in a darling heart-shaped wood box with a matching men's corsage and a pillow embroidered with the names of the original bride and groom. I wanted to wear it like a halo, but it didn't fit around my entire head. So I took a piece of vintage jewelry that I already owned and fastened it to the ends to make a crown.

My gown is Tadashi Shoji. I posted before about my dress-selection experience and final fitting, but never clued you in on how many dang alternations this puppy needed. Like most brides, I lost a bit of weight. But my seamstress needed 4 separate appointments to get it so the back wouldn't bunch. The intricate beading and embroidery was extra tricky.

And remember how I told you my bridesmaids made the bouquets the day before? Here is it is. My beautiful artichoke bouquet with ferns and herbs. Theirs, which you'll see in later photos, are a smaller version with baby artichokes. The day after the wedding, I unwrapped my bouquet, boiled it, and savored every last bite.

NEXT WEEK... THE FIRST LOOK!




{Images by One Love Photo; Dress by Tadashi Shoji; Shoes by Remix Vintage; Half of headpiece by Pippatree; Hair by Sophia VanSlyke; Makeup by Sarah Wong}

My Wedding 09: Welcome Sunset Cruise

Ahoy mates! After the rehearsal, the wedding party and our out-of-town guests met up at Jerisch Dock in downtown Gig Harbor. In lieu of a traditional groom's dinner, we rented My Girl, a local charter yacht for a cruise around the Puget Sound. Captain Paul led the way...

We were hoping to navigate over to my parents' house to point out the wedding venue from the water, but there wasn't enough time. Instead, we exited the Harbor and traveled underneath the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and back. Here's a map if you're curious.

The boat was two stories, with a full bar on the enclosed main level, and a covered dance floor up top. Hal had an iPod's worth of bossa nova we intended to play through the sound system, but we completely forgot to set it up. Doh! You know you're having fun when you don't even notice the lack of music. For food, we had a low-key taco bar for people to nibble on at their leisure.

Funny side note: It was around this time that I realized I was wearing my vintage lace mini dress inside out! I quickly changed in the bathroom and asked if people had noticed. Thankfully, they didn't, or they were too polite to say otherwise. Ay ay ay. That's how scatterbrained I was that day.

My cutie pie parents had just celebrated their 39th anniversary. 

A big thank you goes out to my big brother, Christopher, for being the official photographer, and to AAA for arriving in a flash when he locked his camera in the car moments before boarding!

After we docked, many of our friends went out for drinks and karaoke at El Pueblito down the street. But I went home for my beauty sleep. Tomorrow would be the biggest day. of. my. life.

Next week... the wedding photos!!

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

My Wedding 07: The Website

For this week's wedding post, I'm revealing the website! My brother and I worked really hard on this puppy and it was one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process. Because as you can see, it ties everything together. Our colors, our engagement photos/art, the vintage nostalgia theme from our save-the-dates and the movie theme from our invitations, now all make better sense.

I definitely could have made things simpler by using one of the many pre-designed wedding websites available. What, Shannon takes the easy road? Never! Christopher built his own wedding website many moons ago, so I was thrilled when he agreed to help with mine. I shared my design ideas and with his expert coding skills, he manifested a playful and interactive website for me and Hal to enjoy for life. Yay for big brothers who happen to be photographers AND web programmers!

The coolest thing he did was the randomization code for the main photo on the homepage. I asked him to animate our head-shots so that one of us was always looking at the other at the wrong time. (This is something silly Hal and I do together for a laugh). But Christopher thought, and I now agree, that we should eventually look AT each other. He made it so we catch each other's eyes... sometimes! You have to watch for awhile to even realize our heads are turning back and forth.

For the PLOT header, we told our story. How we met, fell in love, broke up, got back together, broke up again, and reconnected for good. I don't think I've ever shared with you our full history before. So if you'd like to read up.. pour yourself a cup of tea and kick back. It's a long one!

The CAST & CREW part was extra fun. Since I already knew we'd be premiering our Amelie-inspired movie at the wedding (the video was added to the site later), I dug out our toddler photos and came up with a few more likes and dislikes that didn't make it into the movie.

We asked our bridesmaids and groomsmen to do the same. The result is a hilarious and quirky mix of cutie pie childhood photos and personality tidbits of our friends.

Christopher made a nice horizontally scrolling gallery of our engagement photos/art. This was the first time they were revealed, so I'm sure our guests were somewhat bewildered!

Hal had been collecting songs for our wedding soundtrack since before we got engaged. Combined with my own list of tunes that remind us our relationship, the list was 50 songs deep! We only wanted to give out one reasonably lengthed album as wedding favors, so we majorly cut it down to 20, plus a hidden track. It's an awesome sentimental-to-us mix of old soul, classic jazz, 90's rock and hip hop.

To save some stamps, we asked our guests to RSVP online. Christopher installed a clever form box that pulls down from the top.

As you click on each header, the body scrolls down to a new section of the site. At the very bottom of the GIFTS page, we put in a secret photo of us dangling from monkey bars. Some of our guests told us later they never knew it was there. Surprise!

So that's everything. What do you think? Are we nuts or what? To fully experience the entire website, visit:  www.shannonandhal.com

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

My Wedding 06: The Movie Premiere

Loves, I've been dying to show you our wedding movie!

Last year, I gave you a sneak preview with a few film stills. At the time, I hadn't seen any actual footage and was nervous about the final product. But Katia Herrera, our fabulous director, proved I had nothing to fear. She knocked it out of the park!

Hal and I are pretty big movie buffs. We loved the idea of setting up an outdoor screen at the wedding for our guests to watch classic flicks from blankets on the grass underneath the stars. A true green carpet premiere. But rather than showing full-length features, we landed an opportunity to make our own 3 minute, 28 second movie instead.

While writing the screenplay, I was inspired by one of my favorite movies of all time, Amelie. I wanted to tell our story in a similar fashion, to reinforce an emerging theme of our wedding: vintage childlike nostalgia and simple pleasures.

And here's where I gush. I watched Katia's save-the-date videos and immediately knew she'd be able to bring our vision to life. She is talent, folks. If you're a future bride looking for a super creative wedding photographer or videographer, Katia is your gal. She's based in Mexico, but is expanding globally and loves to travel. I adore working with people who get as excited about a project as I do.

So now, ladies and gentlemen, your feature presentation... 2G4E (together forever).

Sit back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

Director & Cinematographer: Katia Herrera
Screenplay: Shannon Eileen
Assistant: Samuel Catherine
Editors: Katia Herrera & Marcelo Hdz
Music: Amelie Soundtrack by Yann Tiersen

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.

Found Hearts

Today, and every day, I hope you find love.


{Images via: 1. Animais Respeito; 2. Cheezburger; 3. Boyseeshearts; 4. Hawee Ta3kees; 5. Lucy Loomis; 6. Villa Mandala; 7. Buzz; 8. Pinterest; 9. and 10. Adventure Journal; 11. Tom Humphrey; 12. Fun Mag; 13. A Little Light Reading; 14. Adventure Journal; 15. Wendy Mink; 16. Wave Song; 17. Simply Nature; 18. Boyseeshearts;  19. Ginger Opp; 20. Kktp; 21. Middle Aged Diva; 22. Tailor & Kelle; 23. Julie Lueders; 24. Adventure Journal}

Everlasting Paper Flowers

The prettiest paper flowers I've seen. Helen makes each of them by hand and presents them in a Valentine's box with a personalized name tag. To be kept, saved and admired forever.


{Images by Frances & Francis}

Love Notes

Do you and your honey write each other love notes? We don't. After 10+ years of togetherness, everything's been said. But I suppose it's less about the words and more about the effort put in to show you care. Here's a fun idea. An entire wall of origami paper hearts. Inside each pocket holds a little love note to be opened and read. Melanie shows us how to make them right here.

Since V-Day falls on a Thursday, will you be celebrating over the weekend? I think we might visit the Seattle Aquarium down by the pier. Neither of us have been and it seems like a nice and warm romantic outing for a cold winter's day.

Have a special weekend, sweetie pies. Enjoy the lovey dovey links...

More pretty paper hearts for the wall.

And cute love letter scrolls.

Drink bubbly with heart-shaped drinking straws.

Stir up some heat with match book valentines.

Find a secret message in a bottle.

Have breakfast in bed with lace heart pancakes.

Show off your gams with DIY heart tights.

Embarrass someone with a giant printable poster.

Serenade your sweetheart with a love playlist.

Say it right with conversation heart sugar cookies.

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• DIY Felt Fortune Cookies
• Heart Art
• Roller Skate Dates

{Pre-edited image via Minted by Melanie Blodgett}

4 Heart-Shaped Sweet Treats

Too early for a Valentine's Day post?

Last year, Hal surprised me by making us heart-shaped lasagna. So for this year, I'd like to stick with the theme. Maybe I'll make him one of these heart-shaped goodies: pink Rice Krispies treats, curd & jam filled puffs (aka Polsterzipf), gingerbread cookies on milk glasses, or marbled peppermint marshmallows.

Which of these sweet treats would make your heart melt?


{Images by: 1. Lisa Kisch; 2. Svetlana Karner; 3. Jennifer Carroll; 4. Liz Stanley}

My Wedding 02: DIY Save-The-Date Paper Dolls

I'm thrilled to share with you our save-the-dates!

To get the guests revved up about the wedding, I wanted to send them something unexpected. Something they could play with. Our theme wasn't yet established, but we knew we would ask our guests to come dressed in their vintage best. Racking my brain, I thought about old toys that conjure up nostalgic memories for all generations. Paper dolls? I bounced the idea off my mom and her eyes lit up. Yes!

I tried to draw the paper dolls myself, but failed miserably. So instead, we Photoshopped our heads onto vintage doll bodies. My mom and I scoured eBay for the perfect bride and groom with acceptable underclothes. I scored the perfect retro set! It came with hilarious outfits and accessories for the big day, the wedding night, and the honeymoon. No black kitties, but I found another hand-drawn cat image for Bailey. She had to be included, of course.

Initially, I planned to print on magnetic paper so guests could hang us on their fridge as a reminder. But I discovered reusable adhesive fabric instead. It's more affordable, lightweight, easy to cut, ink jet printer friendly, and leaves no residue. You simply peel off the backing and stick it to any flat surface.

Do you remember the hand-carved face stamp I had made? It was put to good use on our envelopes! I also got a custom address rubber stamp from NoteTrunk and designed a very simple H ♥ S logo for our postage stamps from Zazzle.

We got great feedback from our guests. Even my grandma loved them, which could have gone either way. A few friends sent us photos of the tux on me, the gown on Hal, and the garter around Bailey's neck!

P.S. For this project, a big thank you goes out to my mom, my brainstorm and research partner, my brother, the Photoshop wizard who made sure our heads looked like they belonged on our bodies, and my husband, who agreed to be seen by the world in shorty shorts and black knee high socks.

SEE THE REST OF MY WEEKLY WEDDING SERIES HERE.


{Images by Christopher Bachmann Photography}

Our Engagement Pics on 100 Layer Cake!

I'm so honored to be featured on one of my favorite wedding websites, 100 Layer Cake! Have you seen it? They posted our engagement photos. Blush!

A little back story. Hal was very adamant on not doing typical engagement pics. If it were up to him, we wouldn't have done them at all and I'm sure a lot of men would agree. So I tried to come up with an idea he would like, that represented us, minus the cheese. And he was down with retro graphic art.

I turned to Christopher, my photographer brother, for a sibling collaboration. He captured Hal and I goofing around in front of a green screen, doing things we actually do together in real life. Christopher then sent me the cut-outs of our bodies and I arranged them in Photoshop, adding different shapes, colors and other graphic elements.

If you've been following me for awhile, you'll know I was somewhat secretive about this and other details of our wedding. But I'm thinking about doing a new series starting in January: a weekly post about all the stages of my wedding planning, from how I asked my girlfriends to be bridesmaids, to our save-the-dates, to our website and everything in between. This will lead up to our professional photos of the big day.

What do you think? Would you be interested in learning about the behind-the-scenes of my wedding planning process?


{Photography by Christopher Bachmann}

Love In Motion

This engagement shoot by Portuguese photographer, Andress Ribeiro, makes me smile. I love how he uses motion and movement to his personify his style.

Doesn't the top photo remind you of Robert Doisneau’s iconic “The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville"?


{Images by Andress Ribeiro}

Counting Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving, loves. I just want to take a time-out before the festivities begin to count my blessings and express my gratitude for a few things on this earth...

• The tiny house I call my home.
• My husband in long johns. 
• Music that builds in intensity. 
• My grandmother's hand-knit throws. 
• The pounding rain on our roof. 
• My kitty's healthy purrrr.
• The openness of strangers. 
• My endless curiosity. 
• The warmth of my bed in the morning.
• My niece's exuberant giggles. 
• The dusty scent of old books.
• My besties' long-distance love.
• The wonder of the moon.
• My cold hands around a hot cup of tea.
• The remembrance of dreams. 
  

And I cannot forget you. My readers, friends and support. Thank you for always coming by.

Have a wonderful long weekend and I'll see you again on Monday. xo


{Pre-edited image by Annija Muizule}

Custom Animal Couple Portraits

I like Andrea. She's an NYC-based illustrator also inspired by music, nature, and vintage childrens books. Hey girl, can we be friends?

Hmm, if I were to turn Hal and I into animals for her custom portraits, I think we'd be dinosaurs: Apatosaurus for me, Ankylosaurus for him.

What animals would you be?


{Images via Paper Sparrow by Andrea Lauren}

Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Guess what we did on our last full day in Belize? As you can see from our extra awesome outfits, yep. That's right. SCUBA!! We upgraded our packaged snorkel tour to an intro dive. We've been dying to learn how. Especially Hal, who could spend all day every day in an underwater aquarium.

We took a speed boat to Laughingbird Caye, the southern most island in the central lagoon of the Belize Barrier Reef. It's one of the world's greatest scuba destinations.

This is Bertrand, our scuba instructor. And this is where my heart stops. He quickly flips through flash cards about breathing and what happens if you don't. Then we immediately strap on our gear and practice hand signals and other basics in shallow water. But I don't retain a thing he said on land! I fail the mask clearing numerous times. So Bertrand says screw it. Let's just dive. Sometimes you have to learn by doing. As soon as I went under, it was easy breezy. Kind of. Once you get the hang of breathing solely through your mouth with a strange apparatus.

We were down for 45 minutes on our first dive! We saw schools of fish and critters in conch shells and a barracuda. After lunch, we went down again. Via boat back flip! (That took some convincing). This time, reaching 70 feet when we're only supposed to go 40. We saw a lobster and a humongous ray.

Sadly, we have no underwater photos of the brilliant things we saw on the bottom of the sea. Just our memories. But we surfaced with ear to ear grins. We're officially hooked and would love to get certified. Do any of you scuba?

Once we got back to Turtle Inn, we took advantage of the complimentary massages for honeymooners. We've decided that here on out, all future trips will be honeymoons. Shhh, no one needs to know.

We hit up the oceanfront bar for pre-dinner drinks and toasted to our final evening with mini Sofia champagne.

"What should we toast to?" I asked.
He raised his can.
"To you. The best thing about me."

See why I keep him around?  :)

After a farewell breakfast with friends, we packed our bags and left for the airport. But in order for us to get there, we had to fly a tiny plane from a tiny airport. Just us and the pilot. Hal even got to sit up front! This was an adventure in itself. It was the perfect way to end a trip of a lifetime.

In the middle of the flight, we hit a stormy patch of weather. Raindrops hit the windshield and I braced myself during the turbulence. I immediately thought of JFK Jr., John Denver, Aliyah, and the long list of celebrities who died in small plane crashes. Great, this is how my life will end. On the last day of my honeymoon. But Hal gave me a reassuring hand squeeze and our pilot expertly guided us out of the dark clouds, bringing us down with the smoothest of landings.

From the little plane, we boarded the big plane. And 3 hours, a layover, and another 5 hours later, we were home.


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 12

On the morning on Belize's Independence Day, we woke up the heaviest thunderstorm I've ever experienced. It was thrilling! The rain pounded, the wind roared, and our cabana roof started to leak on my side of the bed. But I didn't even care. I actually watched the storm unfold as I showered. With floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the bathroom looked out to the private patio. It felt like I was outside, but with hot water raining down on me.

After the storm passed, we walked out to the main road to watch the local parade, which pretty much consisted of townsfolk crammed in the back of trucks dancing to music from their boomboxes. Love it. Can you believe that Belize only became an independent nation in 1981?

Afterwards, it was time for our Monkey River wildlife adventure tour. We were so happy to share it with our honeymooner friends, Jeff & Steph.

Meet Terry, our expert guide for the day. He actually grew up in the tiny Monkey River fishing village. We ate a traditional Creole lunch cooked by his mother, while his pops was sound asleep on the porch rocking chair.

It was such a beautiful ride.

After some quality river time, we parked the boat to explore the jungle.

We learned that breadfruit leaves have have a fuzzy back and they stick to any type of clothing. Terry and his friends used to play in these woods as a child. During team games, one team would cover themselves in the leaves in order to distinguish themselves from the other team. So I placed the leaf on my back and left it there for the rest of the day. My little leaf friend.

At last, we came upon a family of howler monkeys high in the trees. We heard them from the moment we entered the jungle. They make the most frigentening sounds imaginable, similar to the smoke monster from LOST. Or dying beasts with breathing problems. If I heard this sound without knowing what it was, I would have ran for my life.

I took a video so you could hear them too. Creepy, right?

On our way home, we hung out for a bit in shallow waters to try and spot a manatee. And we actually saw a few! Every once in awhile, they'd surface to breathe. Terry has eyes like a hawk.

Another day, another incredible tour in Belize. And tomorrow... possibly our favorite one yet.


To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13

Our Honeymoon - Part 11

After three days in the jungle, Blancaneaux arranged for us a private transfer to Turtle Inn, Francis Ford Coppola's charming ocean resort in Placencia. Our fourth and final destination.

We got settled into our beautifully decorated Balinesisan style cabana and set off to tour the grounds.

That fancy coconut drink? I'd been waiting for one all honeymoon. Hal surprised me with it. Good hubs.

Borrowing Turtle Inn's wheels, we biked into town. Placencia is small, super quaint and 100% authentic. We really dug the non-touristy laid back island vibe.

We made it to the crooked dock and bought a few homemade coconut macaroons from Brenda's Caribbean Kitchen. As we left, Brenda shouted after us in her Creole accent, "See you 'round like a donut!" Needless to say, that became our phrase for the rest of the trip.

When we got back to the resort, we noticed that the bridge leading to the entrance was built over a pond full of turtles. I couldn't get enough of them. Aren't they the cutest little guys ever?

For dinner, not only was it Indonesian night, it was silent movie night. Score. Our entire table was filled with about 30 small plates of tasty morsels, no kidding. We stuffed ourselves silly while watching Buster Keaton on the big screen.

But this night was far from over. Lucky us, it just happened to be the eve of Belize's Independence Day. The entire village, including the Turtle Inn staff, met at the Barefoot Bar for drinks and dancing. It was pretty awesome seeing the front desk and concierge gals letting loose in normal street clothes. Apparently, we left before the party really started. But we wanted to get back - a storm was brewing overhead...

To be continued...


Our Honeymoon - Part 1
Our Honeymoon - Part 2
Our Honeymoon - Part 3
Our Honeymoon - Part 4
Our Honeymoon - Part 5
Our Honeymoon - Part 6
Our Honeymoon - Part 7
Our Honeymoon - Part 8
Our Honeymoon - Part 9
Our Honeymoon - Part 10
Our Honeymoon - Part 11
Our Honeymoon - Part 12
Our Honeymoon - Part 13