Royal Wedding - Love Pippa Middleton's Dress!

I don't really follow the lives of the English royalty, but I was very interested to see what dress Kate Middleton would wear, especially since I have been looking for a wedding dress too.  I watched some of the wedding footage from the Royal Channel on YouTube.  Wow, that was a long and boring wedding!  I fast forwarded through most of it.  I mean it took her like 20 minutes to walk down the aisle.  And they sang for an HOUR before the ceremony!  Geesh, imagine being a guest at that wedding!  I'd be falling asleep.  I get that they had to follow tradition and do all this crap with the world watching them.  But just saying... it didn't seem like fun!

I thought Kate Middleton looked beautiful in her dress, but she's gorgeous so she probably would look good in anything.  The dress itself though, I don't get why everyone is giving it so much praise and saying she set the trend for all brides-to-be from now on.  Huh?  I wouldn't get caught dead in a long sleeve lace dress!  I know that they tried to put a modern twist to the dress and it fit her beautifully, but it is way too matronly for a non-princess wedding.  I actually couldn't help wondering if she had married a regular guy, would she have picked the same dress? From the pictures I've seen of her, she seems to have great fashion sense.  And to think Sarah Burton designed the dress - I would have expected something more fashion forward and modern.  Maybe fashion forward is not appropriate for a royal wedding, I guess.

Poor Prince William.. already losing his hair at such a young age!  I think Harry is much better looking!

I do really like her earrings though.  Very classy.

Her reception dress definitely shows off her slim waistline.  It is so Disney.

I really do think that her sister Pippa Middleton stole the show though.  If I had a sister/friend that looked that great at my wedding I would make her change.  LOL!  Her dress was gorgeous!  It's simple and elegant.  It reminds me of the Nicole Miller dresses I was looking at, though it is also Alexander McQueen.  Of course, she has a banging bod too.  It's one of those dresses that one would have to have a great body to wear.  She pulled it off perfectly.  When I first saw a picture of the royal wedding and Kate Middleton's dress, my eyes went immediately to her sister behind her.

Her hair is very cute half up and half down too, like Kate.  It's the perfect low-key look.  She looks like she's going to a beach wedding!  For my wedding, I was debating between doing my hair this way, a loose up-do or a low pony with my hair curled.  Now I'm leaning towards this look!

On a side note, how good did Posh look!  The dress is bleh but only she can look this great pregnant and wearing a sack.  And those sky high shoes!!!

And then there's the royal cousins.... hmmmmmm.... does the girl on the left own a mirror?  Maybe she thought she was going to an 80s prom.

What's up with the crazy hats??  Silly Brits.  =)

Back from Florida!

I had such a great time in Florida!  I figure that because I forget, I should jot down some notes about the places I went to!  But first, I have to say that Lululemon clothes are really great to travel in.  I brought lots of Lulu, such as 4 Cool Racerback tanks (to wear as PJs and to the beach), 2 pairs of Dance Studio Crops (oh yeah, my 3rd pair, the white ones, arrived the day after I left so I didn't get to bring them!), No Limit tank, Dance Strap tanks, 5 different pairs of shorts (Hot Move, Fast, Effortless, Do It All, Explore), and Energy Bra, and used every single item!  They are easy to pack because they don't wrinkle, and they are great to move around in.  I feel like it's money well spent since I can use the clothes to work out in and for trips!

The place we stayed at most of the time was Del Rey beach, which was somewhat of a tourist town.  But it also has a small town feel.  I think lots of the residents there are older retired people who want to spend winters in a warm climate.  My fiance's aunt and her friends that we've met all only live there in the winter time.  During the summer when it's starting to get too hot there, they migrate back to New York area.  That's a pretty nice lifestyle!  I'd be all over that too if I didn't have to work.  I wish I was retired already... LOL!

Everyday after we woke up, we would walk across the street to the beach and spend most of the days there.  Let me just say that anything less than SPF 30 burns!!  Here in California I'm used to using SPF 15 or 8, and I would never burn.  But I managed to learn from my mistakes on day one, and ended up with a great tan now!  In the evenings we went out to dinner every night.  There were some great restaurants we ate at!  The best one was called City Oyster which was a seafood place.  I had a seafood bowl that came with plenty of shrimp, scallop, and tuna.  It was ammmaaazzing and definitely worth the price!  I think it was the best restaurant we went to there.  Another restaurant we went to called The Office had the best tuna tacos!  It was actually an appetizer item but I had it as my entree and thought it was enough food.  But this restaurant was way over priced.  Well, they could get away with the prices I guess, because the wait to eat there was over an hour!  Both City Oyster and The Office are on the main street called Atlantic where all the restaurants and bars are located next to each other.  It's very cute and lively, and you can walk from one place to another so it's very convenient.  I definitely enjoyed Del Rey Beach.  It was such a relaxing time!  I love doing stuff during vacations, but sometimes it's really nice to have nothing planned and no schedules to follow. 

We drove to Key West on Easter Sunday.  It was about a 4 hour drive.  When you get to the bridge part, it's very beautiful because you see the ocean on both sides of the 2 lane road.  So even though it's annoying if you get stuck behind a slow driver, at least you can enjoy the sight!  I didn't know that Key West was such a small island, only 4 square mile all the way around.  A lot of boutique hotels there are so cute!  They blend into the neighborhood because they look just like houses on the street.  I always like it when they keep the character of the town.  The main strip that everyone goes to is called Duvall Street that has tons of restaurants, bars, and shops.  The hotel we stayed at that we found at the very last minute was about 3 blocks away so we were able to walk there.  But we still rented scooters so we could ride around for fun!  I had never done that before, but I was surprisingly good at it!  Not that it's very hard.  Most of the rental places were rather pricey, but we found one on yelp called Tropical Rentals that was by far the cheapest and had great reviews.  I think it was like $35 a day.  The others were pretty much double that price.  So I would definitely recommend that place.  Renting bikes was really cheap as well, I think it was $7 a day.

So after we rented the scooters, we drove over to the Southern Most Point!  There was a line of people waiting to take pictures by the sign and we were too impatient so no pics!  We were in a hurry to get to the other side of town where at sunset everyday, people gather around to watch it together.  It was beautiful and we have about 50 pictures of the sunset now!

After that we grabbed some dinner which was very average and not worth mentioning.  Then we around to visit some of the bars.  Oh yeah, we went into a strip club!  Never thought I would spend Easter Sunday night at a strip club!  But we were bored and it was there.  Must say, most of the girls there were pretty hard on the eyes!  LOL!  So we left after a few minutes.  Then we went to this place called Garden of Eden which was a clothing optional place!  But they do body painting, so you don't have to be "naked naked".  We did not partake.  In fact, most people there were there to watch others.  But there were some older and not so good looking people who were all over that.  Why is it that people who usually like to walk around naked like in the locker room at the gym are always the people who you don't really want to see naked??  I think the only person I know who is good looking and likes to walk around naked is one of my roommates in college.  She is this hot blond bombshell who for some reason does not like to keep her clothes on.  Lol.  Anyway, so Garden of Eden was very interesting.  I might have gotten scarred from seeing some old men walking around without pants, but it was definitely an experience.  It was almost like you can't help but to watch them!

So after the night out, we slept in a little the next day and started driving back shortly after.  It was a short over night trip but luckily we were able to see everything.  On the way back we stopped at South Beach Miami to check out the scene.  Too bad we didn't have time to experience the night life there.  But we saw the beautiful beach, and were surprised by the lack of nakedness there.  We were with my fiance's brother who is single and very ready to mingle.  He was very disappointed to not have spotted many topless sunbathers!

There were so many restaurants in South Beach, and they all compete with each other so prices were very reasonable.  We were there during happy hour and all these people were trying to get us to go to their restaurants by offering free bottles of wine and things like that.  But of course we ended up at the only restaurant that didn't have happy hour!  We wanted to have Cuban food so we went to this restaurant called Larios on the Beach.  It was soooo mediocre, and very pricey for what it was.  We all regretted it and wished we had just taken up one of the offers at the other restaurants!  So I guess our restaurant experience wasn't very successful in Florida overall except for a few in Del Rey.  Oh well!

So after a very long flight, I am back home!  This time I don't feel like I need another vacation from vacation because it was so relaxing!  We didn't even work out at all there, because we felt so lazy and just wanted to chill and do nothing!  I don't think I could have worked out in that heat anyways even if I wanted to.  I told my fiance that we should make this an annual trip since we can stay there for free and all!  So Del Rey better watch out, we will be back!

Hi from Florida!

I flew to Fort Lauderdale on a red eye Tuesday night on Virgin, and have been enjoying the sun ever since we got here yesterday!  It's so nice and warm here, at about mid-80s with breeze.  It's not that humid yet at all, and it's just gorgeous!  My fiance's aunts and their families live here.  We are staying at one of his aunt's little vacation beach houses in Del Rey Beach which is about a 40 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale.  It is so cute and the beach is literally across the street.  This is the view from the big deck at breakfast.  I think I could definitely get used to this!



The beach here is so nice, and the water is super warm!  Unlike the ocean in LA which is always freezing.  They have these cabanas and beach chairs/ umbrellas you can rent, which I've never seen before and kind of neat.  I really enjoy the cabanas because I can read without having to deal with the sun in my eyes!  Oh yes, I am being a good girl and brought my study material!

I think we definitely under-estimated the sun here!  We were out for only an hour yesterday with SPF 15 sunscreen on, and we both got weird red spots from where we missed while half-assedly applying the sunscreen.  So today we had to diligently apply sunscreen and try to even it out!  I am so glad though that I now have more of a tan!  I sincerely believe that being tan makes you look skinnier.  Hahaha.

So we will be hanging out in Del Rey for a couple more days, then head to Key West and South Beach.  It is my first time in Florida so I want to see as much as I can and enjoy the scene!   It's also an added on bonus that I get to meet my fiance's aunts, uncles and cousins for the first time here instead of at our wedding. 

And now... I will get off the computer and go enjoy a mojito somewhere!

Harajuku Lovers Zip Up Hoodie and Where Are My Dance Studio Crops???

I love the funky look of Gwen Stefani's Harajuku line.  I got the cutest hoodie from Hautelook last week when Harajuku was on there.  I received it today and am totally in love!

 

I really love the Harajuku girls!  I think it's neat that they represent 5 different types of women.  It's all about individuality right?  Doesn't hurt to be cute too.  Hehe.

I know I have a serious hoodie obsession, and the last thing I need is another hoodie.  But I can't help it.  It's too cute.  It fits well too, and it's so soft and comfy.  I got it for a fantastic price of $25 bucks! 

On a different note, where the hell are my white Dance Studio Crops I ordered from Lululemon on Saturday???  I know I said I was cutting myself off from ordering another pair, but when I saw white I had to have them.  I'm flying to Florida tomorrow and I thought I'd have the white ones by now because it usually takes one day to get here.  And how perfect would they be for Florida vacay!  But when I check the tracking number it still says order cannot be found!  Then I got an email from the GEC saying I now have to use a different tracking number but that one says not found as well.  And definitely no FedEx delivery man today.  Ugh!!!  It seems they will arrive while I am away and will be sitting outside my door for a week!  I'm so sad!  Not only do I not get them for Florida, who knows what will happen to my package from sitting outside my door for so long!  I wonder if I can call FedEx to hold delivery.  But I think I need a working tracking number from Lululemon first!  Ughhhhhh!!!!!  Not a happy camper right now.  The only reason I was so excited to get them was for my trip, if they won't arrive by tomorrow I really won't have any use for them!

My Latest Target Find & A Mini Sunday Funday!

Target is one of my favorite places.  Really, I can spend hours there at a time.  They have everything at great prices and quality.  I've been buying these ITSO Fabric Bins from there for my closet.  They look great, and only cost $9 each!  The fabric is sturdy and the size is just right to store my purses and other knick knacks in the closet.  They make my closet look so much more organized.  I put them on the top shelf of my closet, so everything is hidden away!  I now have 6 of them in brown and tan alternating colors.  Here's what the brown one looks like.

They don't come with a top lid, but there is a hard piece on the bottom that you put on the inside to reinforce it.  I don't need a lid, especially since I put them on top of the closet shelf so walking in there you can't see at all what's in them.  One of these bins can store up to 5 purses!  I also was able to put 3 gym bags in one as well.  It's great and I'm glad I didn't have to spend a fortune.  It's amazing that something as simple as this makes me so happy!  I used to throw all my purses and whatnot on the top shelf, and every time I walked into my closet I would feel so crammed and messy.  Not anymore!

I also got a few picture frames from Target.  Big one is 14 X 18 for a 8 X 10 picture, and small one is 11 X 14 for a 5 X 7 picture.  The big one is only $19 and small one is only $16.  They look great!  They have black wood frame, with white mat.  Very simple and modern looking.  Finally we can frame some pictures and start adding stuff to our walls.  It's been an extremely slow process.  Here's the 4 I have.  Can't wait to hang them up!

Ok now, I have to confess that I did not workout much this week.  I had a lot going on, such as engagement picture session one night, my mom came into town a couple nights, and one night I had to go to the dentist after work to pick up my night guard then got stuck in traffic.  Then Friday night I was just exhausted and stayed in and did nothing.  Oh well, this happens sometimes I guess. 

So yesterday I got my butt up and went to Bob Harper's spin class.  My friend actually called me to wake me up as he was standing in line to sign up for class an hour before it started.  Otherwise I wouldn't have made that one either!  I figure that class somewhat made up for the lack of exercising all week.  Hehe.  It was a brutal class!  I think maybe since it was so hot at almost 90 degrees out, and AC was not adequate in class, I felt like fainting at one point!  But I literally was drenched in sweat within the first 5 minutes, and I didn't even warm up on the treadmill beforehand.  I wore my No Limit tank in coal/lavender and black Run Fast short.  Sorry forgot to take pic.  I don't normally wear shorts to spin because I hate having my sweaty legs touch the saddle.  But it was so hot out and Bob doesn't really let you sit in the saddle anyways so it turned out to be a good decision.  It was still a trip to take his class since I had just watched the New Zealand Biggest Loser episode the night before, and I told him as much!  I'm just glad he was yelling at my friend throughout the whole class instead of me.  Lol.

Today I totally slept in and did not get up until 11:30.  Hehehe.  So my fiance and I decided to just go lift weights at the gym.  I ran a mile to warm up, then did the gauntlet for about 10 minutes, then did another mile consisting of 3 sprints on the treadmill before lifting.  We did 5 different weight machines for a total body workout, then did some balls, TRX, and ropes.  So basically the whole works.  I tried out my new Lululemon 50 Rep Bra, and loved it!!!  This may be my new fav, though I have not tried out the Energy Bra yet.  The 50 Rep Bra was so comfortable and supportive at the same time!  I think it's more supportive than my Flow Ys.  And it looked cute with my Bubbulicious Cool Racerback!  

The straps show a little on the back with the Cool Racerback, but I don't mind that at all.  I like that this bra fits well in the back too.  It doesn't pinch the skin and give the illusion of back fat under the tank.  That's always a big pet peeve of mine. 

Oh yeah, check this out.  This whole outfit was complete with my workout gloves, which also went with my Hello Kitty nails!  LOL! 

By the way, I went to Coffee Bean after the gym today - another one of my favorite places!  I think it beats Starbucks out the water.  And noticed this...

hehehe

Hmmm on my way home I also saw this fake palm tree radio tower/ satellite thingy.  How cool!

Hahaha... Ok I must be bored.  Sorry for the random bits!  I just thought they were funny!  I think I am easily amused.

Got My Wedding Favors!

Gilt is having their wedding sale right now so of course I was on there first thing when the sale started yesterday morning to see if I could snatch any good deals.  I was really hoping they'd have my Tadashi Shoji dress!  But no such luck.  Oh yeah, I did however, receive the size 4 I ordered last Saturday!  It fits perfectly!!!!!!!!  I am so much happier with the size 4!  The bodice fits like a glove, I won't have to worry at all about it falling down.  It is even about an inch shorter so it doesn't look quite as ridiculously long on me as the size 6.  Though I'd still need to get it altered.  But the inner lining is the perfect length, I would just need to get the outside organza portion hemmed up.  Yay!  I can't believe one size down makes such a flattering difference.  So I can now go back to Bloomingdale's and return the size 6 and get my $900 back.  I've returned my Sue Wong dress already yesterday - just can't deal with the feathers being so fragile and falling off already.  It was super easy.  How I love Bloomingdale's!

Ok now, back to the Gilt wedding sale.  I find it to be a bit disappointing since they don't have many dress styles that I'd even remotely consider.  No jewelry struck my fancy.  No cute shoes.  Not even invites or anything like that.  I think it was last year or the year before, but Gilt had a fantastic wedding sale.  I wasn't engaged back then so I wasn't going to buy anything.  Just browsed for fun and remember seeing so many cute dresses and invites that made me truly wish I was getting married!  I read on their blog about a "Gilt bride" who bought everything from Gilt for her wedding, from her dress to her decors down to every little detail.  I told myself when I plan for my wedding I'd definitely check Gilt out and hope they'd have another wedding sale so I could be a Gilt bride too!  And now here I am... it's just not the same.

With that said, I did get the Magnolia Company Oak Tree Wedding Favors!  I've been thinking about favors and I actually thought about beach towels, flip flops, sunscreen, etc. since my wedding will be at the beach house it would be cute to give out beach bag goodies.  And would be actually functional for guests.  But then again the wedding is at the end of September... it won't be that hot in Tahoe.  So when I saw the Oak Tree favors, I thought it would be a unique idea.  It would go with the Lake Tahoe location, as well as the fall theme.  I actually was thinking about picking up some pine cones to add to the table top decorations or whatnot when I get there (pine cones are everywhere in Tahoe), so this falls right in the same category.  Also I think the packaging looks nice.  Now I can have a somewhat rustic setting.  But rustic chic.  Lol.

They also have purple and black boxes, but I got the "pear green/ivory" ones because it looks earthier.   I don't have a particular wedding color, so I think this nice neutral of green and ivory will be perfect.  Some of the details say:

*Each favor has fresh moist moss with a tree seed nestled inside that has been carefully selected for the growing region of your wedding location
*Seeds are already germinated to ensure the success of the tree spouting

*Can be kept in a cold room or cooler for up to 6 months

Sounds pretty cool!  These boxes are supposed to be pretty big - 7 inch square by 6 inch height.  How big of a box do they have to use to ship them??  Each set comes with 12 boxes, so I got 5 sets since I'm supposed to have about 60 guests.  Maybe I should have got one more just in case.  Hmmm... the price is great at $60 for each set.  So that averages to $5 each box.  They also have one with single wrapped ribbon vs. double for $54 a set.  I figured it was worth it to pay the slightly higher price and get double crossed ribbons.  

It says on Gilt that they will contact you to set a date and will deliver them about 3 days before the wedding date to ensure freshness.  Not gonna lie, that's a little scary!  I sure hope this works out because if it doesn't, it will be too late to get anything else.  If that happens, I'd probably have to resort to Halloween candies!  At least I think they will be out in grocery stores by end of September!

But I have faith in Gilt and think everything will be alright.  I'm happy that this is one more thing crossed off the list! 

Lululemon Energy Bra and 50 Rep Bra

I went to my dentist's office today after work to pick up my night guard.  I grind my teeth badly at night for some reason and sometimes wake up with sore jaws.  My dentist has been telling me to get a night guard for years but I finally took the plunge last week.  So now I am the proud owner of a new night guard!  Can't believe this plastic mold cost me more than 400 bucks though.  It did not feel too comfortable when I tried it on in her office but I guess I have to give it a try and supposedly will get used to it within about a week.  We'll see!

Anyway so traffic was horrid today.  It always is on Thursday nights for some reason.  So to avoid traffic, I went a couple blocks down to my favorite Lululemon store (Brentwood of course!) to check out new stuff.  I just love the atmosphere and layout there, and how friendly everyone is.  I can really spend hours in there and try on everything without feeling pressured to buy anything or to get out of their hair.  So I actually always end up buying something that I did not expect to like.  I didn't really see any new tanks or pants I wanted, but I did try on the Energy Bra in grape seed (?) because I like how the back looks.

I saw this bra last weeks in a different store but didn't feel like trying anything on then.  The smallest size Brentwood had was a size 6.  I normally wear a 4.  Oh yeah the bad thing about Brentwood is that size 4s sell out just like that.  It's very close to UCLA, I guess it's just too much of an active and young neighborhood!  So I ended up trying on the size 6 in the Energy bra and took it home!  I think because this bra is made of luxtreme material, I can get away with a size up.  It felt very comfortable and supportive enough for me for pretty much anything.  The straps are just stretchy enough that they don't pull on my neck or dig into my shoulders.  I just can't get over how cute the back is!  I tried it on with my Cool Racerback tanks and only a little bit of the straps show on the back.  But I need a couple more strappy or scoop back tanks so the whole back will show!  I also like the grape seed color which is a light purple that will go with pretty much all my stuff.  I have lots of purple hues.  So I'm really excited about this purchase!

I also saw the 50 Rep Bra in very violet on sale for $34 so decided to pick that up too.  It was the only one they had left and it happened to be a size 4. 

I've always liked the look of this bra, and I have actually tried it on before.  But this is the first one of these that I bought.  I really like how the extra wide band on the bottom makes it very comfortable.  I think I could probably size up to a 6 in this bra as well.  But size 4 isn't too tight since I don't have a particular large chest anyways.  I do think the cups are smaller in this bra so if my cup size was any larger I'd probably have to size up.  I like the very violet color - it looks really cute with my static very violet Cool Racerback.  The straps lay under the front of the Cool Racerback completely, but the back shows a little bit.  

I'm glad I got 2 new bras that aren't Flow Ys!  That's really my go-to bra for most everything, but it's always good to branch out and have different options.  I can't wait to try both of them out and see how they do during an actual workout!

BCBG Max Azria Full Needle Knit Dress

I didn't have a chance to write yesterday because I was out in Pasadena taking my engagement photos after work!  The hair and makeup took about 2 hours, then I had to change into the dress and fiance into his tux.  I loooooved how they did my hair!  They put it into a messy up do with little braids across the top, and left down my side bangs.  I should have taken some pictures of it but I think that is exactly what I want to do for the actual wedding!  Then we drove out to Pasadena City Hall where we took the pictures because we wanted to capture the lights in the evening.  The City Hall has very nice looking European style architecture that has recently gone through a huge reno.   I guess a lot of couples take engagement pictures there, so we were completely unoriginal.  Here's a pic I found of what it looks like with the lights on at night.

According to my photographer who takes lots of photo sessions there, you don't really need a permit.  But of course when we showed up all dolled up, some lady in a booth told us we couldn't take pics unless we had a permit.  So we just took some pictures around these cherry blossom trees outside and waited till she locked up and went home then snuck in!  Whatever, it's a government property and we pay lots of taxes!

The main reason we chose the location is because our wedding location in Tahoe is all about the natural beauty and scenery with the lake, trees and all, so we wanted more architecture in the engagement pictures to have a different feel instead of beaches or parks.  It was a fun time taking pictures, but tiring.  I thought we'd be doing a lot more candid stuff, but our photographer carefully posed us for all the pictures.  He was very very particular about where to look, how high to hold your head, where to place your hands and feet, etc.  It was good for us since we have no idea how to pose!  It would be very awkward if we had to figure out how to do it ourselves.  I've seen his work and know he is good, but I still feel nervous!  I hope we got at least one great looking picture.  But as a friend of mine said, if out of hundreds of pictures you can't find at least a few good looking ones, it means you are ugly.  LOL!  Touche.
. 
Anyway, so steering back on track, about a month ago I bought the BCBG Max Azria Full Needle Knit Dress from Hautelook.  I was really excited about this one and had been waiting for it to be delivered!  I was getting worried something might have happened to my order.  But alas, it is here at long last!  Got it yesterday when I got home!

I just really liked the look of this dress.  And the coolest thing is that the necklace not only comes with the dress, but it's removable!  I think the necklace really makes the dress and gives it something a bit more special.  I was really surprised at how heavy it is though!  It weighs a ton!  Must be because of all the metal bits in there.  The top is a very thin T-shirt material and it's a bit wrinkly right now since it was shipped in a bag.  I need to iron it and it will be good.  I thought I could wear this dress to work during the summer if it didn't look too short on me.  But now I don't know if it will be appropriate because the banded skirt is very body hugging.  Lol. Though it's not as short on me as the model - hits me at right above the knee.  I guess it's supposed to be the style - looser fit top and tight skirt.  And it does look good.  Maybe I can stretch out the skirt a little and get away with wearing it to work!

Anyway, I still really like the dress regardless and definitely will be finding occasions to wear it to.  I think it would definitely work as something to wear to a friend's birthday dinner/party or whatever.  And it looks great with a pair of high heel pumps! 

Sunday Funday!

Before I start the real "Sunday Funday" post, I have to share something.  I think I have mentioned this before, but I got a pretty good deal for an engagement and wedding photographer.  Basically the whole package for the engagement session and wedding session turns out to be a little under $5k after taxes.  But I just have to fly the guy to Tahoe and pay for his room.  Shouldn't be too much.  His engagement photography is awesome - basically the package includes full hair and makeup session for the photos, and I get to use one of many gorgeous gowns he has in his store.  My fiance also gets a tux.  I think it's a great deal because the engagement session alone is $1000, and we've looked at other photographers that cost the same but they don't do your hair and makeup and definitely no gown for you to wear.  My photographer also has many awards and is featured in magazines all the time, no wonder he's so busy.

The photographer's studio has both wedding gowns as well as evening gowns of different colors.  We are supposed to be taking photos on Tuesday, so today I went there to pick out a gown.  I didn't know if I wanted a wedding gown or an evening gown, so I thought I'd just see what he had.  But, the very first gown I tried on turned out to be perfect!  And it's absolutely beautiful.  It's the La Sposa Felicia gown.  I tried on about 5 more different gowns afterwards but none compared to this beauty.  It makes me almost want to go out and buy it, but it has a pretty long train which won't work for my venue.  So I guess I will be living out my big princess gown fantasy during the engagement session. I think this dress will photograph beautifully and give the dramatic look.

The cool thing is that it is a perfect fit so no alterations needed!  It's got an inner corset, so it gives you the perfect hourglass figure.  I'm glad I get to wear it even if just for 2 hours!

After I picked out the gown and fiance got his tux fitted, we went a few doors down to get our nails done.  I wanted something cool for my photos and he just wanted a manicure.  Well, I got something cool alright... I know it's a little over the top, but I just couldn't help it after I saw pictures of it!

LOL!  It's the cutest design I've ever seen!!  My natural nails were not long enough for the design so I had to get the french tip acrylics.  What a coincidence because I went to this product launch party at the MAC Pro Shop on Robertson the other day and saw this cute Asian girl with crazy nails!  I think she had Hello Kitty and her whole entire family (did you know Hello Kitty actually has a twin sister and a whole family?  I just googled and found out) on every single nail!  It was way too crazy for me but looked really good on her with her funky outfit.  I love Asian girl styles, like in Japan or Korea.  I wish I could pull them off but I don't even know where to shop for them!

So I think my Hello Kitty nail on the ring finger looks good with the ring, don't you think?  And no I'm not 12 years old!  Hahahaha.

Ok now, I will stop digressing and start the actual Sunday Funday stuff!

Saturday, 4/2

What I did:  Ran for about 30 minutes, heavy weights for about 30 minutes.  Kind of boot campy type of class, with lots of squads and "manly" exercises.

What I wore:  Lululemon Tri Y Tank in Snorkle Blue Gingham (from long time ago), and Run: Passion Crop in Bright Blue.  I wore my Angel Blue Define Jacket as to/from.

Monday, 4/4

What I did:  Ran outside for about 45 minutes.

What I wore:  Ok don't laugh at me - this is what happens when you ask your fiance to pick out an outfit for you.  Lululemon Run: Energy SL in Potion Purple, and matching Run: Energy skirt in Potion Purple... LOL! It was too funny not to wear.  It was like 80 degrees on Monday so it turned out to be a good outfit function wise.

Tuesday, 4/5

What I did:  Got to the gym early so I ran 2 miles before my power yoga class - it was a really hard class and I was sore for days from it.

What I wore:  Did NOT let the fiance pick out an outfit since I had to be seen by people at the gym!  So I wore my Cool Rackerback in static very violet, and Hot Move short in unicorn tears.  It started to cool down a little so I wore my Kitson hoodie as to/from.

Wednesday, 4/6

What I did:  Ran a few miles, then a 45 minute TRX class.  It was hard!

What I wore:  Lululemon Dance Strap tank, and Astro Crop.

I forget what this print is called but I really like it.

Thursday 4/7:  Rest day

Friday 4/8:  Rest day

Saturday 4/9

What I did: Ran a mile then an hour of boxing, including one-on-one.  I am SO sore from it, I can barely move today.

What I wore: My new Lululemon Deep Breath tank, and Coal Groove Pants.  I loved the Deep Breath tank!  The support was definitely not as high as the old Deep V tanks, but good enough for me.  The neck didn't pull on me, and the shirt didn't ride up at all.  It was perfect!  In fact I liked it so much I went to Lululemon afterwards to get another one. But when I saw tango red in person, I decided I just don't like it enough to buy anything in it.  It looks just like alarming to me.  I wish it was a candy cane red or the red like the color of my gloves!  Oh well, we'll see what other colors this tank comes in.

Sunday, 4/10

What I did:  Ran a mile, then took a beach body class that consisted of a lot of jumping around, light weights with high reps, and pilates type moves.  

What I wore:  Lululemon Hot Class tank, and black/power purle Groove Pants.  Wore my other Kitson hoodie as to/from even though it was hot today and I didn't really need it!  This hoodie is so cute, every time I wear it I get stopped by so many random girls exclaiming "OMG that is the cutest hoodie ever, where did you get it?!?".  So I'm glad I have it in 2 colors.  Lol.

Okie dokie.  I should go study now and then go to bed.  Hopefully I won't feel so sore tomorrow!

Tadashi Shoji Dress Arrived!!!

The Tadashi Shoji dress I ordered from Bloomingdale's a few weeks ago was delivered on Thursday.  I think this one might be it!  Though I like the way the Sue Wong dress looks, I have thought about it more and I just don't think I want to deal with how high maintenance the feathers are.  When I was walking around the house with it, 2 feathers already fell out.  So if I wore it at my wedding, by the end of the night I might become a hairless chicken.  LOL.  The Tadashi Shoji dress is very comfortable and not high maintenance at all.  Plus I think it's a more flattering fit on me, though about 4 inches too long.  Are wedding dresses always made for giants?  Or supermodels rather.  Unfortunately my 5'5 frame with 4 inch heels just can't pull it off without alterations!

So when I first ripped open the box that this dress came in, I was immediately pleasantly surprised by the front detail of the dress!  I couldn't tell at all from the online pictures, even when zoomed in to the max, that the front has metallic fabric trims embedded within the other silk layers.  It makes the dress look so purrrty!  I took a detailed shot:

I love it!  It gives the dress a subtle sheen.  This dress is made really well I think.  The inner layer is soooo soft and comfortable against the skin.

I thought that the black sash was removable, but it's actually sewn into the side of the dress.  So no choice in using a different one unless I cut it off.  I don't really mind the black, and I think it would work with the dress.  But I was a little bummed since I wanted to use a lighter colored floral sash of some sort.

I ordered this dress in a size 6, since I had no idea how it would run.  I didn't know if there was a street size vs. wedding dress difference since in wedding dresses I wear a 6-8 depending on the dress and material.  Dress sizes are always tricky for me, because though I don't have big boobs, my upper torso is wide for my frame.  So many times I can zip a dress all the way up the waist and then I get stuck right around my boobs.  I don't know why I have this problem since I was never a swimmer.  I guess I'm just big boned... LOL!  But, this dress is actually quite stretchy on top, so the size 6 is a little loose for me.  Walking around the house, I had to keep pulling it up.  Also, since it doesn't fit as snug as it should, you can see faint outlines of the inner layer seams on the chest.  They really resemble nipples!  The fabric also doesn't sit smoothly.

See... not a good look.  I think if it fit my boobs well, I wouldn't have this problem.  I need this dress in a size 4, or get it taken in a little.  I actually went online to see if I could order a size 4 yesterday so I can compare the two sizes.  But it was all sold out!  I searched everywhere, all the major dept stores are out of size 4s, I even checked eBay!  I think they are probably phasing this dress out since it's from the Spring 2011 runway show.  It's probably now time for fall 2011 dresses.  BUT, just now when I was writing this post, I went on Bloomingdale's again and there it is!!!  The size 4 is back!  It must be meant to be!  So I ordered it and will be comparing both later on when I receive it.

I think it's funny that I keep ordering online when I literally live within walking distance to a Bloomingdale's store.  Oh well, it's just so convenient!  I don't even know if they actually have this dress in the store.  I'll be going there to make my returns though.  

I'm excited about this dress!  I sent a picture text to my mom and she thinks this is it too.  I have, however, seen this dress before on Gilt or Ruelala on sale for $299 or so I believe.  I just got an email that Gilt will be having their wedding sale starting this Thursday so I'll keep an eye out for that now that I know how this dress fits.  How great if I can actually get it for 1/3 of the retail price!!!  I know, I'm just being stingy now.  The retail price is actually not bad at all for a dress associated with the word "wedding".  =)

Paris Hilton Kara Open Toe Pump

I tried out Beyond the Rack a second time and got these Paris Hilton Kara Open Toe Pumps.  I ordered them on 2/22.  They were just delivered today.  Wow, that is SLOW!  Though I've read different reviews of Beyond the Rack saying that some people never receive their orders, or they get wrong item/ wrong size / damaged merchandise, etc. and could not get their money back.  I guess I should count myself lucky that I received both of my orders and they didn't mess them up... LOL!  That's pretty sad.  I did return one of the shirts I got from the Joie sale a couple weeks ago to them, and still have not received my refund.  I also emailed their customer service but no response.  Sooo... I think I might just skip the headache and call my credit card company to get my refund that way.  And probably won't shop on this site again.  I actually almost called my credit card company regarding these shoes I got today since it took soooo long to arrive, and also I didn't think I wanted them anymore, but here they are:

I ordered them in a size 6, my normal size, but they are a little tight.  I really don't remember why I bought these, because I'm not that crazy about them right now.  I think it was because I thought they looked like good nuptial shoes, and I thought they were bluer than they actually are.  Hahaha.  They were cheap though, I got them for $30.  They are high but because they have built in platform, they are comfortable.  I think I could find uses for them.  I'd rather keep them than to deal with the return at Beyond the Rack.  They'd look cute with a black dress.  But I don't think I want to wear them at my wedding.

Actually the shoes that I really want right now are a pair of nude pumps!