I had a cleaning appointment with my dentist about 2 weeks before my wedding. Let me preface this by saying that my dentist loves me, because I floss my teeth religiously and am her star patient. LOL! It's so funny because I'm just totally OCD about it and cannot go to bed without flossing first no matter how tired I am. So every time I go to my dentist it's like seeing a friend, she knows everything that goes on in my life. I can call her office and give her front desk gal only my first name and she knows who I am. But anyway, during the last cleaning session, she asked me if I was interested in a teeth whitening treatment for my wedding, and I told her I'd think about it. I didn't really want to spend a few hundred bucks on it so that was kind of my way of saying no (I really suck at being direct). But by the time she finished my cleaning she actually told me she'd do it for me free of charge as a wedding present. How nice!! This is why one should always befriend dentists and doctors. HAHA! Even then though I wanted to decline simply because I was so busy doing all this last minute wedding stuff and didn't think I could (or would want to) make it back to her office through LA traffic. She is in West LA and I work in downtown which is about 10 miles or so, but takes FOREVER to get there no matter what time of day. Then I'd have to sit there for an hour while she did her job so that would take away a whole afternoon. But then she told me I could just do an at home kit which takes about 10 days and get great results too so I thought why not.
So that day, she took a mold of my teeth and I picked up the kit a couple days later. I had never used any at home whitening kits before, but the brand is Zoom. It comes with a syringe looking thing filled with this white gel, and also another one to use only when the teeth get really sensitive. My teeth never got sensitive because I was careful not to get any whitening gel on my gum. The kit is very easy to use, because I could just put a bit of this whitening gel in each tooth slot of the mold, and wear it for 10-15 minutes right after I brush my teeth every night. I would just put it in my teeth then wash my face and all that stuff. By the time I was done, it was about time to take them out. So it didn't cost me really any additional time of my night time routine.
My dentist told me to wear it for 10 days, and I had exactly 9 days before my wedding when I started. So my wedding day was actually my 10th day. I definitely noticed a difference of a shade or two by that day, but I feel like the most difference occurred on the last day or two. But I was really glad it happened for me as it was the most important day! I could even notice the difference in my smile on my photos. During those days I was pretty diligent on not having any coffee or tea or wine, or anything that could stain my teeth. And I tried to use the kit every night around the same time for maximum results.
So after I used it for 10 days straight, I stopped. I am actually supposed to stop for a few months before starting again. The kit has enough to last about 20 days, aka two 10-day sessions. So I will use the rest probably around December or so. However after stopping only like 5 days so far, I feel like my teeth have retracted and they aren't as white as they were last weekend. It's hard to say because it depends on lighting and such. But that is my gut feeling. So that's kind of disappointing. I was hoping it would at least last a month or so. I still haven't had any coffee, tea or wine this week since I've been doing nothing but recuperating my eye at home. I still brush my teeth and do not miss a single floss session. I don't know what else I was supposed to do.
I guess the verdict is that this Zoom kit does work, but doesn't last. I am interested to see if the results will be any different next time I use it though. I think if I had time to do the in office session too, I probably would have longer lasting results. But I can't complain since it was free, and it did its job on my big day. If I spent a few hundred bucks on it though, I don't think I'd be that satisfied.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I've Got a Wedding Battle Wound!!!
Warning: This post may be extremely whiny.
It is unbelievable what has happened to my eye since the wedding accident where the photographer told us to throw the umbrellas and one fell on my eye. At the time it happened, I got a little cut. About 1/4 of an inch, and it was bleeding a little. I didn't think it was a huge deal and it didn't even hurt that much. So I just put some neosporin on it and went back to the reception. But about 2 days after that, my eye started to swell like it's nobody's business! Today it is so big I can barely open my eye!!! Even the bottom part swelled a little. I look ridiculous!!!!!!! Like somebody punched me in the eye!
I even went to my doctor yesterday, thinking that my eye got infected. But he thought it was rather an allergic reaction to neosporin. What!!! Who the heck is allergic to neosporin??? O.M.G. Of course this had to happen to me. So basically there's nothing I can do except wait for the swelling to go down. So far it has only gotten worse everyday I wake up! We are on day 3 now. My doc also gave me antibiotics in case it is an infection. I've been taking it since yesterday and it's not helping. I don't think it's an infection to be honest. This is so terrible. My eye looks gross - there's little hives breaking out now and it's all red, puffy and itches! It's so disgusting I can't even tell you. I was supposed to go back to work today but I couldn't, actually I don't think I can go back for the rest of this week! I feel kind of bad since I'm supposed to go on my honeymoon in about 10 day. I really did want to go back to work today so I can finish everything before I leave on vacation again.
So yeah, I've been spending the first few days of marriage in this uncomfortable state. Maybe I used up all my good luck during the wedding so this had to happen? Oh boy... I really hope this goes away soon, especially before my honeymoon! I have been icing my eye too but I don't even think it's helping at all. My doc told me I should just wash it with water and soap and keep it clean. That's it! And then I read horror stories online that it took somebody 3 weeks for the allergic reaction to go away. I really hope that's not going to be me!!! So I stopped googling. Ugh!
It is unbelievable what has happened to my eye since the wedding accident where the photographer told us to throw the umbrellas and one fell on my eye. At the time it happened, I got a little cut. About 1/4 of an inch, and it was bleeding a little. I didn't think it was a huge deal and it didn't even hurt that much. So I just put some neosporin on it and went back to the reception. But about 2 days after that, my eye started to swell like it's nobody's business! Today it is so big I can barely open my eye!!! Even the bottom part swelled a little. I look ridiculous!!!!!!! Like somebody punched me in the eye!
I even went to my doctor yesterday, thinking that my eye got infected. But he thought it was rather an allergic reaction to neosporin. What!!! Who the heck is allergic to neosporin??? O.M.G. Of course this had to happen to me. So basically there's nothing I can do except wait for the swelling to go down. So far it has only gotten worse everyday I wake up! We are on day 3 now. My doc also gave me antibiotics in case it is an infection. I've been taking it since yesterday and it's not helping. I don't think it's an infection to be honest. This is so terrible. My eye looks gross - there's little hives breaking out now and it's all red, puffy and itches! It's so disgusting I can't even tell you. I was supposed to go back to work today but I couldn't, actually I don't think I can go back for the rest of this week! I feel kind of bad since I'm supposed to go on my honeymoon in about 10 day. I really did want to go back to work today so I can finish everything before I leave on vacation again.
So yeah, I've been spending the first few days of marriage in this uncomfortable state. Maybe I used up all my good luck during the wedding so this had to happen? Oh boy... I really hope this goes away soon, especially before my honeymoon! I have been icing my eye too but I don't even think it's helping at all. My doc told me I should just wash it with water and soap and keep it clean. That's it! And then I read horror stories online that it took somebody 3 weeks for the allergic reaction to go away. I really hope that's not going to be me!!! So I stopped googling. Ugh!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
I'm Married =)
It's been almost exactly 24 hours since I had my beautiful wedding yesterday. It really turned out to be perfect! I am so happy with everything, even though there were moments where we were stressed out with timing. I'm indecisive and I can't handle so many people asking me where I want everything to go. Then we had to get ready for photos since we were taking couples session prior to the ceremony. We were running so late that the photographer was here waiting on us for like an hour! He kept himself busy though with taking pictures of the setting, arrangements and accessories. We ended up having only about an hour before the ceremony for photos. But I think he was able to get everything he needed. It was very gogogo though, I didn't even have time to go use the restroom!
It was also lightly sprinkling for a while about an hour before the ceremony. But for some magical reason, the sun came out for about 30 minutes right when we were ready to walk out. We didn't even have time to do any rehearsals before, but everyone walked out and spaced it perfectly. I think my parasols were a big hit. And guests were momentarily confused about my man of honor being on my side and a girl being on the other. Hahaha. Then my mom and I walked out to the beautiful song (seriously most perfect song I could have picked), it really was a magical moment! I couldn't bear looking at any of the parents or wedding party though, because they were either bawling or about to. And I knew that if I looked at them I would start crying too. So I just focused on picking out people I recognized among the guests. Thank God my mom held it together. Except she wanted to bolt down the aisle and I had to hold her back!
So I guess the only faux pas was that the officiant guy turned off the mic. He was so old I don't think he even knew. So people couldn't hear him well, and he was also going a little fast. But it wasn't a big enough deal. The speeches the best man and man of honor gave were so beautiful and touching. Our first dance was great as my new husband sang along to the song he proposed to me with. The food was so good, drinks were awesome (my lychee drink was really popular!). Oh yeah I did manage to cut the top of my eyelid open a little bit during the photo session when the photographer told us to throw the parasols and one landed on me. It was a bit bloody but didn't hurt. It missed my eye luckily! Overall everything went extremely well and everyone kept telling me it was the most beautiful and intimate wedding they have ever been to. Well I guess they probably just said that to be nice, but I really thought it was pretty great. LOL! Too bad I didn't have time to take any pictures myself of the decorations and stuff, but I guess that's what I paid the photographer for. And all the guests will have plenty.
My photographer was pretty fast, he quickly edited some pictures and put up a slideshow at the reception! Of course he's gonna do more work on them later on, but I thought that was pretty neat. He also put up a teaser picture on facebook right after he got back to the hotel! It looks amazing with the clouds in the sky and what he did to manipulate the photo. He was hoping for cloudy weather, and I wanted a sunny ceremony, so we both got what we wanted because right after the ceremony the clouds came in and out again. They sure do show up great in the picture! So dramatic!
It was also lightly sprinkling for a while about an hour before the ceremony. But for some magical reason, the sun came out for about 30 minutes right when we were ready to walk out. We didn't even have time to do any rehearsals before, but everyone walked out and spaced it perfectly. I think my parasols were a big hit. And guests were momentarily confused about my man of honor being on my side and a girl being on the other. Hahaha. Then my mom and I walked out to the beautiful song (seriously most perfect song I could have picked), it really was a magical moment! I couldn't bear looking at any of the parents or wedding party though, because they were either bawling or about to. And I knew that if I looked at them I would start crying too. So I just focused on picking out people I recognized among the guests. Thank God my mom held it together. Except she wanted to bolt down the aisle and I had to hold her back!
So I guess the only faux pas was that the officiant guy turned off the mic. He was so old I don't think he even knew. So people couldn't hear him well, and he was also going a little fast. But it wasn't a big enough deal. The speeches the best man and man of honor gave were so beautiful and touching. Our first dance was great as my new husband sang along to the song he proposed to me with. The food was so good, drinks were awesome (my lychee drink was really popular!). Oh yeah I did manage to cut the top of my eyelid open a little bit during the photo session when the photographer told us to throw the parasols and one landed on me. It was a bit bloody but didn't hurt. It missed my eye luckily! Overall everything went extremely well and everyone kept telling me it was the most beautiful and intimate wedding they have ever been to. Well I guess they probably just said that to be nice, but I really thought it was pretty great. LOL! Too bad I didn't have time to take any pictures myself of the decorations and stuff, but I guess that's what I paid the photographer for. And all the guests will have plenty.
My photographer was pretty fast, he quickly edited some pictures and put up a slideshow at the reception! Of course he's gonna do more work on them later on, but I thought that was pretty neat. He also put up a teaser picture on facebook right after he got back to the hotel! It looks amazing with the clouds in the sky and what he did to manipulate the photo. He was hoping for cloudy weather, and I wanted a sunny ceremony, so we both got what we wanted because right after the ceremony the clouds came in and out again. They sure do show up great in the picture! So dramatic!
Now that I am officially married, I really don't feel that different. But I am so glad to be able to stop worrying about wedding stuff and just enjoy life now. Can't wait till we go on our honeymoon!
Here is my pretty wedding band that I just took a pic of while writing this as you can see the post in the background! =)
Friday, September 23, 2011
Today was a much better day!
We had the rehearsal dinner tonight and prepared all day for it as well as for the wedding tomorrow. But most people arrived in town today so we had lots of help and everything came together perfectly!
My fiancés step brothers came to the rescue and are ready to go with their suits. But surprisingly the guy who flaked out last night also came to his senses and decided to come today. Wow. So all the drama and stress for nothing last night.
We got into the house we rented first thing this morning. It's an amazing house with an even more amazing view! The furniture rental place delivered the rentals first thing in the morning too. So we were able to use some of the tables and chairs for the rehearsal dinner. But we kept the nice linen and table top decorations for tomorrow. And we just improvised! The red table tops are just red napkins. Look how great the weather is!
We made our own table top decorations from these vases we found around the house. Then we picked rocks and pinecones from around the house, along with the branches we clipped off the trees. Total DIY! The lady in charge of our decorations is like Mary Poppins and she pulled out these tea light candle holders that fit perfectly on the top of the vases.
So everything was perfect, the caterer had an awesome BBQ and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. The waiter and bartender were super helpful too. Plus, this was our view!
So now I feel much better about tomorrow. I feel like things are out of my hands and I now should just go with the flow. Most things are done. We just have to set up chairs and lanterns tomorrow and get ready with mimosas! It will be a long day but lots of fun!
We also finished making the love sign we were copying from a picture I saw. It turned out not bad at all if I do say so myself!
This will be our back drop at the ceremony. They will be short enough and they won't block the lake. Much better than any cheesy arches we can find as well so I'm happy with them! Just hope people don't look at them up close since we carved them out by hand and they don't look so perfect at all. Especially the round parts of the O and E. Hahaha.
My fiancés step brothers came to the rescue and are ready to go with their suits. But surprisingly the guy who flaked out last night also came to his senses and decided to come today. Wow. So all the drama and stress for nothing last night.
We got into the house we rented first thing this morning. It's an amazing house with an even more amazing view! The furniture rental place delivered the rentals first thing in the morning too. So we were able to use some of the tables and chairs for the rehearsal dinner. But we kept the nice linen and table top decorations for tomorrow. And we just improvised! The red table tops are just red napkins. Look how great the weather is!
We made our own table top decorations from these vases we found around the house. Then we picked rocks and pinecones from around the house, along with the branches we clipped off the trees. Total DIY! The lady in charge of our decorations is like Mary Poppins and she pulled out these tea light candle holders that fit perfectly on the top of the vases.
So everything was perfect, the caterer had an awesome BBQ and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. The waiter and bartender were super helpful too. Plus, this was our view!
So now I feel much better about tomorrow. I feel like things are out of my hands and I now should just go with the flow. Most things are done. We just have to set up chairs and lanterns tomorrow and get ready with mimosas! It will be a long day but lots of fun!
We also finished making the love sign we were copying from a picture I saw. It turned out not bad at all if I do say so myself!
This will be our back drop at the ceremony. They will be short enough and they won't block the lake. Much better than any cheesy arches we can find as well so I'm happy with them! Just hope people don't look at them up close since we carved them out by hand and they don't look so perfect at all. Especially the round parts of the O and E. Hahaha.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wedding Emergency... Ugh!!!
So we are here in Tahoe and everything was going well. Weather is gorgeous. My fiance's moms friend who did our decorations showed them to us and they look great. We went and checked out the beach house we rented and it looks gorgeous. Then we are having some wine about to go out to dinner and my fiancé gets a text message from one of his groomsmen saying he can no longer make it cuz his wife has to work on Sunday. Umm it's him in the wedding, not his wife. And our wedding is on Saturday so he could easily get a flight in tomorrow out on Sunday. If he wanted to make it he could find a way. Apparently he doesn't think it's a big deal!!!
So now we are short a guy on his side and he doesn't want to call and beg the guy who dropped out to come. Of course that's perfectly understandable but I kinda really feel like calling and bitching him out! He's doing this not even full 48 hours before the wedding! It sounds like he doesn't even give a shit much either because all he said in his text (not even a call) was "sorry man, we are bummed". Wtf. You are bummed????? I don't even know what to say to that. I had to ask my fiancé if this guy even knew he was in the wedding???
And we have a gift bag for him all ready to go as well as a drink named after him on the drink menu. Seriously, is having a wedding how you find out who your real friends are?! After this and my bridesmaid drama I am just so over it. I'm just ranting now...
Anyway so my fiancé is now trying to get a hold of his step brothers to see if one of them can stand in. Luckily we kept it simple for the guys so they just have to have a white shirt and black suit which most guys do have. My friend has an extra black tie they can use too. But right now we can't get a hold of either of them and they are flying out here early morning tomorrow so I guess we will see. And then my fiance will also be in a bad position to pick one step brother over the other. Worst comes worst we will just be one guy short I guess. I've always heard every wedding has an unexpected something that happens at the last minute. I hope mine stops here.
I guess I'm just frustrated now not so much because he dropped out but because of the way it happened and his attitude. I am freaking cutting his name out of the drink menu (good thing we brought a lap top) and then finding a place to re-print since I don't wanna see his name as a reminder on Saturday.
Will see what happens...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
So now we are short a guy on his side and he doesn't want to call and beg the guy who dropped out to come. Of course that's perfectly understandable but I kinda really feel like calling and bitching him out! He's doing this not even full 48 hours before the wedding! It sounds like he doesn't even give a shit much either because all he said in his text (not even a call) was "sorry man, we are bummed". Wtf. You are bummed????? I don't even know what to say to that. I had to ask my fiancé if this guy even knew he was in the wedding???
And we have a gift bag for him all ready to go as well as a drink named after him on the drink menu. Seriously, is having a wedding how you find out who your real friends are?! After this and my bridesmaid drama I am just so over it. I'm just ranting now...
Anyway so my fiancé is now trying to get a hold of his step brothers to see if one of them can stand in. Luckily we kept it simple for the guys so they just have to have a white shirt and black suit which most guys do have. My friend has an extra black tie they can use too. But right now we can't get a hold of either of them and they are flying out here early morning tomorrow so I guess we will see. And then my fiance will also be in a bad position to pick one step brother over the other. Worst comes worst we will just be one guy short I guess. I've always heard every wedding has an unexpected something that happens at the last minute. I hope mine stops here.
I guess I'm just frustrated now not so much because he dropped out but because of the way it happened and his attitude. I am freaking cutting his name out of the drink menu (good thing we brought a lap top) and then finding a place to re-print since I don't wanna see his name as a reminder on Saturday.
Will see what happens...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Bedazzled Nails Ready for Wedding!
After last night's final effort to get everything ready, I am finally ready to drive up to Tahoe. I spent all morning refilling my lash extensions and get very bedazzled mani and pedi. Then packed up super human speed and now in the car driving through the Grape Vine! It all begins here...
Check out my nail art!!! I couldn't decide between pink (my wedding color now) and blue ( something blue) so I did both! LOL... Alternating fingers... I think it turned out so cute since both colors are so soft and don't clash. In some of these pics I think the blue show up darker than they are in person but that's how they turned out on my iPhone cam.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Check out my nail art!!! I couldn't decide between pink (my wedding color now) and blue ( something blue) so I did both! LOL... Alternating fingers... I think it turned out so cute since both colors are so soft and don't clash. In some of these pics I think the blue show up darker than they are in person but that's how they turned out on my iPhone cam.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, September 19, 2011
Wedding Drink Menu At Last! And Finally Picked Out Song to Walk To!
I have been working on my drink menu for my wedding forever and finally have it ready. It was a toughy because I decided to make one drink named after each person of the wedding party, including our parents. And I had to pick out drinks that they would like, but at the same time are not that complicated to make because the bartender we got through the caterer may not be that great. Also, I had to make sure the drinks all had some kind of common ingredients so I don't have to go buy a whole bar. And then I had to think of somewhat clever names for each drink, which mostly just ended up being play on names of each person's real name. But finally I think I have it!! I am printing them out at work tomorrow. I don't care if that's ghetto, I don't have time to go elsewhere and I am framing it in a picture frame to put on the bar anyway! Here's my handy Photoshop work... LOL!
And of course people can order other drinks too, not limited to these drinks only. But I will probably be drinking different ones from this menu!
And then my fiance finally came through and picked out a pretty song for me to walk down the aisle to! I had no idea what to pick and it was stressing me out. I didn't really want the bridal march because it is so over done. But he found this version of Jonathan Cain (Journey) playing it on the piano and it sounds so pretty! It's perfect because I've been somewhat jokingly saying that I wanted to walk down to Journey, and I love and play the piano! This is the best way to marry the two. Yay! Another thing crossed off the list.
And of course people can order other drinks too, not limited to these drinks only. But I will probably be drinking different ones from this menu!
And then my fiance finally came through and picked out a pretty song for me to walk down the aisle to! I had no idea what to pick and it was stressing me out. I didn't really want the bridal march because it is so over done. But he found this version of Jonathan Cain (Journey) playing it on the piano and it sounds so pretty! It's perfect because I've been somewhat jokingly saying that I wanted to walk down to Journey, and I love and play the piano! This is the best way to marry the two. Yay! Another thing crossed off the list.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Wedding Dress is Perfection Now! New Shoes & New Ambitious Project for Wedding
This has been such a crazy weekend being the weekend before my wedding. I feel like this blog has been turning into a wedding blog. HAHA. Oh well, it will all be over soon enough. I've seriously been running around with no breaks all day yesterday and today. So unfortunately no "Sunday Funday" today, and probably not for a while since next weekend is the wedding and pretty soon after we are going on our honeymoon to Europe for most of October.
I did manage to pick up my wedding dress from the tailor yesterday though right before she closed, as I was at my waxing appointment right before that. And oh my gosh, the dress is absolutely perfect! I am so happy because I did not expect it to fit this well. Now I am 100% happy with the dress I chose and I think it will look gorgeous in pictures, because it is super figure flattering. I went to this tailor who is like a hidden gem in LA. She works out of a hole in the wall literally, very close to the Grove. It is very small but clean inside. But from the outside it's easy to miss. She does amazing jobs with wedding gowns and so many brides go to her. She's this older Russian lady who doesn't even speak English that well, but whatevers, you just let her do her thing and it will be perfect. Her price is reasonable too, I think? I really don't know how these things usually run. But my alteration was rather complex - I had to take it in at least 2 sizes all the way, shorten the strap, hem, and cut off most of the train. I ended up paying $385 and considering the amount of work she did and 3 different fittings, I think it was reasonable. For anyone in the area reading this, her name is Galina and her shop is called Elegant Mode Tailoring. I'm really glad I was able to find her! I really was not THIS thrilled with my dress until now, you know, like questioning whether I got the right dress, blah blah. Now there is no doubt! And it looks super glam with the fur shawl I bought.
So since my wedding will be outdoors and I have to walk through the grass, I will not be able to wear stilettos unfortunately. It's kind of tragic really. I was going to wear these platform shoes I got in a shop in Vegas last month. But I've been having doubts about those and just not 100% happy with them. So a couple weeks ago I bought these BCBGeneration Tapis sandals in pink canvas, and I think I will go with them now. Even though they are a bit casual looking, but this only means I can wear them for other things later. The color is a light pink with sheen, and it matches my pink wedding theme perfectly. And they are really comfortable, so I think I can walk around the yard and dance all night long in these. So maybe it's a blessing in disguise that I can't wear heels.
I did manage to pick up my wedding dress from the tailor yesterday though right before she closed, as I was at my waxing appointment right before that. And oh my gosh, the dress is absolutely perfect! I am so happy because I did not expect it to fit this well. Now I am 100% happy with the dress I chose and I think it will look gorgeous in pictures, because it is super figure flattering. I went to this tailor who is like a hidden gem in LA. She works out of a hole in the wall literally, very close to the Grove. It is very small but clean inside. But from the outside it's easy to miss. She does amazing jobs with wedding gowns and so many brides go to her. She's this older Russian lady who doesn't even speak English that well, but whatevers, you just let her do her thing and it will be perfect. Her price is reasonable too, I think? I really don't know how these things usually run. But my alteration was rather complex - I had to take it in at least 2 sizes all the way, shorten the strap, hem, and cut off most of the train. I ended up paying $385 and considering the amount of work she did and 3 different fittings, I think it was reasonable. For anyone in the area reading this, her name is Galina and her shop is called Elegant Mode Tailoring. I'm really glad I was able to find her! I really was not THIS thrilled with my dress until now, you know, like questioning whether I got the right dress, blah blah. Now there is no doubt! And it looks super glam with the fur shawl I bought.
So since my wedding will be outdoors and I have to walk through the grass, I will not be able to wear stilettos unfortunately. It's kind of tragic really. I was going to wear these platform shoes I got in a shop in Vegas last month. But I've been having doubts about those and just not 100% happy with them. So a couple weeks ago I bought these BCBGeneration Tapis sandals in pink canvas, and I think I will go with them now. Even though they are a bit casual looking, but this only means I can wear them for other things later. The color is a light pink with sheen, and it matches my pink wedding theme perfectly. And they are really comfortable, so I think I can walk around the yard and dance all night long in these. So maybe it's a blessing in disguise that I can't wear heels.
On a side note, my fiance's bought his groomsmen gifts which are these flasks with a pocket for a deck of cards. Really cute. You can also clip it to your belt.
Coincidentally, these fit perfectly into the pink feather top pouches I bought to hold my bridesmaid earrings. LOL! Isn't it cute??
He refuses to use these though. Sigh... so I had to just wrap them up in tissue paper and put inside of some gift bags I bought at Target today. He still thinks these are too girly, and has to put a disclaimer to his buddies that I made these:
I spent $200 buying stuff at Target today, it's ridiculous. I bought Papyrus cards for our wedding party and parents and those things are $$$!!! 6-7 bucks a card? Whatever! At least they are cute. So I had to bite the bullet. I bought 12 of those, soooo they sure added up!
And this is super ambitious of us, but we are working on a last project with only 2 days to go (we are driving up to Tahoe on Wednesday). I saw this super cute cut out on one of the blogs I read, and we are now attempting to make them out of some foam boards we bought at Home Depot:
Eeek, we'll see how that turns out. But I really would like to make something that looks like this to go as a backdrop at the ceremony, as we did not plan to have an arch or anything. I think this would be so cool to go behind us and it will not really block the lake view. The letters we are making are about 2 feet tall. We actually drew out an outline on the foam boards, so next step is to cut them out. Hopefully that part won't be too tough........ then all there is to do is to glue some roses on using a hot glue gun. Easy breezy? I hope? I really hope we can make this happen!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Wedding Favors Came Today...
Back in April when Gilt was having their wedding sale, I ordered these oak tree wedding favors from the Magnolia Company. Shortly after I placed the order, someone from the Magnolia Company called me and worked out my shipment dates, since these oak tree seeds are perishable they wanted to ship them as close to my wedding date as possible. I was to get them a week before my wedding. So I stopped thinking about this completely. Then last week, TWO WEEKS BEFORE MY WEDDING, Gilt sent me an email saying my order was canceled!!! And to compensate me for the "inconvenience", they gave me $25 credit. OMG! I was freaking out when I read that email, since it was so close to my wedding date!
So before I had a chance to call Gilt customer service, my fiance actually contacted the Magnolia Company. Surprisingly enough, the order was good to go on their end still and they had no idea why Gilt canceled. So they dealt with Gilt back and forth and I still don't understand what happened to make Gilt cancel my order. But some kid from Gilt called me and told me he spoke with his management, and there was nothing they could do to fulfill that order after it was canceled. And he said maybe I'd have better luck if I contacted the supplier directly. I was at work when I answered the call, and you know on an open desk environment like the trading desk I sit on, it is a little hard to yell and bitch at someone on the phone. So I let it go, but if it wasn't for that reason you can be sure I would have given him a piece of my mind! In fact, I am going to contact Gilt again to discuss this issue because this is just unacceptable. I've always like Gilt from good experiences with them before and I trusted them with this, but this time I almost got royally f'ed.
It's lucky that the Magnolia Company actually came through with my order. The lady I dealt with was super sweet and wanted to make everything smooth for me. So I have had a fantastic experience with this company and would highly recommend them. They actually even shipped out my favors before the issue with Gilt was resolved because they didn't want me to worry. They did all this without even get paid first! And their price actually turned out to be about $60 cheaper than Gilt!!! Wtf?? I believe this order was $240 for 60 favor boxes, and Gilt's was $300.
They were out of the color of the box I ordered originally which was green lid with ivory ribbon. But they did have the reverse which was ivory lid with green ribbon. Seriously I could give a shit less about the color of the lid and ribbon at this point. They actually had pink too, which would go with my color but I just didn't think pink would look as earthy and organic as green and ivory so that's what I got. I received them today and they are so cute! Though A LOT smaller than I thought they would be.
So before I had a chance to call Gilt customer service, my fiance actually contacted the Magnolia Company. Surprisingly enough, the order was good to go on their end still and they had no idea why Gilt canceled. So they dealt with Gilt back and forth and I still don't understand what happened to make Gilt cancel my order. But some kid from Gilt called me and told me he spoke with his management, and there was nothing they could do to fulfill that order after it was canceled. And he said maybe I'd have better luck if I contacted the supplier directly. I was at work when I answered the call, and you know on an open desk environment like the trading desk I sit on, it is a little hard to yell and bitch at someone on the phone. So I let it go, but if it wasn't for that reason you can be sure I would have given him a piece of my mind! In fact, I am going to contact Gilt again to discuss this issue because this is just unacceptable. I've always like Gilt from good experiences with them before and I trusted them with this, but this time I almost got royally f'ed.
It's lucky that the Magnolia Company actually came through with my order. The lady I dealt with was super sweet and wanted to make everything smooth for me. So I have had a fantastic experience with this company and would highly recommend them. They actually even shipped out my favors before the issue with Gilt was resolved because they didn't want me to worry. They did all this without even get paid first! And their price actually turned out to be about $60 cheaper than Gilt!!! Wtf?? I believe this order was $240 for 60 favor boxes, and Gilt's was $300.
They were out of the color of the box I ordered originally which was green lid with ivory ribbon. But they did have the reverse which was ivory lid with green ribbon. Seriously I could give a shit less about the color of the lid and ribbon at this point. They actually had pink too, which would go with my color but I just didn't think pink would look as earthy and organic as green and ivory so that's what I got. I received them today and they are so cute! Though A LOT smaller than I thought they would be.
Isn't it cute though? The ribbon is the kind with wire so you can make arrange it and make it look pretty. But from the picture I saw, I really thought the box would be maybe 3 inch by 3 inch, this is more like the size of a jewelry box. I guess it's my own fault for not reading the specs.
This is the one I originally ordered. I actually think I like what I got better.
So crisis averted! I'm glad I didn't have to scramble and find other favor thingies at the last minute. I also still really like the idea of oak tree seeds as favors since it's different and totally fits a Tahoe wedding. I think I will stack them into kind of a pyramid shape and they will serve as decorations at the wedding too! Hmmm I wonder if anyone will actually plant the seeds when they get home... hahaha.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wedding Only a Week Away!! Last Minute Little Stuff...
I can't believe how fast time is going by, seriously. My wedding is exactly a week from this coming Saturday! That's so crazy to think about because it feels like yesterday when I was procrastinating thinking it was still months away. And now it is so close. Since we are having a destination wedding, we do have to be ready with everything even sooner. We are leaving LA on Wednesday to drive up to Tahoe, so everything's gotta be done before then. That really only gives us like 5 days.
Most of everything is done, but I've been super stressed out this week since I had to do my last minute touches. I've been working on some crafty work pretty much every night after I get home from work and the gym. I've been going to bed at after midnight and getting up around 5 am. I'm the type of person that requires at least 7 hours of sleep a night in order to function. So this really has not been fun for me.
Mostly this week I have been putting together gifts for my bridesmaids. It sounds easy but really was time consuming, since I had to run around and gather a lot of material. But I think at this point I am actually done with a lot of it and can take a breather. I think I am happy with what I've done so it's all worth it at the end!
One of the presents I got my bridesmaids is these pretty pink swarovski crystal earrings. I thought earrings were a good thing to get because they can have something sparkly to wear during the wedding (but they don't have to wear these if they don't want to), and also keep them to use for other occasions. The earrings came in white boxes, which I wasn't too crazy about. So instead of buying new boxes, I decided to buy some paint and glitter to personalize them and give them some life. I stuck with my pink theme with the boxes. I never had a wedding color, but I think now it is pink. This is mostly because the bridesmaid dresses turned out to be pink.
Most of everything is done, but I've been super stressed out this week since I had to do my last minute touches. I've been working on some crafty work pretty much every night after I get home from work and the gym. I've been going to bed at after midnight and getting up around 5 am. I'm the type of person that requires at least 7 hours of sleep a night in order to function. So this really has not been fun for me.
Mostly this week I have been putting together gifts for my bridesmaids. It sounds easy but really was time consuming, since I had to run around and gather a lot of material. But I think at this point I am actually done with a lot of it and can take a breather. I think I am happy with what I've done so it's all worth it at the end!
One of the presents I got my bridesmaids is these pretty pink swarovski crystal earrings. I thought earrings were a good thing to get because they can have something sparkly to wear during the wedding (but they don't have to wear these if they don't want to), and also keep them to use for other occasions. The earrings came in white boxes, which I wasn't too crazy about. So instead of buying new boxes, I decided to buy some paint and glitter to personalize them and give them some life. I stuck with my pink theme with the boxes. I never had a wedding color, but I think now it is pink. This is mostly because the bridesmaid dresses turned out to be pink.
So I just painted the boxes with pink acrylic paint and used this light pink glitter glue to write their names on top of the lid! These are what I used. Loved that little brush thingy. I got it for 50 cents at Michaels on Monday night!
So now the pink earrings go into a pink box:
And then I decided that I needed a place to put these boxes. Like cute little gift bags or pouches. I was browsing online at work, and came upon this website called papermart.com and they have TONS of bags, papers, fabric, etc. for very good wholesale prices. The company is located in Orange County and they ship same day so I ordered some cute pink mesh pouches with feathers on top. Uber cute. They arrived like a day or so later which was great.
This is what the pouch looks like. It's the perfect size - about 3.5 inches high inside when closed. I stuffed it with some shredded paper string thingies I got from Michaels to make it look fuller.
You can also pull the strings to cinch the top, which looks so cute. This is what it looks like now with the pink earring box inside:
I now have 3 cute little bags for the girls!
I think I spent like $14 for 10 of these pouches. They come in packets of 10 so I do have some left over. But they are cute enough to keep around for christmas or birthday events later.
I also have my gay friend as my "man of honor". Of course this meant that I had to get him something else. He is not a flaming gay man and will not wear pink crystal earrings. Lol.
It's always hard to find presents for guys I think. There's the generic ones you get for guys, like cuff links, flasks, ties, etc. And it's just as hard for gay guys. I really couldn't figure out exactly what he would have wanted, so I just got a Dolce & Gabbana money clip. It's nothing special, but he's a brand name whore so he will probably like it!
The only thing is the picture shows black but I actually got the only color left which was navy. I haven't even seen it since I got it online and it arrived all wrapped up. I didn't want to open it and mess with it. So I hope navy is really only navy under certain lights. Though I did hear navy is "in" right now! Hahahaha, that's what I will tell him.
I didn't want him to feel left out, so I put his name in glitter too.
And then I also put it in the pink feathery bag! Haha! It barely fits, and when it's inside the bag I can't cinch it closed. Oh well. It will work.
So these earrings and bags are only a part of the presents I'm getting the girls. I also got the silk robes from a long time ago that I wrote about. And I got these faux fur wraps for them to wear when it gets colder at night. Tahoe is nice in September - weather is in the 70s during the day, but it gets colder when the sun sets. I got these wraps from ebay actually for only $18 each! For that price I was like whatever. One of them arrived tonight and it's not bad at all (I made 2 different orders), totally worth $18. But the others are still on their way and I hope they are here before next Tuesday.
If they don't arrive before I have to leave town, at least I will have one! Hahaha. I like this wrap to go with my dress, since the dress has pearls on it and so does the wrap. So it goes well.
So the day of my wedding is actually one of my bridesmaids birthday! It was a total coincidence as I did not realize it at the time we picked the wedding date. But she's cool enough to sacrifice her day for mine, so I thought I'd get her something else. I bought this really cool ABS cuff for her. It's gold with white opal. Super cool looking and totally her style. I actually got it on ideeli so it was like $50. I think I might also get her a cake or some cup cakes on the day of the wedding.
I couldn't believe that this cuff didn't come with a box though. It's a very wide cuff so I had trouble finding a jewelry box for it. So when I was in Santa Barbara last weekend and was shopping in Nordstrom, I just asked them for a gift box. It turned out to be the perfect size. So it works. I have no time to worry about getting a cuter box.
Hmm what else have I been working on? Oh yeah, also for the girls, since I originally planned on having them wear different colored dresses I made these sashes to tie it altogether. But since I then decided to have everyone get matching dresses, the sashes were kind of useless. I felt like it was such a waste though! So I cut out the organza flowers I made and made them into hair pieces! I think it will be cute even though they are champagne colored and the dresses are pink. We'll see how they look, it's not a big deal if they don't end up being used.
The back looks rather home made. But well, they are home made! And you can't see the uneven circle at all from the top of the flower, so whatevers!
I now just need to get everyone a big gift bag so I can put everything inside and make it look presentable. See? Still not done with gifts yet!
I made myself a hair piece too, and I used some fabric from my wedding dress. It is still getting altered and I'm supposed to pick it up this Saturday. But my seamstress gave me some material she cut from the bottom hem to make stuff with. It worked out well in my hair piece. I'm not sure if the photo shows. But my hair piece is made of white organza sheet as well as the sheer fabric from my dress. They look slightly different and gives the flower more depth in person.
I think I might put a little bit of ostrich feathers in it too. But I haven't done it yet. Will get to it tomorrow!
And then the last DIY project I've worked on this week is the flower girl basket! I went to Michaels and got a cute little basket for $3. Then I decided to glam it up a little so I glued some fake orchids on the sides. And then I used the same fabric from the wedding dress to make bows on the sides and around the handle. My flower girl is my mom's friend's daughter who is 8 years old but obsessed with weddings already. She's uber excited to get this "job", so I wanted to make it cute for her.
You know how when you cut organza, the edges kind of become frayed? Well, I decided to use my glitter glue, yes the same one I used to write people's names on jewelry boxes, to glue the edge of the bow. That way the edge will not keep tearing and it will have some pink glitter on it! I think this basket will look cute on a little girl.
I think that's about it for now. I am still working on my drink menu! And then we have to pick out songs for the DJ which is actually harder than it seems. I have no idea what song to walk down the aisle in. We have to figure out the schedule with the photographer, pick out photos to play on this digital picture frame we plan to have at the guest entry. And then I have to attend to all my last minute beauty appointments. Basically I don't think it will end until the very last minute. I wish I had a couple more weeks to finish everything! But it is what it is.
My fiance has it worse. He still needs to get shoes, shirt and tie for the wedding! He's even more of a procrastinator than I am I guess. And he doesn't even know for sure if one of his groomsmen can make it to our wedding since he just sold his house and needs to move into a new one by our wedding weekend. So it's all a little stressful for me trying to make sure everything happens smoothly. I guess if we end up being one man short on his side then so be it! Good thing I'm not a bridezilla, I can see these kinds of things being disastrous for someone wanting everything to be perfect!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
More Express Stuff!
I ordered a few items from Express again last week and they were delivered tonight. I can't help it, they keep sending me these discount cards in the mail then I go online and look... and buy...
Oh well, at least I use them a ton for work. And some for casual wear too.
This time I got 5 things, and 3 of them I really like. 1 I need to exchange for a different size, and another I am iffy about.
First the ones I like:
Metallic Stripe Ruffle-Front Blouse - I tried this one on in the store and loved it. But decided to buy online because there were other sale items online I wanted that were not in the store anymore. I wanted to combine all my purchases because I had to spend over a certain $ amount in order to get my coupon to work. The color I bought is called "Stone". It also comes in Crystal Gray which also looks very nice and it's a toss up which I like better. But I don't have anything else in this color so I opted for this. I tried this in size XS and S in the store and liked the fit of the S better because it is longer. So that's the size I ordered online. It's semi see-through and has these subtle metallic stripes in the fabric. It's a good shirt to wear to work (with a tank top under), because it will go with all the different colored bottoms I have whether pants or skirts. So I can't wait to wear this one.
Oh well, at least I use them a ton for work. And some for casual wear too.
This time I got 5 things, and 3 of them I really like. 1 I need to exchange for a different size, and another I am iffy about.
First the ones I like:
Metallic Stripe Ruffle-Front Blouse - I tried this one on in the store and loved it. But decided to buy online because there were other sale items online I wanted that were not in the store anymore. I wanted to combine all my purchases because I had to spend over a certain $ amount in order to get my coupon to work. The color I bought is called "Stone". It also comes in Crystal Gray which also looks very nice and it's a toss up which I like better. But I don't have anything else in this color so I opted for this. I tried this in size XS and S in the store and liked the fit of the S better because it is longer. So that's the size I ordered online. It's semi see-through and has these subtle metallic stripes in the fabric. It's a good shirt to wear to work (with a tank top under), because it will go with all the different colored bottoms I have whether pants or skirts. So I can't wait to wear this one.
I also got this Metallic Mesh Stitch Dolman in color Cool Earth. It's such a cool shirt. I got this one in size XS and it's still loose fitting. But like a good loose, not baggy and formless. I really like the color. I think in person it is a little darker than the picture shows on my computer screen. It's got open stitching so you definitely need to wear a tank under.
I ordered another Ribbed Drape Neck Sweater because I love the one I have so much that I bought about a month ago in purple shadow. Now it's on sale for $29 so this time I got a black one which is great to have in this style because when I can't decide what to wear, it will always be a safe choice. I actually don't have many black tops for work since I wear mostly dark pants in black or very dark gray. So this will be a happy addition. I actually kind of want another one of these, we'll see! I got a size S in this which is the same as the other one I have. But I think size XS would work too. I feel like my other one might have stretched out a little after a few wears since it feels much looser than the black. Maybe I should put it in the dryer next time I wash it to shrink it a little.
I finally decided to get another pair of my beloved Editor Wide Waistband pants. I started buying these when they first came out with the wide waistband design about 2 years ago or so. They are all I wear to work because they are so comfy and are very flattering. I know these have been really popular so Express has made many other colors. But I haven't bought a pair in a while since I have enough to last me. But I needed a different shade to branch out from my blacks and grays. So I ordered a pair in Cool Earth which is the same color as the Metallic Stitched Dolman above. I really like this color. I don't normally like browns, so cool earth is as brown as I'd go. It's really not brown at all though. I think this color will look great with the Stone Metallic Stripe shirt I just got.
I know that all my Editor Wide Waistband pants are in size 00. But I'm really not a size 00 in other stores. Last time I was in an Express store I actually tried a pair of the new Editor Wide Waistband pants and felt that they ran a lot smaller. I definitely am not a size 00 in them anymore and I didn't bother trying on other sizes since I was in a hurry. So when I ordered online I just got a size 0. I can button and zip it up but I feel that it is a little too tight. I hate tight pants. I'm going to the store after work tomorrow to try on size 2 and 4 to see which is better. It's kind of annoying they changed their sizing this much though. Their vanity sizing was getting pretty ridiculous so I think it's definitely the right way to go to change the sizing to what they *should* be. But I'm annoyed I have to make an unnecessary trip. I hope I don't get tempted to spend more money while there.
Ok so this last item I am not sure about. It's the Cuffed Tie-Neck shirt in whisper pink. It's a button down shirt with the tie over that covers the buttons, and kind of resembles a tie. I love the design and the cuffed sleeves. It's a gorgeous color which incidentally looks really good with Cool Earth. It's also very similar to my new Ivanka Trump shoes in pink! But the shirt fits sooooo big! I got it in size XS since it looks so baggy on the model. But even XS is super big and frumpy looking. And it's not just the body, it's the shoulders too. It looks like I bought a shirt that's 2 sizes too big for me. I actually think it's the same size as my fiance's dress shirts. It's very long too. But when you try tucking it into the pants like how they styled the model, it looks much much better. I hate tucking shirts into pants though because it requires too much fussing. Also since this shirt is so long, there's just too much material to pack into the pants. But that is the only way to wear this shirt and make it look cute. So I think I'll take this one to get exchanged for a different shirt as well, hopefully in the same color. I know the fit is meant to be this big, but it doesn't look cute on me like it does on the model.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Back from Bachelorette Weekend in Santa Barbara
So we drove there on Saturday which is only an hour from my place without traffic. My friends had bought some spa treatments so we headed straight to the spa. Actually ended up spending 4 hours there! It was so relaxing! I had a body scrub and body wrap, which I had never had before. When I was being oiled up and wrapped like a mummy then baked like a potatoe, I kept thinking how some people would hate this treatment. My fiance for one, would be so claustrophobic! They wrapped me so tight I could not move at all. I don't usually get claustrophobic, but after about 15 minutes I started getting so hot and kinda started freaking out a little. I had to give myself pep talks to calm down. But afterwards it was all worth it because my skin was, and still is, soooooo soft! I need to do this more often indeed. We also spent lots of time chilling in the lounge area and drinking tea, and using the sauna, which is why we were there for so long. But it was the perfect start!
Like I said, I did not feel like partying too much or any of the typical bachelorette stuff. So we just had dinner and went to get a few drinks afterwards. On our way home, we decided to stop by Isla Vista, which is the college town about 15 minutes from downtown Santa Barbara. We visited all the old places we lived, and walked to the party street like we used to! It was very nostalgic. But after we saw 3 guys being carried away by ambulances, and almost got stuck in the middle of a fight, we decided we were just too old for that shit. Oh yeah, somewhere in the mist of all the craziness I managed to lose my driver's license. So now some happy kid at UCSB is pretending to be me and using my driver's license to buy alcohol. Great. Not to mention it costed me 2 hours of waiting at the DMV today to get a replacement driver's license! If I have kids I will never let them go to a party school like Santa Barbara. Lol.
Yesterday the weather there was perfect too. We walked around and shopped and then headed back. But not until after we went back to Isla Vista and got our favorite breakfast burritos! We actually used to eat them at 3 or 4 am after a night of partying. There is a famous burrito place called Free Birds in IV that everyone knows about. But we prefer this other place called Rosarito. They all open 24/7 so it's very convenient drunk food. The portions are huge too, and the price is very reasonable! Although I think they went up by $2 since I was going to school there. Inflation, I suppose.
Isn't it amazing?
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| Steak & Egg Breakfast Burrito, with Potato, Egg, Rice, Cilantro, and Salsa... amazing! Best breakfast burrito EVER! |
I used to eat one of these all by myself. But had to share it with one of my friends this time. Haha, I can't eat like I used to!
I love Santa Barbara, I think central California is really a gem and very underrated. It's the best, most beautiful place in California in my opinion. I would move back there in a second if I could. But there's not much of any industry there other than like wine, and tourism. And the property values are very high so you better have money to afford it. So most college kids don't stick around after graduation.
I should take more day or weekend trips there since it's only about an hour drive from my place. The drive there is along the ocean and is very beautiful, it looks like this for the most part:
Anyways, I digress, as usual. I should probably go to bed, because I had a long day of dentist appointment, then DMV, then work. So I will end this post with some of the stuff my friends got me this weekend that made me really happy. Because they are so freaking cute!
These are all from Victoria's Secret:
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| Cute rhinestone underwear |
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| Matching tank top - super comfy, ribbed cotton with stretch. Long and good fit. |
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| They even got me a tank to wear for the day after the wedding! How cute. It's a very light baby blue color. |
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Ivanka Trump Pinkish Pump - Light Pink or Patent Nude???
So in my last post where I wrote about the shoes I got from Nordstrom, I had mentioned that the Ivanka Trump Pinkish pumps I bought were a little big. But when I went to get the correct size, Nordstrom was out of my size, so I found them on heels.com which had free 2 day shipping. But what I didn't realize was that I accidentally ordered the wrong color! They looked almost identical on the stock photo, and I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention. But the color I got was actually light pink leather, vs. patent nude. The pink is a very very slight pink, almost like nude with a pink undertone. The two colors are pretty similar to the point where if I asked my fiance, he would probably tell me they are exactly the same, except one is shinier. But that's typical boy speak - to me there is a distinct difference. I've been wanting a pair of patent leather nude pumps forever! But when I put on the pinkish ones tonight, I actually think they look better with my skin tone. I feel like the patent nude looks too yellow on me and doesn't lengthen my legs as well as the pinkish ones. Hmmm decisions decisions!
What do you guys think? Here are 2 photos of them on me, with flash and no flash - I realize my light colored carpet is not the best background for this comparison but what can you do. Patent nude on left foot and pinkish on right.
Update: I did ask my fiance, and as I guessed, he couldn't tell the difference! So funny. Here's our text convo word for word because it's so typical man behavior! I sent him the same pics that I posted here.
Him: Shoes are different?
Me: Lol yes baby. One on left is patent nude and one on right is light pink. I accidentally ordered wrong color. Which u like better?
Him: Can't tell from photo
Me: Omg how come brad can tell?! (Brad is my gay bff)
Me: Do u think the one on left is a little too yellow for my skin tone?
Him: Yes
Me: K so u like pink ones better? They are a very slight pink. Like nude with pink undertone. Maybe my accidental mistake paid off
Him: Yep
Me: Are u just saying yes to agree cuz u can't tell diff?
Him: Yep
::::::::Silent response from me:::::::::
Him: Lol I can sort of tell now that you pointed out. Right foot was better.