Grateful!

2012 brought us a bounty of reasons to be grateful. Getting married this year meant numerous opportunities to spend with friends and family and no end to parties that were had. From bridal showers to our cock n hen party to our rehearsal dinner to our Portland wedding celebration (pinky swear photos are coming soon). The reasons from those alone where more than enough reasons to be thankful. But, the reasons just kept coming.

We are so blessed for our amazing friends and family who traveled over 2000 miles, each way, to be a part of our big day. We loved being able to share Maui, an island we both love, with all of them. Even better, we were able to pledge a lifetime of love, happiness and trust to each other on a beautiful beach under a coconut groove. It was truly one of the best moments in our life together.

Surrounded by ohana on our perfect wedding day.
photography by Sara Sanger 

Where is Your Tiki Magazine?

Back in March when I had my first of many bridal showers, I took a picture with many of my girlfriends that was submitted to Tiki Magazine. Yesterday, I was happy to get many texts from friends and family showing that the picture had not only made it into Tiki Magazine, but it was also a full half a page!

Sharing the tiki love!

Reveal: Family Shower Invitations

Did you think we forgot to share the invitation to our family shower with you? Well, we didn't. We just took a little while to take pictures of them. But, here they are! Better late, than never.

April Showers Bring...

July weddings! Or something like that.

As you may remember, Saturday was our coed bridal shower with my family. I had a few things I'd learned from my bridal shower with friends that I wanted to carry over to my second shower in hopes of getting more pictures. Well, let me tell you that was a big fat FAIL. The one thing I learned from our second shower was no matter how much you try to be prepared things can always come up that you have no control over. That being, Drew got sick during the shower.

We had grabbed a bite to eat the night before since we'd been doing so much to get ready to go out of town and once we stopped to eat it was almost 9. To make things a little easier on ourselves we ran over to one of our favorite cheap places to eat. We ordered one of our usuals, but when it came it wasn't exactly what we ordered. This one had different meat in it. We weren't that concerned with it since everything else was the same so we just kept what was brought to us. There were so meats in it that we wouldn't normally eat. I'm not one to eat things like tripe, so I passed, but Drew gave some of it a try. The rest we brought home for ChiChi. She also ended up getting sick, the next day.

Shortly after dinner, Drew started saying he didn't feel the best. However he also had a phone call that affected the count of our at home reception and meant us having to come up with even more funds for it. I thought maybe the phone call had upset him and made him not feel well. We weren't sure what it was, at that time.

The next morning Drew still didn't feel the best. As the day went by and we drove up to Seattle, he started feeling worse and worse. He felt like he just couldn't stay awake. As soon as everyone arrived and he'd said his hellos, he went into the back room to lay down for a bit. he pretty much passed out and we didn't see him again until I woke him up to open presents. Poor guy.

With my fiance sick in the next room, I barely thought about taking pictures. The ones I did take were all taken before everyone got there. Yes, of the cupcakes. Would you expect anything less?

My one request for the shower was to have Trophy Cupcakes. They are my favorite shop in Seattle and even do a Hawaiian themed cupcake. Mom was nice enough to fulfill my request and not only got Hawaiian themed cupcakes but, also red velvet and vanilla minis. I didn't even know that Trophy Cupcakes did minis. She also made some bunny sugar cookies since it was Easter the next day and put "diamond rings" on the hands of some of the bunnies. Super cute!

Red Velvet mini cupcakes with Easter candies. 

Things I Learned From My First Bridal Shower

Aloha! Drew and I are currently driving up to Seattle for Shower #2. Yes, really. Right this very minute up to Seattle. Gotta love technology!

My first shower was a few weeks back. It was thrown by our Maid of Honor, Nicki, and was with a bunch of my girlfriends. It was pretty much a big party that was just a ton of fun. Today's shower is much different.

First of all, it's for both Drew and I. Second, this is a shower with my side of the family. I am guessing it will be much more mellow, no tropical bowl drinks and no after party. Since most of my family lives in the Seattle area,  Mom decided to have the shower up there to make it easier for them to all attend. Not so easy for Drew and I. We didn't want to have to get a hotel room or get a sitter for ChiChi so we are doing a boomerang trip today. Driving up to Seattle for the shower and driving back to Portland when it's all done. Crazy, I know! At least, I'm not the one driving and have a change of comfy clothes with a blanket and pillow for the ride back.

Now with one bridal shower under my belt, another on it's way today and another in June, that's a whole lot of showering going on! I'm already tired just thinking about it. Especially since I may have heard a rumor at work that there's a fourth shower in the making. GULP! Ok? No matter how many showers I have, you know I will rock it and make it through every single one!

So a few months back, I was reading Miss Turkey's Shower Tips and I really should have paid closer attention because I made some of the same mistakes that she did. Honestly, I forgot about the tips until I saw my photos from the shower. Then it all came flooding back to me. YIKES!  I'm hoping not to repeat those mistake today and want to pass what I learned along to all of you so you also do not make some of these same mistakes. Cuz, well, some of them just aren't pretty.

#1 Really think about what you are wearing to your shower. I'm not just talking about the length of your dress, but also the kind of fabric and cut of your dress. You want something long enough, with some give and will be flattering at all angles. I did take Miss Turkey's advice into consideration about the length of my dress and I thought it was long enough, but once sitting down and crossing my legs, it didn't feel like it was. I'd suggest sitting down in the dress you are planning on wearing and have your fiance take a few pictures of you in it. That way you will get to see how it will look in pictures when you are sitting down to open presents. I know I wish I had thought to have done that.

I'd also not cross your legs while opening presents. it's just not pretty. Do the lady like thing of having your legs together and to the side.

The dress was long enough, but the comfort of it changed when sitting down. 

Showered with Aloha: The Favors

Remember when I mentioned that Nicki made super yummy Pineapple Macadamia Nut Shortbread cookies as a favor for the shower? If you don't, you sure are lucky that you came across this post because I have the recipe for those super yummy cookies. If you do, you are also lucky. I mean these cookies are so damn tasty. After loving them and having more than one person ask me for the recipe I asked Nicki to send it my way and hooray for all of us, she did.

Seahorse shaped Pineapple Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies!
{photo by Nicki}

Showered with Aloha- The Party Continues!

The staff at Trader Vic's Portland were so great going above and beyond that when our time was up in the Kon Tiki room and the shower was coming to an end, they saved a bunch of tables for us in the lounge. This is something they don't usually do since the lounge is first come first serve, but for some wonderful reason they did it for us. We moved the party into the lounge and continued with the fabulous time we were all having. 

With Honey while she  grabs a Fog Cutter at the bar. 

Having a yummy Coffee Grog. 

After a while many of my friends' husbands started to arrive to pick them up from the shower. Since the party was still going, they sat down to join in the fun and have a few drinks with us. We ordered a Tiki Bowl and hung out until Drew showed up. 

Showered with Aloha- Present Time!

After everyone was stuffed on tidbits, pupus, cupcakes and tropical drinks, the opening of presents began! I've opened birthday presents in recent years at my birthday, but it wasn't like this. This was like fifth birthday present opening status and it rocked! Thanks wahines for all of the great gifts! You all made me feel so loved.

Drew, you shouldn't go in further in this post. There are gifts you should wait to see later. Like on the wedding night, if you get what I'm saying....

The start of the present table!

Showered with Aloha- Tidbits, Pupus & Tropical Bowls

Now you can't have a great party without fabulous food and drinks and a bridal shower is just the same. Fortunately, we had both of those with a shower at Trader Vic's Portland. Maid of Honor, Nicki, ordered a selection of tidbits and pupus for all of the guests to enjoy. There was crab rangoon (originally created by Trader Vic's), kalua pork sliders and seaweed salad with smoked tofu on top of won tons. Everything was really tasting and went very quickly. 

Kalua pork sliders and crab rangoon.

Seaweed salad with smoked tofu on top of crispy won tons.

Showered with Aloha- Let's Get This Party Started!

Now the fun really started once guests started showing up and ordering all of the delicious drinks that Trader Vic's is so famous for. Oh, nomnomnom. 

If you've never been to a Trader Vic's before, make sure to get your butt there and order a 1944 Mai Tai. Trader Vic is the original creator of the Mai Tai and its one of the few places in our area that makes it correctly. I also love the Singapore Symphony and the Kama'aina. But, I digress. Back to the shower.

Guests started showing up as soon as the clock struck 3pm. Drinks were ordered and socializing began. Everyone was introduced to each other and the conservation quickly became about how each person had met me. Honey met me during our freshmen year of high school in Mr. DelCavo's World Civ class. Susie Q met me over sushi with mutual friends. Teresa met me doing vintage fashion shows at Tony Starlight's. While Nicki met me in 6th grade in Mr. Kane's class. The stories went on and on. 

My neighbor, Deb, who did our hair, enjoying a Mai Tai Wave. A sampling of 3 different kinds of Mai Tais. 

Finally 2 of my 3 Suzie friends got to meet. Unfortunately, the third one didn't make it to the shower. 

Showered with Aloha- Getting Lei'd

One of the great details that Maid of Honor, Nicki, surprised me with for my bridal shower was a beautiful double orchid lei. Oh, yes. I got lei'd! Now that's the way to start off a bridal shower!

What's in the box, Nicki?
{photo by Honey}

My beautiful double orchid lei and tropical flower arrangement. 

When we were all done setting up, Nicki decided it was time for me to get lei'd. That way it didn't get messed up while getting everything ready, but was on before any of the guests got there. I of course loved it. Having that lei to wear for the shower made me feel extra showered with aloha. Mahalo, Nicki!

Showered with Aloha- Set Up

Once we were beautiful from head to toe we set off to the best bridal shower location EV-A to get everything set up. Where did we go, you ask? Trader Vic's Portland, of course!

My super awesomesauce, Maid of Honor, Nicki, arranged for my bridal shower to take place at Trader Vic's Portland in their private Kon Tiki room. She also arranged for all kinds of other great things, but more on that later. Now, Trader Vic's may not be for everyone for their bridal shower. However, it was the perfect place for me! With someone getting married on Maui who loves vintage Hawaiiana, how could it not be perfect?

Since Drew drove us downtown so we could drink freely and none of us would have to drive home, I went ahead and helped with setting everything up. Yeah, I could have gone into the bar and had a drink instead. I just figured it was better to make sure that everything was set up on time and then we could all start enjoying the party.

Trader Vic's Portland Kon Tiki Room

Showered with Aloha- Getting Dressed

With both of my best girlfriends in town, we decided to get ready for the shower in STYLE! In other words, we kind of did a dry run for the wedding and went all out with getting our hair and nails done. We went over to my  neighbor's house first thing in the morning to get ready. My neighbor, Deb, did each of our hair while we took turns getting dressed and putting our make-up on.

I have a vintage hair dryer and was able to bring that over so Deb could set Honey in curlers while she rolled my hair in hot curlers. Once I had my curlers in, Deb started going to work on Nicki's hair. I took that time to start on my make-up. Which I almost had finished before Deb was ready for me, again.

Don't you just love that hair dryer? 

Showerd with Aloha- Recap Kick-Off

Remember how I mentioned on Friday that my shower was the next day? Well, that shower happened! It was amazingly awesome. It rocked my world and kicked my butt! hehe. It also got me SUPER excited about our wedding!

Since my first shower has now officially passed, how about a picture of the invitation without any deleting?

Don't you just love it? 

Shower Ready!

Tomorrow is my first shower! I am beyond excited. I can't believe that I am actually close enough to our wedding to be having a shower. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Let alone even having a shower since I never though I'd get married.

Later today I will be picking up my girlfriend, Honey, who is flying in from Austin Texas just for my shower. She's one of my best friends from high school. It will be so much fun to have her here with many of my other girlfriends. I can't wait to have all my ladies together. Hoping it will look something like this:


{no idea where this photo came from since I've had it for years}

Reveal: The Wedding Shower Invitation

I just got a letter! I just got a letter! I just got a letter! I wonder who it's from....

It's from my Maid of Honor, Nicki! And it's not just any letter, it's an invitation to my first bridal shower! Eeeeee!!!!!

I was so happy to finally get to feast my eyes on this lovely invitation. MOH designed them to match with our wedding invitations. And match they did. And wonderful they looked. Truly, she has gone above and beyond designing so much for Drew and I for our wedding. (She's working on our wedding program, as we speak.)

Sorry, about my  horrible erasing skills.