my cyber monday deal

This is the Cyber Monday deal that I found on Amazon.com this morning: a 1-year subscription to Real Simple for $5.

Obviously it's not the most exciting deal out there, but it's the perfect gift for me...from me. It's exactly what I wanted, I know it'll fit, and I didn't have to spend too much money on it. Yes, I have a real knack for selecting gifts for myself. I've had lots of practice.

The real reason for my Cyber Monday purchase is because I was feeling a little out of the loop since missing out on all the Black Friday deals. I was tied up with other commitments that kept me far from the big shopping malls, but I probably wouldn't have been brave enough to venture into the mob-like scenes on Friday...or Saturday...or even Sunday. I'll probably sneak in a weekday or two of shopping while most people are working and their kiddies are in school. An empty mall is a happy place for me since the kung fu fighting shopping skills that I mastered in my younger years are a bit rusty.

Ahh, Christmas in T-minus 26 days. Let the games begin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

My day off

This past weekend, I took a break. It doesn't sound very exciting, but trust me...it was monumental. I decided to put my mental health above all else - working, unpacking, cleaning, and feelings of guilt caused by not working, not unpacking and not cleaning.

This is where I went on my break:


It's just minutes away from my home and is always a peaceful oasis where I can escape EVERYTHING. Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden is tucked away in Kaneohe at the base of the Ko'olau mountains. It's perfect.

I went with my husband and my girlfriend's family for a morning of catch and release fishing. I was the designated photographer for the day and I was happily reunited with my DSLR camera - it hasn't seen the light of day in months!

First delightful photo of the day, this wild mushroom patch (they were HUGE):

The fish were calling and these helpful signs guided us to the lake:

The day was overcast so it was nice and cool but not so easy to see the fish! The fish could see the bait though, and that's all that mattered. The fish started off small:

But as the day progressed, and our skills were honed to perfection, the fish got bigger!

And prettier!

I had the most fun watching my friend's son and seeing his face light up every time his dad had a nibble.

So, I have a "blogging" confession. I was trying to come up with some clever fish title for this post and turned to the reliable Google search. What I found was not a funny fish pun, but this quote by Henry David Thoreau:

"Men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."

It definitely struck a chord with me and as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, it's become clearer to me what the "big prize" is in my life. Time. Quality time with my husband, my family, my friends and simply nurturing relationships that are important to me. This is what I'm fishing for and I'm so thankful for days like these that help to bring everything into perspective once again.

Sweet damask

Have you checked out the Fall/Winter 2009 issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine? My talented friends from Vignette did the set design for the cover story and it is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Love the artsy look and feel that they whipped up.

Also in this issue...

A few months back I was asked to come up with table cards for a photo spread highlighting the popular damask trend that's been spotted just about everywhere! Usually mainstream color combos are the superstars of the wedding season, so it thrills me that a PATTERN is so popular among brides and grooms these days.


Our table was dressed in linens by REA Events and topped with custom damask runners. SU-V Expressions contributed the pretty florals and Cakeworks provided all the delicious goodies for the dessert table. The minute the photo shoot was over, this hungry crew of wedding vendors couldn't wait to sample all the desserts.

Here's a shot of one of my table cards with a custom-designed stand:

And the pièce de résistance, the gorgeous damask cake by Cakeworks:

Photos by Stefanie and Anna Riedel

Halloween is over already?

I wish I could say that I've been hibernating this past month. Far from it. The challenge of moving (packing + unpacking + cleaning + home renovation projects) has left me with only fleeting moments of downtime. Even as I type this, I'm surrounded by only half an office: half of my things have been moved to my new studio space, half of my things remain in the old space. Add to this my ramped up workload for all the spring weddings just around the corner, and it's no wonder that my blog has been collecting dust.

A friend of mine commented that I should have been blogging about all the trials and tribulations that I experienced throughout the home buying process and our big move, but do I really want to relive the hundreds of trips to Home Depot? Or my surprising obsession with perfectly positioned canned goods with all labels facing front? Let me just say that we're making progress and I'm thrilled not to be brushing my teeth in the kitchen anymore.

This week I'm racing to finish a whole bunch of projects for a lovely couple on Kauai getting married next Saturday. It's been a whirwind of designing and proofing with a flurry of email exchanges everyday...I'm just as excited to see the finished products as they are!