Wedding Recap: I'm a Bride!

I know last time I said next up would be photos of me and my beautiful bridesmaids, but I'm going to postpone those just once.  First I'd like to showcase some of DeeDee and Tiffanie's bridal portraits of myself.  I was on the fence on whether to do a recap post of these (seems a little self-centered, no?), but I decided I only got to be a bride once, and I'm going to milk every last bit of bridal joy out it, dammit!

So, please don't judge for the totally inappropriately large number of photos of myself to follow!

Coyote Hills Golf Course made for an amazing backdrop for our photos, and I know that 20, 30, 40 years from now, I will have these photos to look back on and appreciate how happy I was as a young, healthy, incredibly excited bride!

Next time I promise pictures of my gorgeous bridesmaids and myself!

As always, all photos from D2 Photography Studio in Riverside, California.

Happy Hour

I am sipping on water during happy hour today - my new beverage of choice thanks to all my running with Tutor Girl!

I am going to the Stagecoach Music Festival this weekend with Gardening Mom and I am so so so excited!  I'm excited for the music, but to be honest I think I'm more excited to get a weekend to myself with Gardening Mom!  I love spending time with my mom, and lately we've both been so busy that we haven't gotten to spend much time together!  This weekend we'll have two whole days to reconnect, and I couldn't be happier!

That's what I'm thinking about at Happy Hour today!

Things Thursday: Things That I'm Loving About Handsome Husband Right Now

1. How when I go to bed at an ungodly hour (like, 4 am - seriously I have issues), he wakes up a little bit to kiss me goodnight.

2. How invested (no pun intended) he was in finding out exactly how he should set up his 401K and how it should be divided (btw - 401K?  I feel old.).

3. How I'm his beneficiary on his 401K - still can't quite believe we're married and I'm his wife!

4. How he has been making his own lunch since I've been studying a lot and not complaining (too much).

5. When he sends me emails to say "I love you" throughout the day.

6. How he likes talking about our future plans together.

7. When we talk about baby names - no babies anytime soon, but it's so fun to imagine!

8. How much I'm going to miss him this weekend! (I'm off to the Stagecoach Music Festival Saturday morning with Gardening Mom - Yee Haw!)

9. How hard he works and how he never ever complains about getting up early, or working all day.

10. How much energy he has - the man works all day, goes to the gym nearly daily, and still has the energy to make me laugh for hours before he goes to bed!

Love you, HH!

Easter Brunch: Nutella Pastry Pockets

Gardening Mom always taught me to never show up empty-handed when invited to someone's home, and I am so glad she did!  It is always nice to acknowledge your host, and lately I've been really into bringing edible hostess gifts or contributions to the meal we may be invited over for.

Handsome Husband and I spent most of the day at Gram and Gramps house for Easter, and since she was hosting brunch, I brought these Nutella pastry pockets!  I originally saw these babies over at Bakers Royale,  then found the recipe at Endless Simmer, but even saw them posted all over Tumblr, too!  I have an unhealthy relationship with Nutella, so it was a no-brainer on what to make after seeing this recipe!

I made some changes to the original recipe, and also ended up with significantly less total pastry pockets than the original recipe, my puff pastry must have been sold in a different quantity.

Nutella Pastry Pockets

Yields 16 pastry pockets

2 boxes frozen puff pastry - mine yielded 8 pockets each

1 1/2 cups Nutella

1 banana

4 strawberries

Egg wash (combine 1 egg with 1 tbsp water)

Confectioner's sugar - for dusting

Chocolate chips - for drizzling

(This is what the egg wash will look like)

Thaw frozen puff pastry according to box - I did mine overnight the night before.  Then cut sheets of puffy pastry into squares approximately 4 x 4 inches.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Then, using either a ziploc bag and snipping the corner, or a piping bag - fill with Nutella.

Pipe Nutella in the shape of a triangle on each 4 x 4 square of puff pastry.

This where I made a few different options - bananas, strawberries, and just plain Nutella.

(Banana option)

(Strawberry option)

(Plain Nutella)

After pockets are filled with your desired elements, apply egg wash along all four sides of the puff pastry square using your finger or a small brush.  Then fold the unfilled corner to the opposite side, and use a fork to press edges to seal together.

Endless Simmer suggests brushing pastries with a final washing of egg wash, but I completely forgot to do this and they turned out amazing - up to you!

Bake at 450 degrees for 9-11 minutes (my oven had them perfect at 10 minutes) or until golden on top.

Dust tops of pockets with confectioner's sugar, 

and drizzle with melted chocolate (I always add oil to my melted chocolate if using to drizzle - makes it thinner and easier to drizzle without big "lumps").

These were a huge hit, and I'm so glad I decided to make them!

(Couldn't even get a picture before a few were scooped up!)

Bake away!

Wee Bit Wednesday

I'm linking up with Leigh Ashley again this week for Wee Bit Wednesday!


{one} have you ever been stuck in an elevator?No, but is totally an ongoing fear of mine!
{two} have you ever ridden on an elephant?YES, in fact, I have!  But it was at circus (not somewhere exotic and fabulous or anything), and I was so young I hardly remember it.
{three} have you ever met a well known celebrity?Carmen Electra?  I wouldn't say we met necessarily, but she liked my shoes.
{four} do you have any food allergies?No thank goodness!
{five} do you know how to sew?No, and I have literally no inclination to learn.  Sorry 'bout it, HH - I won't be sewing those buttons on those pants any time soon. 
{six} did you get an allowance when you were young?Sure did.
{seven} how often do you fill up your gas tank?Holy cow! Leigh Ashley can go 4-6 weeks!  I have to fill up at least every 2 weeks, closer to once a week most of the time.
{eight} have you ever been stung by a jelly fish?Nope - never even seen one in the flesh!
{nine} have you ever been robbed?Yes, our house and my car were broken into when we lived with some roommates in San Diego -  who knew we were living in the hood?
{ten} what is the worst haircut you’ve ever had?I had a chin-length terrible bob with awful blunt bangs circa 3rd-4th grade that has perpetually scarred me from cutting my hair short again!
Come join us with a wee bit about yourself over at Leigh Ashley! 

What I Wore Wednesday

I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy for the first time this week for What I Wore Wednesday!  With Tutor Girl's encouragement, I am hoping it will help me to stay accountable to dress nicely and show it off!

I am not much of an accessor-izer, and I'd really like to improve on that.  My best girlfriends, Fashionista and Swagger, are so good at accessorizing - I wish that would rub off on me!  Maybe they can teach me some lessons if I ask nicely?

I will probably only be sharing one outfit per week for two reasons, (a) I wear scrubs 2-3 times a week, and I'm not sure that's exactly what WIWW is looking for, and (b) I wear yoga pants and t-shirts half the week, and I'm not quite ready to showcase that lovely ensemble for the entire blogosphere.

This week, I am sharing what I wore on Easter Sunday, when I got to spend the day with Handsome Husband's family - and was lucky enough to enjoy Lil C's first with him!

Sweater: Borrowed from Sister Singer's closet - originally from Nordstrom

Camisole: super old, from Charlotte Russe

Skirt: hand-me-down from Gardening Mom

Heels: Charlotte Russe

If you're stopping by for the first time from What I Wore, please take a moment to find out more about me, check out my wedding recaps I'm currently working on, and if you like what you see - follow me! 

Target Tuesday

First off, I cannot even believe I've been blogging for almost a month and have not mentioned Target yet.  It's shocking because Target and I are not just seeing each other, we're in a serious relationship.  I have feelings for Target that I've never had for another store, and can't imagine ever having for anywhere else.

You can imagine my delight when I stumbled across Tara from Fabulous But Evil's Target Tuesdays.  A link-up all about lusting after things at Target?  I die.

I'm linking up for the first time today, and I'll be showcasing some amazeballs adorable chairs that I would totally want (maybe not all of them in one house - could clash) if, in fact, I (a) had the money to be spending on chairs or (b) had the space for said chairs.  Living in your parents' home as a married adult sure limits the amount of home decorating you take part in.  (PS I promise I post is coming on our current living situation, how we got here, and how long we plan to stay [Hat Dad and Gardening Mom are generous, but I think there may be an expiration date at some point!] soon!)

But for now, enjoy these totally fabulous chairs (and if anyone wants to buy me on, there might still be some space in our storage unit...)!

Love this fresh green print

Especially adore the little pedestal feet!

I think this would be such a fabulous chair for a unique dining room set.

Mostly I just have an abnormal obsession with damask.

I *think* this would look great with our couch (hard to remember its been so long since I've seen it!)

Am I the only one with a total weakness for old fashioned rockers? Would be so cute with a fun printed pillow on it!

Come over to Fabulous But Evil and see what is on everyone else's Target wishlists this week!

Quotable Tuesdays

My Biggest Fears: Stairs

Another one of my biggest fears - tripping on the stairs.

I am always insanely nervous that I am going to trip down the stairs.  I have never actually taken a spill down stairs (quite a few trips up the stairs though - is that common?), but I am perpetually petrified of it.

I often start to trip and let of a terrified screech just to find myself entirely upright still.

Knock on wood (but not the stairs) that I will never actually find myself head-first at the bottom of a flight of stairs.

Source

PS - those winding staircases are the SCARIEST of all!

Grateful Sundays

This week I am grateful for Lil C.

When I found out Tutor Girl and Cousin Ronomon were having a baby I was so excited.  I love babies, and I was especially excited to be there to get to know Lil C from the moment he was born throughout his life!  I have never lived close to family, so other than my sisters, I've never gotten to be a part of a child's life consistently and I knew that I would have that chance with cutie Lil C!

I love babysitting for Ronomon and TG, and am looking forward to spending a whole weekend watching Lil C in a few months (spending a weekend with a 14 month old - free birth control?)!

Lil C is so so so cute, and he is so full of smiles.  I just love that I have this opportunity to get to know him and let him get to know me as he grows up!  I only wish I was his auntie instead of his cousin, cause Auntie Casey sounds so cute (but my sisters better not be giving me neices or nephew any time soon!).

I know Lil C has some very loving aunties who wish they could see and spend time with him as often as I do, and I feel for them.  I've always lived far away from family, and being far away when little ones are growing up is the hardest.  To Lil C's aunties (and grandparents and other family, too!) - I promise to do my best to support him, and love him as his extended family since I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to see him often, but I (nor anyone) will ever be able to replace you!

(Lil C and I just hours after he was born - 4th of July!)

(Holiday Tea - 2010)

(Las Vegas - January 2011)

(Lil C and I today at Easter!)

Wedding Recap: We Get Our First Looks

After putting the finishing touches on my bridal look (and some portraits with my beautiful girls, which I will share later!), I finally got to see Handsome Husband for the first time on our wedding day!

We had been engaged for over 22 months at this point, and there was a lot of build-up to this one moment. Early on in our engagement, HH and I had decided to go the first-look route.  We (really being me) wanted to really utilize our time with our photographer, as well as getting to spend the most time with our guests during our reception.  We did a first-look and only had about 15 minutes of family portraits to do after the ceremony.  I am so glad we went this route, because I think I would have been a crying mess had I waited to see HH until the moment I started walking down the aisle.

Our photographer got me all set-up on one of the beautiful bridges at Coyote Hills Golf Course, while her assistant led my groom out with her hands over his eyes.  She had him turn away from and wait for her count to turn around to get his first look at me as a bride!

She counted 1, 2, 3 - and the moment we both had been waiting for finally happened!  

(Handsome Husband gets his first look)

(And I get mine, gum-smiling and all)

He walked up to, told me how beautiful I looked (he's well-trained), and kissed me for the first time on our wedding day.

Our photographers handled this moment so wonderfully.  They gave us enough distance for us to really have an intimate moment with one another, but still were able to capture these beautiful photos.  HH and I talked about how crazy it was that the day was really here, and that I was in a wedding dress.  We talked about how our mornings went, and how excited everyone around us had been all day.  We told each other we loved each other, and that we couldn't wait until the end of the night when we would get to go to bed for the first time together as man and wife.  This was the only time in the entire day I was overcome with emotion, but I managed to shed just a tear or two.

(Wiping away one of the few tears shed)

("Well, what do you think??")

I cannot reiterate enough how glad I am we decided to do the first-look.  It's not for everyone, but it worked out so wonderfully for us, and I am so glad we had the time we wanted to get all of the beautiful pictures DeeDee and Tiffanie took for us.

Next: I take photos with my beautiful bridesmaids.

All photos from D2 Photography Studio in Riverside, California.

Happy Hour

Today I am sipping on water thanks to my exhausting run with Tutor Girl for our C25K training.

Not too much going on during happy hour today, but I am rushing around a bit to get ready for go to LA for Best Friend Swagger's birthday celebration!  I am so excited to see some of our amazing friends that we don't get to see nearly as often as I'd like.

Handsome Husband is off to a Galaxy soccer game tomorrow with YouTube Star, thanks to me managing to stumble into some free tickets.  You're welcome, boys!

I'm watching the Real Housewives New York right now (instead of getting things done - such a procrastinator!), and as entertaining as it is (I'm a HUGE housewives fan) - someone please slap me if I am that catty and dramatic in my 40s-50s.

That's what I'm thinking about at Happy Hour today.

I'm a Talker

Although the title of this post could go a few different ways, I am referring to “talking things out” (although I’ve been told more than a few times that I do just like to hear my own voice).

When something happens – a fight, a confrontation, a miscommunication – I have to talk it out.  Sometimes I envy people who can just let things go, and don’t feel compelled to talk out every little detail – I’m not one of them.

I do not like change, of really any kind.  So when there is a problem, and things are changed in even the slightest way, I get incredibly anxious.  As I’ve gotten older, this has only gotten worse.  It has even managed to become a physical manifestation now – when in an argument, or when upset, I lose mass circulation to my extremities and my hands and legs get completely cold and numb.  I wouldn’t call myself nonconfrontational, but I certainly get upset when it occurs.

So, being that I have such an emotional reaction to problems, I always find is extremely necessary to talk everything out.  I want to know why something happened, where I went wrong, how it could have been avoided, and what will be done differently to avoid it happening again.  This can be exhausting for some people, but for me, I just can’t quite move on without it.

So, to my friends and family, and even strangers who I talked ears off of, I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you talk something out until you’re blue in the face, but I truly can’t help it – I’m a talker.

Do you like to talk things out, or just forget about things and move on?

Things Thursday: Things I'm Looking Forward to This Weekend

1. Short day at work - Thank you, Good Friday!

2. C25K with Tutor Girl - how crazy is it that I'm looking forward to working out?

3. Celebrating Best Friend Swagger's 23rd Birthday in LA with lots of friends!

4. Sweet lunch time coffee with Kindergarten Teacher.

5. Trying to finally finish (who am I kidding? START) my thank you notes from my wedding.

6. Starting to tackle the disaster that is my bedroom.

7. Easter Sunday - Lil C's first Easter, so glad we will get to spend it with him!

8. Homework and studying...maybe not so much looking forward to this one.

Wee Bit Wednesday

I love this idea from Leigh Ashely as a way to post a "wee bit" about yourself every Wednesday!
{one} how often do you do laundry?I am lucky enough to have a Handsome Husband who LOVES doing laundry (or is just sweet enough to do it most of the time), so I rarely have to do it!  Love you, HH!
{two} what is your favorite type of cookie?Those fudge thumbprint ones from the grocery store.
{three} what would you do with an extra $2000 per month?Half into savings, half towards debt - I'm boring.
{four} what was/is your favorite subject in school?Model United Nations - duh, it's where I met all my best friends!
{five} have you ever ridden in a hot air balloon?No, but I would LOVE to!
{six} what was your high school mascot?Diablos.  Which was especially ironic when they handed out annual awards called "Heart of the Diablo Awards"...

{seven} if you had the chance to go into space, would you?I'd like to say I would, but I'm pretty sure I'd chicken out.
{eight} how often do you go dancing?The last time I danced was at my wedding, I think...looking forward to Swagger's birthday this weekend, and busting a move!
{nine} would you rather drive or fly?FLY - love airports.
{ten} have you ever been caught re-gifting?Never been caught, but also rarely do it.

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Ten on Tuesday: Best Friend Swagger

I'm linking up with It's a Crafty Life this week for "Ten on Tuesday," and in honor of one of my very best friends birthdays, I will be sharing 10 pictures of myself and her!

Best Friend Swagger and I met in high school, in a program called Model United Nations.  We have very different interests in just about every field, but as she so eloquently put it at my wedding, the thing that has held our friendship together over all these years is "our general interest in each other's lives."  We have arm-in-arm gone through 2 years of high school (we didn't really get to know each other until about half way through), 4 years of college (my college year count is still going, but 4 for her - woo woo!), a total of 3 visits to New York, 3 trips to Arizona, a couple of Fourth of July's and an insane amount of themed parties.

Happy Birthday, Best Friend Swagger!  I love you for who you are, and I'm so proud of everything you're doing with your life.

Enjoy my Ten on Tuesday!

Swagger and I in our younger years - circa 2006

Children modeling companies scouting us at the movies - 2007

Swagger and I bust a move - 2008

One of our last hugs before Swagger went to study abroad in England! - 2009

Traipsing around Syracuse University when Fashionista and I visited for her graduation - 2010

Doing the hula at the OC Fair - 2010

Karaoke at the local dive bar - 2010

Swagger shows me some love at my Bachelorette Party - 2011

We get our DDR on - 2011

The ultimate supportive best friend (literally, helping me to stand up), a bridesmaid in my wedding - 2011

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