A Whimsical Roald Dahl Baby Shower

This weekend kicked off the first of three baby showers for yours truly. Don't judge! I have family and friends in both northern and southern California, and the majority of Kyle's family are in San Diego. Thus, three.

And boy, oh boy, was it a surreal blast. I can't exactly describe the feeling of opening gifts for your unborn child, but it makes things a tad more real imagining an actual person using them. A person. I'm creating a person. Still coming to grips with that, apparently.

My sister and mom hosted, and from the invites to the decor right down to the attractive servers in matching outfits (hat tip to Ginny on that one), they went above and beyond anything I ever could have imagined.

It was overwhelming to see how many people already love my son and it makes my heart burst. Just a little, anyhow.

If you've ever read any of Roald Dahl's books, you know color is truly the only way to go.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory bags for...

... a Willy Wonka inspired candy bar.

These adorable cups were for the watermelon basil lemonade (made by yours truly).

BBS is definitely loved.

Guests received "Bun in the Oven" candles and Butter of London nail polish in "Yummy Mummy."

Colorful flower arrangements.

The Mimosa Station. Three different juices, three different berries, two different hunks. ;)

At the end of the day, it was a lovely afternoon spent surrounded by women I love and admire.

Does it get any better than that?

San Diego: Hen Weekend Special

One of my best friends, Miss Jenny herself, is coming down for the weekend and I am ever so excited. We've been meaning to have a weekend sans husbands for quite some time and the fact that our all our guy friends (our men included) are heading to Vegas to bid "farewell" to my husband's life sans child gave us the opportunity!

We have lucky husbands.

So, a quick breakdown of my tentative plans for us. Apologies to any of you (Jenny included) if it sounds a little less than... exciting? Pregnancy kind of takes the party, party, party out of you for the most part.

I am no longer a baller, shot caller, if you will.

Friday:

Pick Jenny up from airport with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies waiting in the front seat. This recipe to be exact. Vegas boys, you may be lucky enough to receive some in the goody package I may have packed for you. This is also a good way for me to find out if any of you read my blog.

Heeelllllo? Guys?

Saturday:

Sleep in.

Little Italy Farmer's Market! Our plan is to pick up ingredients for a fantastic Saturday night dinner. According to the link, Little Italy in San Diego is a "hip and historic neighborhood."

We shall be the judge of this statement.

After moseying about, my next guess is pedicures, but where we will get pedicures has been undetermined. This strategy didn't work out for us in San Francisco a couple weekends ago, but here's to hoping! If it's sunny, I'm thinking picnic in Balboa Park.

Dinner will be masterfully crafted by us complete with tasty, but non-alcoholic beverages. I DO have wine and beer for Jenny though.

I would never expect her to suffer on my behalf.

We may watch a movie, we may just prattle on to our hearts content... who knows? It's a girls' weekend after all!

Sunday:

Sleep in. 

Brunch at Searsucker... which I am mucho excited about.  

The more I type, the more I realize how this weekend revolves around eating.

I'm ok with this, and I'm hoping she is too!

Either way, as long as the weekend involves some bit of shake face and air guitar, I'm good.

Photos courtesy of famed photographer, Dawn "Butt Cut" McGaw

Happy weekend to all, and to get it started on the right foot, why not listen to this?

Welcome to the World, Charlotte!

You may remember this post and this post talking about the impending arrival of Baby Girl Brewer. Well, today was the day Charlotte Kelly chose to make her arrival, folks, and so, February 2nd is a date I will never forget and will always cherish.

To say I'm a blithering idiot who can't stop crying from happiness is pretty spot on, so I've decided to share one of my favorite "welcomes," in tribute to Miss C. It's hard to type when you can't see what you're writing, after all. 

I'm sure you recognize it from some point during your time on earth as it is a classic. Ladies and gentleman (but especially Charlotte, who I know is bound for the greatest of things and to be the winningest of winners), Oh! The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss.

 

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

by Dr. Seuss

 

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry.  Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored.  there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame!  You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

 

 

It turns out you CAN thoroughly love someone you've never met before, and I am in love with you, Charlotte. See you soon.

What to Wear: Mammoth Aprés Ski

We're off to Mammoth this weekend, everyone! We'll be spending it with great friends and most likely, even better food, as I'll be making it with my fellow self-professed home cook, Brett. Here's what typically happens when Brett and I cook together: we toil away, chopping, mixing, blending, tasting, while our significant others, Kyle and Brittany, look at YouTube videos and make comments.

It's a lot of fun.

Anywho, whilst the majority of the people in our group (shout out to Teets, Seth and Greg (I think it's Greg, haven't met the fellow, but aside from knowing he's a vegetarian who may or may not like chili, I'm guessing he's a nice guy too) will be snowboarding, I shall be hanging out, cozy warm, inside. My knees have been bugging up a storm and Kyle and I both agreed it best I sit this one out.

So... what to wear? I decided, if you can't be entertained by the slopes, you might as well be entertained with what you're wearing. I'm talking crazy, wacko ensemble here, folks.

Set details can be found here

Hair looking bad? Why not throw a panda on your head? Striped socks too thin to keep your toes warm? Put a pair of boots on made by the shorn fur of a chinchilla (whoops, sorry, I meant fauxchilla). And who doesn't love pretending they're Goldie Hawn on a wintry day in Colorado?

Lookin' good, lady! And Kurt, not so bad yourself! This is giving me inspiration on what to pack for Kyle.

Because all of the above are things you're supposed to wear in the mountains, right?

Right.

A happy and fashionable weekend to you all!

Decaffeinated on a Monday

Lame-O post today, everyone. I've officially started the Reboot cleanse I was telling you about last week, and let me tell you, all work and no coffee makes Elizabeth a dull girl.

My brain is not functioning properly which is making me feel all the more pathetic being so dependent on caffeine, thus I thought I'd share one of my favorite poems to make up for the less than sparkling read. I'm sure many of you have read it before, most likely during the poetry section of your high school senior English class.  It's Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," and since all poetry is open for interpretation (right?), I think it has to do with mocking people who regret the decisions they've made in their life. 

I will admit sometimes I have bouts with these feelings, the "what if I had justs?" They offer solace, but they can hinder you in the worst way possible. 

A dear person to me once said, "There are no do-overs for us in this life," and while the weight of that sentence can be downright depressing, solace can be found there as well, I think.

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Annual German Traditions

Can you hear it, everyone? The slight up and down rhythm of German Oompah music?

I sure do.

It's that time of year again where K and I load up our things, load off our dog and hit the road up to San Francisco to celebrate Oktoberfest with our amazing college friends.

It's a tradition harken back to 2007 when K was living in the Bay Area for work and I was in Laguna. We racked up a lot of Southwest credits that year, let me tell ya. We tried to make the most of our weekends together since they were usually a couple weeks in between, and decided to head into the city to experience Oktoberfest.

Please note we did no research ahead of time.

We arrived at 4 o'clock, sans tickets, only to discover loads upon loads of inebriated youngsters filing out of the Fort Mason facility it used to be housed in. Apparently, they had an "afternoon family fun" portion and a "for adults only" evening. It was clear a LOT of "family fun" had been achieved with mass quantities of beer by young and old alike. In attempting to look for the ticket booth, we questioned a couple people that appeared to be our age only to be met with blank, bloodshot stares.

When we finally did find the ticket booth, we were told the event was completely sold out.

I wanted to head down to North Beach for some Italian and call it a day, but if there's two things I know about my husband, it's this: he is resourceful and loves bucking authority.

In comparison, breaking the rules causes me anxiety.

Eventually, he convinced a pair of girls leaving Oktoberfest to rip off their wrist bands. Then, he had us each chew a piece of gum and re-affix the bands to our own wrists; this was only half of the challenge, however. Since SF's Oktoberfest is broken into "two segments" due to available space and their desire to suck every possible attendee dry of any money they might possibly have, we still weren't supposed to reenter the building. They were in the process of emptying the afternoon guests, which meant our wristbands were about to become invalid.

So what did we do?

We pretended we'd lost a friend who was "worse for wear" inside the facility and "would we be able to go get him?"

They said yes, and we ended up partying the night away, sausages and beers and jump roping girls in dirndles, oh my!

For the record, I do not recommend this act of frivolity. It appears so fun and full of joy, right? Wrong if you are anyone but the girls in the dirndles. They did it around 11pm so, as I'm sure you can imagine, the floor was covered in beer and dirt, and every time they'd whip that garland around, it would spatter sludge all over the people who look so jolly and entertained.

By the time the next year rolled around, our friend Fantastic J (a nickname I've recently discovered her husband hates, so naturally one I'll be trying to use more often) was living in the city and we decided to make a group go-of-it. Small group, but still loads of fun.

More of our friends came the next year and so on, and now it is an annual tradition. This year, there will be 15 of us.

Watch out San Francisco. I hope you're wearing your party leiderhosen.

Renegade Kitchen and The Next Food Network Star

Hola my little taquitos! Forgive me if I'm in the Spanish speaking mood, but my mom and sister return from Mexico today and it just hit me how much I completely miss them. Hurry home, ladies!

I was going to post about my future home office decor today and then decided against it (I have a feeling most of you are letting out a large sigh of relief at this point). You see, friends, I need to introduce you to someone who is pretty, well, fantastic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Dan Kohler of Renegade Kitchen.

What is Renegade Kitchen, you ask? If we're playing the Obvious Game, it's a place of "serious food for the allergy bound." If we're not, it's a platform that Dan created after being diagnosed with his own food allergies. Aside from loving to cook and feed his nearest and dearest, he wanted to give people in similar situations something that wasn't "crunchy-hippie-rainbow-birdseed cookies," but rather delicious and downright indulgent food that feeds your soul.

The site is equal parts cooking show meets food blog meets sass. In heels.

How do I know Dan? He was Fantastic J's Man of Honor when she got married last year; thus, we spent a good week reveling with our wedding cohorts before the big event.

Things I feel you should know about him:

(1) He's an actor... in New York City!

(2) He was once a Blue Man. Yes, as in the Blue Man Group (not to be confused with the Blue Man Group Tobias Funke accidentally attended all those years ago on Arrested Development).

(3) He has blonde curly hair.

(4) Bitch gets serious when he starts cooking. I tried whipping out my skills at last year's wedding jamboree and when it came to caramelizing some onions, he was not pleased with my jokey joke attitude. I appreciate a person who's serious about his art.

(5) When he's not being Serious Kitchen Bitch Dan, he's hysterical theatrical make-you-piss-your-pants Dan. He's sharp as a tack, that one.

HOWEVER, as much as I love the guy and his site, the real reason I'm posting about him today is so that all of you can send him good vibes because... he's trying out for The Next Food Network Star! And based on this post on his own website, it looks like he's almost made it on (enjoy the inner dialogue he let's everyone be privy to... I sure did).

Here's a peek at his audition video:


FNS 8 Prime from Renegade Kitchen on Vimeo.

Charismatic, n'est pas? The part where he compares eggplant to "the creepy uncle in the corner?" Genius. Things like this fly out of his mouth on a minute to minute basis, and I for one, think the Food Network needs a personality that isn't a winking, cute, chubby girl or a self-absorbed asshole.

Finally, let me attest to his cooking right here, folks: the man is good. He whipped up Fantastic J's bridal brunch the morning of her wedding, swirling about the kitchen like a tall, lanky food dragon, and it was phenomenal.

So send out some positive vibes to Brooklyn... and hand me a piece of Afternoon Cake, please!

f8 and Timeline Love

I'm about to geek out on all of you in 3... 2... 1...

Was anybody else excited about the changes Facebook announced today? Anyone followin' f8?

No?

I have to admit, so far (as the summit's not over yet!), the thing I'm most stoked about is "Timeline." What is Timeline, you ask? Why allow me rip off the short demo video they've created to roll the app out to Facebook users!




Readers, let me ask you... am I the only person who's ever wanted to see their life in a 2 minute montage video of photos, footage and sound bytes backed with one of my favorite tunes?

I know some of you are freaks like me, so I take comfort in the assumption that I am not alone in this wish. I am that girl who stays up until odd hours of the morning watching home videos, flipping through photo albums or scrolling through online images that I have seen plenty of times before, but have no problem looking at over and over and over again. What is it with my obsession with the past (and the present? And the future)?!

Facebook is attempting to make itself a platform for more than just creepily stalking those whom you are no longer in touch; it's allowing us to virtually chronicle our lives and incorporate various methods to do it. I'm sure there are those of you out there who hate it, but I for one do not.

In addition, I love that social media sites are putting an emphasis on social good and change. We need more of it in the world, yes? Are we really going to complain about where it comes from or who's doing it?

I hope not.

Girl Crush Friday and Life Decisions

I'm not exactly sure how to say this, so I'll just go ahead and do it: I think I have a girl crush on Jessica Hische.

Who is Jessica Hische, you ask?

Who isn't Jessica Hische, is the real question. This wunderkind (I'm not sure if I'm using this word correctly... and upon further inspection, it looks as though wunderkind means child prodigy. She is not a prodigy, or a child in fact, but she is phenomenal) seems to be good at every web thing I love:


  !




Getting people to give her cake! 
Illustrating and designing!

But above all else, Jessica Hische is teaching me to not fear the Internet! 

Remember when I started this blog all of... three months ago? I had just quit a job that made me miserable and being unexpectedly unemployed left me with the opportunity to evaluate what my next step was in life (easy and light, I know). I made lists of what I was good at and things that made me happy and even posted a quote from Jessica Hische of all things! Want a reminder without having to do the hard work of clicking on my link? It was this:

And as silly as this sounds, this quote has become my mantra. I say it to myself whenever I start to get down about how all over the place my life is right now. I need more focus and more discipline, but I already know the things that make me happy and keep me interested, the skills I have and those I want to learn... and that's half the battle, isn't it? 

As an adult (god, I keep throwing the "a" word, around, don't I? Does this mean I'm still pretending to be one? Or that I've actually accepted the reality that I actually AM one?), I've realized that not everyone knows what makes them happy; there are some that will always find the negative in everything, no matter how blessed, successful, rich, smart or beautiful they are. Luckily, I DO know what makes me happy and in that I find comfort. 

Phew, that got a little deep for a second there, didn't it? I've decided a few things in the last week. It's been jam packed, but exciting, and I apologize if the writing's been lackluster at best. 

These decisions are (and I am putting them out there because if I don't, there's always the chance I'll cop out. I have to tattoo it onto the world wide web, people!):

I want to write. Write what, exactly, I'm not sure, but I want to make it a part of my "every day." I'm consulting with Anne LaMott (ok, ok, I'm reading her book Bird by Bird), and have already learned so much about this maddening, amazing, torturous process known as writing. She has somehow managed to put into words the thoughts that manage to bombard me when I try to create, and it has been helpful and enlightening.

I want to work for myself, but with others as well.  A friend of mine gave me an amazing opportunity a few months ago that opened my eyes to a lot of avenues I wasn't aware of; for her and for that I am grateful. 

I want to volunteer. I used to do this in college all the time, but stopped in the "real world"... What's up with that?

I want to take more time out of my day to let the people I love know it. 

I want (and need... desperately) to work out. The healthy eating I've got down pat, but the movin' and the shakin' needs to be ramped up majorly. (K, babe, refer to this post every time I try to get out of our workout plan! Furthermore, this should also act as a good test to see how often my husband reads this blog) I'm not overweight, but I am over the wiggly jiggly skin where muscle used to live.

Finally (let me guess what you're thinking: sweet Maria y Jose! This is her uplifting Friday post? What happened to raving about Jessica Hische?!), in the last couple months, I've been focusing on signs; more or less, what the world delivers to you and how you react or respond to it. 

It's a circular plane, right? 

What we send out is what we get back. I've decided to put my energy into the activities, people and things that make me feel good at the end of the day. I'm done with dread and anxiety and nervousness and people who don't take the time to think about how their actions affect others.

Life is too fucking short, people, and I intend to make the most of it.

Thinking Pink

When my husband and I got married a few years ago, we were the first of our friends to take the leap and seal the deal with a ring. In comparison, the next year, we attended six (and were invited to eight) separate weddings.

Phew.

However, this year, only one peep on the bride and groom circuit. Might we have cashed in most of our chips in 2010? Are we possibly over the first boom of weddings that won't occur again until we're in our early thirties? I'm sure you know what's coming next...

That's right. BABIES.

The first of our dear friends are expecting! Yup, it's really happening and today they discovered it's a girl. A GIRL! A wonderful, sweet, adorable (sure to be toe-headed) baby girl. I have been excited about it all day and can't stop smiling. Thank goodness I'm by myself. I'm pretty sure I look like a complete idiot and you'll have to forgive me for my excessive use of exclamation marks today; I just can't help myself!

Baby Girl Brewer, we cannot wait to meet you!!!

So naturally, I'm thinking pink. And by thinking pink, I mean I've been roaming around a few sites looking for some goods for BGB.

She's due in winter, but every gal needs a go-to dress for spring!

Burberry Gathered Dress

Baby Girl's parents lived in LA when we did, so I feel it only befitting she has an outraged onesie.

Sara Kety Onesie

 Ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles!

Little Ella Moss Romper Dress

 It's chilly where she's gonna be living, so some stylish bundling is in order!

Ralph Lauren Infant Down Jacket

 Tootsies will stay toasty warm with these puppies!

UGG Australia Infant Booties

What can I say? Mama and Papa-to-be were children of the 90's. The kid's gonna need some leggings.

Splendid Littles Tunic and Leggings

Polka dot onesie grey and pink romper? Even snarky hipster babies can agree on its deliciousness.

Gap Polka Dot Romper

Baby Bear Brewer? I could just about die...

Gap Bear Onesie

Too bad Auntie EJ's feet can't fit into these sassy shoes.

Gap Kitty Ballet Flats

 If you know any parent with a baby, they know who Sophie the Giraffe is.

Sophie the Giraffe

 Trojan gear for Mama...

USC Infant Cardinal Dress

 Rebels paraphernalia for Daddy...

UNLV Rebels Bodysuit

And I might sneak on some Gaucho booties when Mommy and Daddy aren't looking, little one, just a heads up!

UCSB Booties

February cannot come fast enough...

Big Day Memories

It's been an exhausting day. Three and a half hours at the vet which eventually led to a scheduled surgery for next week. Poor Moe!

Either way, two days ago, I finally ordered my wedding album. Some of you may be thinking, didn't she get married 2 and 1/2 years ago?

Yes, yes I did.

I don't know why I dragged my feet in getting it done. There were over 4,500 photos and I am a picky girl, but most brides can't stand the wait.

In having to pull the trigger, I was reminded of how wonderful this day was. K and I felt completely surrounded by people who loved us and wished us nothing but the best in our new adventure together as husband and wife. Almost everyone that had or has an important role in our lives was there, our friends and family, and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Also, I was proud of how everything came together. Even though there are some who would lead you to believe otherwise (she will not be named), I planned my wedding completely on my own. The lighting, the music, the food, drinks and olive oil... it was all organically mine. Please do not think I had no help. To the contrary, without the help of my mom and now mother-in-law, this wedding would never have been as spectacular as it was. Also, we had the kind of guests who boogied before, during and after dinner, including getting down to a few special Indian Bollywood hits.

How often do you see that, I ask?

It makes a difference when it comes to the atmosphere of an event, having fun loving people celebrating you and your husband, let me tell you.

I hope you enjoy these. I'm trying to give a sense of the day, the best way I know how. Note we had a plethora of cute children attend. I know a lot of events are sans kids nowadays, but they wonderfully add a sense of frivolity and joy to parties such as these.

Don't stop believin' and remember, all you need is love.

Let me know if you want wraps like these for your wedding... Ivory Sparrow is about to take flight!

Momo, my godmother, made it out all the way from Kansas City!

Our sweet wedding girls...

My Dorothy Sparkle shoes...

The people sitting in the back row were my grandma's best friends. They sat there every Sunday for church.

I LOVE this photo of my parents.

The mayor of Calistoga stopped by to wish us well!

Kyle accidentally hit our photographer in the face with the champagne cork..

Clearly somebody let their four year old drink too much... and pass out in a planter!

Olive oil for the adults, M&Ms for the kiddies!

Our mutual friends from college... minus a Mong and a Krusty Nut.

A bagpiper led everyone to dinner...

Our first dance to Ryan Shaw's "We Got Love."

Every person in this family has moves.

It's ok... I don't understand what's going on in this photo either...

Gettin' down, just like grandma (see above)!

She may have illegally won this bouquet, but she was proposed to two weeks later, so...

I bet you didn't have resident Indians at your wedding...

 Happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone!