Day before January 1st.

As I catch up on my blog reading, yes i really do read the, I came across my friends blog about New Years Resolutions.  (You can read it here: mentallyinked blog)  She stated in her blog that she doesn't call them resolutions, instead she calls them her goals.  I agree with her, resolutions are made to be broken and no one ever finishes them that I know of.   I don't want to call them goals, however, they are my plans for 2010.

So here are my plans for 2010:

1)  I plan to be more financially responsible.  I was reading on about.com about personal finances and it states that you should do a net worth report yearly.  I never thought of that but it seemed a good idea to know where you stand and be able to compare it the next year to see if there was any improvement.  One should also prepare a debt to ratio report.  This shows you how much debt you have to the income you take in.  It is desired to have a low debt ratio to your income.  The other thing listed to do to be financially responsible is to prepare a budget and to stick to it.  I have done that.  So two out of three so far is not bad.

2)  I plan on looking as good as my mom in this old photo I found, on my wedding day.  I found an old photo of my parents when they were just newlyweds.  I thought my mom looks so beautiful in that photo that I wanted to look as good as she does in the photo, but on my wedding day next October.  Does this that I want to be the exact same size as she is in the picture?  No.  I am taller than my mom and if I was the same size as she is in the picture, I would look annorexic.  I don't want to be her size, I want to look as beautiful as she does.  There is a difference!




3)  I plan to be a better partner to Mr. Teddybear.  He has always been such a sweetheart and sometimes I forget to tell him how much I appreciate all that he does for me and my daughter.  He is the most giving and generous man I know.  I will be starting that today also!

4)  I plan on trying to not freak out as the wedding gets closer and closer.  It is my plan not to be a bridezilla!  Thankfully I have Mr. Teddybear to help but also my wedding coordinator as well.  I will be depending on her a lot.

So, don't tell me your resolutions.  I don't want to hear them.  Tell me your goals for 2010, please?

DIY Wedding Invitations

Ok, to try to same some money, I have decided to do a few DIY projects for the wedding.  One is all of my paper products.  This includes the invitation, programs, name cards, table numbers and menu cards.

The first thing I worked on and somewhat completed was my invitations.

The colors we choosed were chocolate brown and sage green with hints of pink.  It was hard, but I finally found the pocket invitations in the bronze color (chocolate brown with gold flecks) that I wanted for my invitations.  We also decided that our theme would be a nature theme and picked a tree as a logo for the paper items including the invitations, although it is hard to see in the pictures.  I designed the invitations and picked out the fonts used, and with Mr. Teddybear's approval, picked the wording for the invited.  I also created the RSVP card, Activity card, and the Directions card.  Here they are:

It is hard to see but I did put the tree as part of the monogram that is on the front of the invitation.  I also use a sage green paper band to enclose the invitation and topped it with a chocolate brown ribbon.  This monogram is also matted on sage green and will be changing as I had forgotten that my sister (my StampinUp! Rep) ordered me some brass to use with the monogram.  When that item comes in and I complete in invite, I will post the picture of that as well.

Here is the invitation that is on the inside.  Again, it is hard to see but the tree is bigger on the invitation and lays just behind the text.  The invitation is matted on sage green paper from Stampin Up!  This is the same sage green paper that is used for the band.

Here is the pocket that is next to the invitation.  As you can see the cards are in the same pocket and have the same font.  I knew from the beginning that I wanted a pocket invitation but I am thankful that I found the pocket invitation that I wanted in the color I wanted.  Although the beige paper that I printed the invitations and the accessory cards on came from Cards and Pockets.com, I will be using the vanilla paper from Stampin Up!












I found the pocket invitation at Cards and Pockets.com  I was very happy with the quality of the cardstock and finding the color I wanted was a big plus.  I'm sorry that I don't have better pictures of the invitaitons, but I don't have a digital camera and my cell phone currently takes crappy pictures.

So there you have it.  Let me know what you think.  Also, if you want me to discuss any craft ideas you have or if you need help on a project, let me know and I will see what I can do to help.

DIY 5th Birthday Party Invitations - UPDATED WITH MORE PICS

Well it is after Christmas and it has been awhile since I blogged.  I appologize for the absence, but there has been health issues that are currently being looking into.

I have finally found the invitation to my daughter's 5th Birthday party invitations.  She wanted a princess birthday sleepover.  We obliged as we usually do for our only daughter.  So, here is the picture of the princess.

This was a stamp image from StampinUp!  I hand colored the images for approximately 16 invites.  Then I stamped the castle image on the actual invitation and tore the edges of the princess to make a feathery look.  I then glued fiber to the edge of the torn edges of the princess image and glued it onto the invitation.  This is how it came out:

The pertinent information was filled in on the inside.  Now, although we didn't do that many invites, it took me a long time as I hand-colored all of the princesses while I took the train into Downtown L.A. to work.

There were also other items that I did for the party.

*  I purchased plain paperbags with handles and as each guest came in to the party, they had a small table with crayons, markers, and other things to decorate their bags with.  They then put their names on it and it became their goodie bags.  All treats and giveaways were put in their bags.

*I went all out and purchased Disney Princess decorations and decorated the eating area.  The menu included veggies with dip, finger sandwhiches, and tea (punch).

*After we played games such as pin the tiara on Cinderella, after eating, we had a princess movie marathon.  All of the movies had Princess in the title and that was all of the movies they had to watch.

*I couldn't find the pictures of the cake, but it really did look like a castle.  I went all out for this party and was a Martha Stewart clone!  The cake was a 9x9x2 cake pan and I baked 2 cakes.  I place one on top of the other with strawberry flavor frosting in the middle.  I also frosted the outside of the cake with the same frosting.  I then took a regular (flat-bottom) icecream cone and frosted 4 of them and placed them in each corner of the cake.  I then took 4 sugar cone (pointy-bottom) icecream cone and frosted that as well and place them on top of the regular cones.  These became the turrets for the castle.  I then took half of a graham craker to make the door.  I also had a bunch of hersheys kisses and made sure that the paper was sticking up straight and place them around as part of the wall of the castle.  It was a fun cake to make and the girls enjoyed it!  As soon as I find the pictures, I will edit this post and include them.

As I believe I stated before, my daughter has requested another princess sleepover for her 12th birthday and requested that I make the cake again.  It will be fun and I am just glad that she enjoyes and appreciates what I do for her and to make her party special.


**********UPDATE***********

So I found some, not all, pictures from her 5th birthday party.   Were they on my home computer?  No, they were on my computer at work.  Go figure.

So here they are. 

The infamous cake.  One mistake I will note, I thought I used graham crakers for the doors, but it was wafer cookies, pink ones, for the drawbridge.

The dining table and the partygoers enjoying the cake.

The birthday girl enjoying one of the turrets.

The birthday girl AFTER finishing the turret.  The two things I forgot to mention and they were pivital items to making this birthday party a success were:

1) having a helper for the party.  My neice Nicole was a tremendous help at the party.

2)For birthday parties, I follow this rule:  For the number of years the child is turning, that is the number of invitees for the party.  I told my daughter that since she was turning five, she could invite 5 girls.  I also told her that if someone wasn't able to come, we could keep inviting girls, one by one until we get 5 confirmed rsvp's.  It really helped in keeping my insanity.

Its me....Its all me.

I only have a few minutes before I have to leave to pick up my daughter from school.  I am having such mixed feelings right now.  My daughter is 11 years old, approximately 5 feet tall (I believe she will pass me by the time my wedding comes around), and she is attending her first winter ball tomorrow night.  Her daud purchased her dress and purse and I purchased her ticket and shoes.  Now she doesn't have a date yet, she is not allowed to date a boy yet, but she is going with one of her girlfriends. 

I just want her to have fun and enjoy it.  I guess I'm afraid that other school kids will be mean to her as some have been in the past.  I pray that she has a great time and will remember the fun as she grows into the beautiful, special young lady that I know she will be.

Welcome home everyone....welcome home!!

So its Tuesday and I am still sore from moving.  Ok...i'm just a little sore.  Yesterday I took the day off from everything except work.  I didn't go on the computer (ok, its not hooked up yet), didn't blog (still...not hooked up yet), and didn't even unpack (ok...just me being lazy).  Boy...I feel better today than I did yesterday!

Everything has been moved into the house or in the garage but we are officially out of the apartment.  My cats are getting used to the vast space available as well.  This morning as I was watching the news, they were chasing each other back and forth from my daughter's bedroom to the den.  They sounded like a small herd of horses, and there is only two of them!  At least they will get more exercise at the new place.  My daughter loves....LOVES, her new bedroom. 

Tonight I will start unpacking but I first have to put the computer table together and get the computer set up.  The cable guy will be here tomorrow to set up our cable, telephone and internet.  I need to have it ready for him.

So...as soon as I get my printer/scanner hooked up to my computer and the internet working, I plan on posting pics of my daughters 5th birthday party.  This party was the craftiest I have ever been.  I handmade the invitations, made the food, created a craft project and got craft supplies for them and made a castle cake from scratch.  My daughter to this day remembers that party and has recently asked for me to make the castle cake for her next party which will also be a slumber princess party again.  So...how do I outdo what I did for the last princess party???  Things that make you go hmmmm?

Have a great Tuesday everyone!!!

Have hammer will travel!!

We have moved in some stuff on Wednesday and will continue tomorrow, Friday.  Mr. Teddybear and I have both agreed that we like and dislike some of the color that was painted in the new place.  Here is what we like and don't like about the color by room.

Livingroom - There is one accent wall that is painted what looks like a burgandy color which we actually like.  However, the rest of the walls are painted a dark beige which is a neutral color (Mr. Teddybear doesn't like neutral) but it also makes the room darker.  We are looking for a color that is lighter but also compliments the accent wall that we are trying to keep. 

Kitchen - The previous tenant was going for a bistro look by painting the walls a light yellow and painting the trim black.  Yes, black.  Mr. Teddybear and I both don't like the black trim, but we kind of like the yellow.  We kinda like it but it seems a bit too light.  We are just not sure if it is too light because the black overpowers it and mutes the color or not.  So we are looking for a blue or green that would compliment the current yellow.  If the current yellow is still too light, then we would go with a different yellow.

Our Bedroom -  I have known that blues and greens are a serene color and have always wanted my room one of those colors.  Although this room has the same burgandy as the livingroom, we will be painting over it.  We are still picking which blue or green we want.

2nd Bedroom - This room was painted a dark beige as the livingroom.  My daughter has already voiced her opinions and wants to paint her room pink.  She is such a girly-girl!  We are trying to keep her realistic in her color choices and toning it down a bit while still trying to give her control and creative freedom. 

Bathroom - This is the one room that there is not much change going on.  It is currently white with purple accents.  We love the soft purple specks on the tile.  We have decided that one of the walls need some color so we will be painting it a light lavender to go with the very pretty purple speckeled tile.  We are also considering painting the current cabinet a white or very light lavender but we haven't fully decided that.

Den -  Well this is one room that we currently will not be changing.  It is a bit dark and not only has a fireplace, but also has wood paneling.  Now this is not your '70's dated wood paneling, this is the real wood, tonge-in-grove paneling that adds value to a house.  We decided to not paint over the wood paneling because it is just so beautiful but we decided to paint the fireplace at a later date, if the owner allows us to.  I believe that will brighten the room and give the room a focal point.  I think this will be the last room we tackle as it might be the most difficult.

So that is the future DIY projects that we have on our plate.  I brought up laying wood flooring down and re-tiling the kitchen counters but that is still in negotiations with Mr. Teddybear.   ;-)  I'll let you know how that turns out!

I'm half and half...

Well, the packing is about 90% done.  We almost finished packing the kitchen, the bedroom and the office area.  It helps that some of our stuff was already packed as I was getting ready to re-organize my house and possibly send stuff to storage.  So this weekend is the big move weekend.  It should be fairly easy as we are planning to move stuff on Wednesday and Friday before the weekend.  Saturday I am hoping to only move a few things then clean the old place and still take my daughter out trick-or-treating.  I will keep you guys updated.

With all of this change going on, I am a little saddened.  It looks like my daughter's Girl Scout troop will be disbanding.  The last few meetings we haven't had any one attend.  When I called to make sure the girls were alright, the parents tell me that their daughters aren't attending because they are being overwhelmed with homework.  Although I am moving, I was planning on staying on till the end of the year so that the girls could finish their bronze award, however with no one showing up, It is not financially feasible for me to continue with the troop as their leader.  Our Co-leader also does not want to take over as leader either.  So it seems that disbanding is our only option.  Although we can't technically disband for a few months due to fall product sales, I am encouraging the parents to have their daughters switch to Juliette Girl Scouts.  This will allow the girls to still be Girl Scouts, particpate in events and work on their badges and awards but they do it on their own time.  If later on they decide to join another troop, they will be able to.  I'm going to really miss those girls.  Some of them I have known for 3 years.  Yes, I am a little saddened by this.

Its hard.  I feel happy with the move but saddend by the troop disbanding.  But as life goes, with some happiness there is sometimes saddness as well.

Hope you all enjoy your Tuesday and have a great week!!!

Whew! I'm......tired!

Ok, so in about two weeks we will be moving to a bigger house.  We are going from a tiny 650 sq. ft apartment to a 2bdrm + den house.  What can I say, I am extremely happy!  We have been in a packing frenzy this past weekend too.  It was nice because my daughter has been really helpful this time.  I think it is because she is older, but she has been really helpful and considerate.

In packing up somethings, I found some old photos.  There is the only baby picture of me that I own, the picture of my grandparents, with my mom and her brothers and sisters and a picture of my daughter when she was only a few months old. 

With finding the picture of my grandparents, my mom and her siblings, it was sobering for me to realize how short life is.  Its hard to accept that the ones you love will not be around forever.  I realized how young I must have been when the picture of my mom and her siblings and how much I miss my aunt, uncles and grandparents.

Then I come across the most precious photo of all.  My baby girl sleeping in her great-grandmothers arms at just a few months old.  She is such a precious and beautiful child and I really hope that I convey that effectively to her. 

Please, do not hesitate to tell your loved ones how much you care about them or how important they are to you.  Life is just to short.

Tips for beginning DIYers

One might wonder if a project is something that they can DIY or Do It Yourself.  Or some might shiver and want to dig a deep hole to hide at the mere thought of anything DIY.  Here are some tips on figuring out whether or not a project is something you can truthfully handle on your own.

Research!  Research!  Research!!!
You need to find out everything you can about how a project is completed, the materials you will need and the approximate time it will take in order to figure out if a DIY project is one you can handle.  For example, Mr. Teddybear and I are seriously considering on DIY'ing our flowers for the wedding.  I did extensive research on this subject and found out that the type of bouquets I want for me and my girls are relatively easy to do as well as the boutineers and the centerpieces.  I found that the only item giving me some concern was the flowers that decorate the arch. I also found out the timeframe we would need to get our flowers done.  Although we both love the personal touch doing our own flower decorations for our wedding brings, we are on the fence on whether or not we want to tackle the stress that comes with DIY.

Practice.  Practice.  Practice.
Once you believe that the DIY project is something you can handle, be prepared to practice the project.  Going back to my wedding flowers, Mr. Teddybear and I have made tenative plans on practicing our flowers.  We plan on going to downtown L.A. to buy flowers on a Thursday and then prepare them on a Saturday for a Sunday wedding.  This will give us a good idea on exactly how long it will take us to complete the flowers and whether or not the anticipated stress will be real or just in our heads.

Gather all tools needed.
Make sure, before you start your DIY project or practicing it, that you have all of the tools and supplies needed so that you don't have to stop in the middle of it and go shopping for it. 

Ask for help when needed.
Don't worry about asking for help.  If your painting a room at the house, it would be a lot faster having more than one person helping you out.  For our flowers, not only is Mr. Teddybear helping, but I do plan on asking my Maid of Honor to help out as well.

Well I hope this bit of information helps you in deciding if a project is something you want to DIY or not.

Have a great weekend!!!  :-)

New Blog Name

I have been wanting to change the name of my blog for a while now.  Although when I first started this blog, I felt the name fit, I wanted to appeal to a broader audience and felt that changing the blog name is a good start to that.

Let me know what you think of the new name.  Do you feel it is better, if not, what would you change it to?  Let me hear your opinions!!!  :-)

One additional item to add...

Well Mr. Teddybear and I went to look at wedding dresses yesterday.  We went not expecting to find the "one"at all.  I really thought that it would take me several visits to bridal salons to find my dress but Mr. Teddybear and I were very lucky to find the one that made me cry.  :-)

Here it is hanging on the hanger:

Here is the same dress on a model.  This dress was taken from the manufacturer's website, www.moncheribridals.com:

 

Now, I am not a skinny mini so I was not able to put on the size 10 sample gown, but it was held up to me and it looked beautiful.  Also, one of the store employee modeled the dress for me and it was beautiful.  Now before I even started looking for a wedding dress, I scoured the bridal magazines for dresses that I liked and wanted to possibly try on.  I could not find one whole dress.  I had to take two different pictures because I liked the top of one and the bottom of another.  That taped together picture that I made looks very, very close to the one I fell in love with.  The only difference is that the dress I bought has off the shoulder straps and I wanted on the shoulder straps (tank-top style).  I was assured that the straps could be altered to not be off the shoulder and look the way I want.

I'm very happy with this dress.  It has the train length I wanted, the non-puffy skirt I like and it is flows well and will look beautiful for an outdoor wedding.  Mr. Teddybear was there with me when I went to try on dresses and he did see it held up to me.  He said that he was speechless at my beauty in that dress.  :-)  He is so sweet!  I love him so much!  He loves the dress and can't wait till we get married, in 356 days from today!  Neither can I!!!

Have a great week all!

Where do we stand?

Well wedding plans have been getting off to a slow start. Its no wonder since we had more than a year to plan when we first got engaged.  We have been to a wedding expo or two and everyone we talked to at these expos have told us that we have plenty of time to plan things!  With our wedding now officially less than a year away, it feels like we don't have enough time!  LOL!  Here is where we stand with our wedding plans so far:

1) Venue - We have not only choosen our wedding/reception venue, but we also put a deposit down on it. It is a very nice golf course that Mr. Teddybear has golfed at many, many times.

2) Wedding Coordinator - Mr. Teddybear really doesn't want me stressed out the day of the wedding so he and I are both interviewing coordinators for a "Day of" package. We will do all the wedding planning ourselves but we need someone to make sure it is all done the day of the wedding.

3) DIY - Yes, I am and always have been a very crafty person. I have handmade my daughter's birthday party invites and also created a castle cake for her party as well, have designed, created my christmas cards, and I am an avid scrapbooker who also make my own greeting cards. HOWEVER! When it comes to the wedding, I do know my limits. My sister and I will be making the wedding invitations and the accessory cards as well. Mr. Teddybear and I are discusssing the possibilty of doing our own wedding flowers and floral decorations as well. We didn't plan anything to extensive to begin with so we both believe it is a project we can accomplish. However, we have decided to interview a few florist first. If they can't give us the flowers we want within our budget, then its off to the FlowerMart in Downtown L.A. for us!!! This trip will be a blog post within itself! LOL!

4) Bridal party members - We asked them months ago and all have said yes! Woo Hoo!!!

5) My Wedding Dress - I already know the style of my dress, but to find one that looks like what I envisioned, well that's a whole other Oprah! I am starting my search for my dress this weekend when Mr. Teddybear and I go to the first appointment at a bridal shop. Yes, we are not the conventional types! :-D

6) Save the Dates - They have been ordered and received. Just getting some, a few...ok, several last minute address before sending them out. Keep an eye out for them around January!

I think that is all that we have done so far regarding our wedding.  With the wedding being less than a year away, it will be all downhill from here!  Have a great day y'all!!!

It's fall? Really? Are you sure?

So September had been an ok month. Although its not fully over, it has produced some excelent opportunties.



Mr. Teddybear and I have started our Avon business and did what is called "tossing brochures." Basically that is just walking around the neighborhood and either handing out brochures to people on the street or placing them on our neighbors doors. We had to commit to this new plan and purchase 100 brochures to hand out in two weeks. So far we have done about 50-75 and still have a week left. It has proven to be doing pretty well so far, we have gotten new customers and new contacts (people who want the e-mails but are not ready to buy just yet).



The one thing that has developed this month is the fact that I will be renting a 2-bedroom house with a den. This is a great development since I will be coming from a 750sq ft 1-bedroom apartment where my daughter and I had to share the bed. Thankfully, it was the house my sister rented and the landlord is renting it for the same amount that I am paying for my one bedroom. True that it is no longer in Pasadena where I currently live, but it is a bigger house! Mr. Teddybear and I are really excited as we discuss decoration what colors to paint. We, Mr. Teddybear, my daughter and I are so happy to be moving into this house and we can't wait till we are fully moved in, which should be around the end of October.



Well my day is a great one and I hope you all are having a great day as well!

No Bridezilla Here!!!

Things have been busy lately. I have recommited to volunteering with the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley area, am still planning my wedding for 10/3/10 and Mr. Teddybear and I have started selling Avon.

I think when this school year ends, I will not volunteer with Girl Scouts in the Valley anymore. I will be switching to the Pasadena area so that it is not such a drive to the meetings and training.


Yesterday, Mr. Teddybear and I had an appointment to interview a wedding coordinator. Ugh!!! Why can't I just snap my fingers and everything will be planned and done??? I just need a day of coordinator, but we are starting early to look for one so that if there is anything we need her to do in addition to the "day of" stuff, we can. Well, she was nice and very professional, but I just didn't click with her. I knew when I left her office that I wouldn't feel comfortable putting my wedding day in her hands. I told Mr. Teddybear that I don't want to be a bridezilla. I don't want to be so controlling, that it has to go my way type of bride. I want to relax on my wedding day and enjoy the guest that come to celebrate with us. I don't know. I feel like I might not like any coordinator. ***Sigh*** We will see how next Tuesday goes when we interview another coordinator.

Have a great week everyone!!!

Wow!!! Just a short time to go...

Approximately 14 months around the same time as this posting, I will become Mrs. Teddybear!!! It is such a short time away! I'm so excited!!!!

Be happy people, life is too short to not be otherwise!!! :D

FANTABULOUS!!!

That was my word for the day yesterday, but because I am still riding the happy high that I am on, I think I will make it my word of the month. Why a "happy high"?? Well let me tell you.

On Tuesday, Mr. Teddybear and I went to see a local golf course as a place for our wedding ceremony and reception. Now, there are some golf courses that are gorgeous and some that are pretty. The place we went to is pretty, but it wasn't how the place looked, it is the interaction with the people there that matters. So far we had looked at two other golf courses, the one we found on Tuesday, which is Azusa Greens Country Club and the San Dimas Canyon Golf Course. Mr. Teddybear golfs at both of them so he knows the guys there. He has a much better relationship with Azusa Greens than he does with San Dimas. So I took that into consideration. When we got to Azusa Greens, we met with the Banquet Manager, Espi. Right off the bat I felt like she was one of my Aunts. She was very friendly and very accomidating to our budget. She gave us money saving tips, ideas, and suggestions. She said if we booked by the end of July, she would not only give us a 10% discount, but also waive several of the fees (cake cutting, set-up/cleanup, and toasting fee). However, when asked to have till the end of the month of August, she said she could do that. But what the big clincher was when we finished the meeting. Instead of getting up and shaking our hands, thanking us for the appointment, she hugged not only me but Mr. Teddybear too!!! The thing was, it didn't feel awkward. It felt like I was hugging a family member.

So, I was happy and am still riding the happy high from finding a nice place for our ceremony and reception that has really good people running it!!!

I am fantabulous!!! How about you? Feel free to use my word of the month!!

But Captian, what do I do now???

Last Tuesday, July 7th, I found out that I do not have to take the two extra classes that I THOUGHT I needed to take. So that leaves me with what? Well that leaves me fully graduated with no further classes to take! WOO HOO!!! I am officially graduated with an MBA degree!

It took a while for it to fully set in. I found it difficult to wrap my brain around that concept. I had to tell myself over and over again that I don't have any homework to do, don't have to worry about reading assignments, or papers that are due any more.

Then it hit me! What am I going to do with all of that free time on my hands??? Free time...that was a tougher concept to wrap my brain around. I have more time to spend with my daughter and fiance...and I am loving it!!! It is very liberating to be able to release a chore and not do it again, like a heavy weight being lifted off your shoulders. That is exactly what I felt. I have to tell myself every once in a while that "I'm done with school." Sometimes I whisper it, but nonetheless I say it.

Either way, I am a graduate with an MBA. I think I have to have those initials after my name....i think. Anyone know if that is true? Post a comment and let me know.

So...tonight, after work, and after picking up my daughter at the Boys & Girls Club, we head to the valley for a book signing of one of her favorite authors.

(Whispers...I'm done with school.) :-D

Wow! Time flies!

I just realized that it has been a little over a month since my last post. I apologize. I didn't think it was that long.

What has happened since my last post? Well the biggest news was that I graduated with my MBA on the 13th of June. It was awesome and although I have two classes left, I am very happy to have been able to finally finish.

We were not able to have a party right after, but we had a picnic on the 27th of June. This was a party that killed two birds with one stone. We had the picnic to celebrate my daughter graduation from elementary school and me with my MBA, but we also had the families meet for the first time. Steve doesn't have that large of a family compared to mine. His mom, grandmother and cousin came. I had my three sisters, mom, dad and his wife come from my family. I had so much left over food because I was expecting my brother and his family, 6 kids and their spouses and kids, to come as well but they were not able to go. We all still had a great time!

The other big celebration was on the 4th of July. We were not only celebration our nation's independance, but Mr. Teddybear's grandmother turned 90 years old. It was awesome! Elena loves Mr. Teedybear and his family and his grandmother was very happy to have all of the family around. I do have to give props where it is due. Elena's dad actually was supposed to have her on 4th of July, but he graciously allowed her to be with me at Mr. Teddybear's Grandma's birthday party. I did thank him for that.

Well that think that is the update for the past month. Mr. Teddybear and I along with my Maid of Honor are going to a bridal expo this Sunday. It is supposed to be really big, over 400 vendors. Its at the Staple Center. My cell takes crappy pictures but I will see what I can do and post them.

Hope you all have a great day today!!!

So much to comprehend...

Ok, so yesterday I had a doctors appointment. Without getting to technical, I have diabetes. It wasn't so much of a shock because it runs in my family. My mom and grandmother had it. Luckily its at the beginning stages, I don't need to take any medication or insulin, just eat better and exercise more. In October, they will take more blood test, one is an AC1 test. From what I read online, this tells me how I will be able to control the diabetes. If I am not able to do it well then I think I go to meds. I was planning on losing weight anyways for the wedding, but this disease just forces me to start it sooner. So, I will be looking extremely hot by the time I get married. LOL!

Anyways, today on my break I walked around my building. I used to do that every day at both breaks, but stopped because I went back to school and needed the time to study. Well, it felt really good to get back out there. During my walking time, I use to call my mom and just keep in touch with her. I would also contiplate any issues I needed to go over in my head. Today, well I thought a lot.

Mr. Teddybear and I wanted to try to have a baby. What you don't know is this: we are both over 40, I have one daughter but had difficulty concieving her in the beginning. So my thoughts on this walk was if Mr. Teddybear and I would be able to not only concieve a child, but to have a healthy child. I decided to put it into God's hands and let him decide what to give us. Whether it is a healthy child or not, Mr. Teddybear and I would love it with all of our hearts.

I missed my walks. I use it as my "me" time, when I get to think about things I want to think about and to not think at all. I will be doing them more often. One thing I did realize was how very blessed I am. There is a country song that say's "God must really love me!" Yup...I think he does!! :D

Wedding funness!!!

Ok, so this weekend was a nice....long....weekend! I love it. On Saturday we had my daughter's 11th birthday party at Build-A-Bear. She and the girls had a ball and walked away with a stuffed bear.

It wasn't my weekend with my daughter so her dad took her after the party. My fiance (I will call him Mr. Teddybear) and I spend the rest of the weekend together almost 24/7. It was wonderful. On Sunday we had an appointment to register at Crate and Barrel. It was two hours and in the end, we thought it was only 10 minutes. We both had fun doing it together. I think that is what make this different this time around, we are doing things together. He want's to be involved in the planning and make decision together.

On Monday, we started our day late. It was a lazy morning and we didn't get to change my car's oil until almost lunch time. After that we went to Bed, Bath & Beyond to start our registry there. Boy was there a difference! This time, we only had an hours and we only got through 1/4 of the store! I was tired after we were done. After B3, we went to Mr. Teddybear's house to BBQ for us and his mom. It was a wonderful relaxing and enjoyable weekend. We accomplished some wedding details and I really enjoyed my time with my honey! Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!!!

This is it...

Today's the day that my baby girl turns 11 years old. She is becoming a beautiful young woman and I could not be more proud of her. But I have more than just pride, I'm feeling...well its difficult to convey into words.

I am so thankful that God listen when I was two months pregnant and slipped and fell as I was leaving my house. Ever since then I have been praying every day for the health and well being of my child. I want so much to give her all the things I never or hardly had, to protect her from all things that will hurt her and for her to be happy. But I know that I need to let go. It was hard letting go at Disneyland. Steve and I wanted to go ride the Pirates of the Caribbean. Elena doesn't like that ride because of the dips it has. She wanted to ride on the Canoes but Steve and I both have bad knees and it would hurt very much to sit in a canoe. So with the promise from Elena to keep riding the canoes until she sees us when she gets off the canoes, and the urging of Steve for me to give Elena some independence and let her go, we let her ride the canoes while we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It was the hardest thing I have had to do but I don't regret it. I know it has to be done, and as a parent, I don't think your ever really ready to let them go. You will always be there for them, to help them, and give advice when needed. That is what being a parent is all about.

I love her so much! I just hope I don't go bawling too much at her graduation from middle school. I'm such a mom!!! :)

My Review of this past weekend...

Ok, so I had a very busy weekend. My birthday was on Saturday and my fiance, Steve, Elena and I went to Disneyland. OMG! I loved it! This was the bestest birthday I have ever had!!! We went on the Haunted Mansion ride, The big ship (not the white one. Sorry can't remember the name of it), Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Buzz Lightyear (Twice!! Yes, I beat Steve the second time!) and we also went on Autopia (twice!). It was an awesome day and we ended up very tired. We stayed until the fireworks show then headed home. We had lunch at the Blue Bayou which I have never been to before. It was a first for all three of us. Although I loved it, I would not pay that price again. It was a great thing to do for the first time, but the hamburgers were pretty good at a fraction of the cost! A great time was had by all. Steve even had a good time since he hadn't been there since he was a kid. With the exception of the crowds at the firework show, I think I could have had him convinced of Walt Disney World for our honeymoon. But I still have to work on that!

On Sunday, Elena and I didn't go to church because we were still tired. Elena slept till 10am. Steve came over after his golf game and we all went swimming then all three of us went to Buca di Beppo for dinner. This was a fun place to top the weekend off with. We only had a 30 minute wait for our table and the waitstaff were very nice. I loved the stuffed chicken in pesto sauce! Although I asked for the free birthday cake, Steve talked to the waiter while Elena and I went to the restroom. See, on Steve's birthday I took him to Tokyo Wako where they cook the Japanese food in front of you, Benihana style. Well when I told the waitress that I wanted a birthday desert for Steve, they put this plastic hat that made him look like he was a samurai. I have the pic to prove it but haven't scanned it. Ever since then, he has been bent on getting me just embarrassed. The thing he didn't know was that I am not embarrassed that easily and getting everyone to sing happy birthday to me in the restaurant didn't phase me a bit!!! I loved it!

It was sweet that he tried though! Hehehehe....I sure do love that man!

So that was my birthday weekend in a nutshell. Didn't do any school work (I know. Bad Tricia!!!), didn't do any wedding planning or thinking about the wedding at all. I just had a ball with my two most favorite people in the world!!

Was it worth it?

Hmmmm? What do you think???

Cap & Gown $68
Announcements & accessories $89
MBA approx. tuition $40K

Showing my daughter that it
can be done no matter what
obsticles are in your way??? PRICELESS

Was it worth it?

Hmmmm? What do you think??? Comments?

Cap & Gown $68
Announcements & accessories $89
Approx. MBA tuition $40K

Showing my daughter that it
can be done no matter what
obsticles are in your way??? PRICELESS

Was it worth it???

Hmmmm? What do you think??? Comments?

Cap & Gown $68
Announcements & accessories $89
MBA approx. tuition $40K

Showing my daughter that it
can be done no matter what
obsticles are in your way??? PRICELESS

Was it worth it???

Hmmmm? What do you think???

Cap & Gown $68
Announcements & accessories $89
MBA approx. tuition $40K

Showing my daughter that it
can be done no matter what
obsticles are in your way??? PRICELESS

We Did It!!!

We have set a date for our wedding!!! Woo Hoo! We are getting married on October 2, 2010!

So now the fun starts! The planning begins! I'm so excited!!!! Sometimes I think that I really should know what to do now since I have done this before, but I am blank. The really good thing is that when I told my brother the date, he offered his house for the reception. It would be great and I can design what I want and not what a hotel or country club says I can have. The only thing is that one would think having a wedding reception in a backyard would be less expensive. No, it can sometimes be more expensive than a reception at a hotel or country club.

So I have a lot to do.

Thankfully I have pleanty of time to do it in!

Its just another year...

I was up at 6am this morning. Sitting on the couch with the news on the TV as background noise, I can see my daughter still sleeping in bed. I think back to the day we brought her home and how scared I was that she would fall out of her car seat. I remember the day when she first said Mommy and her first day of kindergarten.

I remember each and every day for the past 10, almost 11 years that have past. There were some not so good days, like the days she was sick, and the day she had to have her tonsils taken out and feeling helpless when I couldn't help her feel better. But most of my memories are of good days, like when she held my face in her hands and told me that she would always be Mommy's little girl, no matter how old she gets. I remember when she told me how much fun she had and how she loved our first vacation to Walt Disney World. I remember how she would take care of me when I was sick, making me soup to eat for lunch and covering me with a blanket while I lay on the couch.

Two weeks ago, as my daughter and I did the March of Dimes Walk for Babies, we walked among the USC campus. We had a very adult talk about her going to college. It was a good talk. She asked questions and I answered them to the best of my ability. But this talk made me realize, my time with her is short. I have 7 years left before she leaves for college and I thought, that is a really short time. The past 10 years seems to be 10 minutes!!! I just hope that the next several years last longer than 10 minutes.

My latest obsession!

Ok, ever since Palm announced a new phone back in January, I have been obsessed with the new Palm Pre. Now talk has been that the Pre will be the iPhone killer. It seems more easier to use than an iphone. You can go to http://www.palm.com/ to check out all of the features but I am zazzed at it coming out and am waiting till it does to jump ship from Verizon to Sprint. I like that in the demo it shows that you can have your contacts open, while in the calendar function and be able to go back and forth between the two without having to go out of one program and enter the other. I currently have to do that on my Palm Treo and I hate it. That process makes my treo slow. I really can't wait till this new phone comes out. If I have the cash, I will be one of the first to get it.



You can see new screen shots here: http://palmgoon.com/fresh-screen-shots-of-palms-webos-in-action/

Regarding this past weekend, part 2

So this past Sunday my fiance, Steve, and I went to a bridal expo in Cerritos. This is not our first one. The first one Steve went to with me was at Montebello. At that one, my daughter was with us. I think that for all future bridal expos, we will not take my daughter. Not that my daughter was a bad girl, she wasn't. She was helpful, but it just requires that I have to be a mom and not so much as a bride-to-be. When Steve and I went yesterday, we had soooooo much fun! We laughed at our personal, inside jokes and we really enjoyed talking to the vendors and asking them questions. At this expo, we pretty much found our entertainment (DJ and possible quartet for the ceremony) and the baker for our cake. These are just the two vendors that we really hit it off well with. We stood there and talked to them for a little longer than normal. We even went to the fashion show and Steve enjoyed it. I was amazed that he had so much fun and he agreed that we shouldn't take my daughter. One of the vendors told us of another expo that will be in July at the LA Convention Center and that is will be a big one. It is supposed to have 400 vendors. Steve really wants to go to this one so I have registered us online so that we can go. I will have to see if my daughter's dad can watch her that Sunday, so that we can go, but I don't think that will be a problem.

Steve and I have decided that we will have a quartet (keyboard, violin, chello, and flute) to play during the ceremony, and for the beginning part of the reception(during the meal), then the keyboardist will also DJ our reception (dancing). We will also have so far a heart theme with the colors of sage, chocolate brown, and pink as our colors. We also decided to bring in a little nascar theme by using our favorite drivers numbers as the table numbers and having a picture of the driver and/or his car with the number at each of the tables for those non-nascar fans.

That's all we got so far. Its funny that we have found these vendors but haven't even set our date. We are still waiting for me to finish with school before we set the date. But that is where we are at with regards to our wedding planning.

Regarding this past weekend, part 1

This past Saturday, my daughter and i walked 3 miles for the March of Dimes Walk for Babies. I have done this walk for several years a few years ago. However, this was my daughter's first walk. I prepared her as much as I could and she really enjoyed it. We are already planning on doing it again next year. This time around we will start the fund raising earlier, have more bake sales, and build our team to at least 5 walkers.

The walk took place around Exposition Park in Los Angeles, CA. We walked around the USC campus and I loved talking about going to college with her. We talked about sororities and fraternities, she didn't know the difference between the two; where she could possilbly live and the fact that I am already preparing myself for when she has to leave to go to college. She has her choices down to two colleges. One is BYU in Hawaii and USC. Yes, she is only 10 years old. I told her that I have to prepare myself now so that I won't cry so much when it happens. Then she laughed cuz she new that I would still cry anyways. LOL!!!

So, although it wasn't my weekend with her (her dad was gracious enough to let her walk with me on Saturday), I had a great time on Saturday with my baby girl!!! When I can get the pictures uploaded from my phone, I will post them.

My first post!!!

Wow!!!! This is my first post on my first ever blog!! Yeah!! I'm actually excited to do this and can't wait till I get readers and to communicate with you all.

Ok, a little about me. I am a mom to a beautiful 10-year old going to be 11-year old soon little girl. Her father and I are divorced but we are friendly to make sure things are not hard for our daughter. I have been divorced for approximately 5 1/2 years.

I am engaged to the most handsome, sweet, adoring man. We actually met on Match.com. Although I always warn ladies who go the online dating route to be very careful about meeting men that way, I do believe that meeting Mr. Right online is possible. We have just started to think about our wedding and have been to a few brial expos so far. We only have two others that we want to go to but I think that after that, we will have all the info we need.

So, what is this blog about? Well it will be about being a parent, going through divorce and the aftermath, children of divorce, dating after divorce, and planning a second wedding, just to name a few. Although I am not 100% sure how this blog works, if you post a question to me, I will do my best to answer it.

So, thank you for reading my first blog and I hope you enjoy it!!