My Best Friend's Wedding

I know you're all saying to yourselves, "gee Kipp, you've been a bridesmaid an awful lot." Well you're right. I put on my first dress for a wedding when I was just a toddler. I remember it well. Teal with white lace accents. Hey, it was the 80's. Back off.

Well since that day, I've been a flower girl twice, a book attendant once, a junior bridesmaid once, and a bridesmaid four times. If you're counting, that is 8 different dresses. I imagine I fit in only three of them today. They've been teal, they've been floral, they've been champagne colored, they've been different shades of pink, and finally...the very forgiving color: black. Yes, black. I love black bridesmaid dresses. You heard me right. I know it's a day of celebration, but black is so striking as an accent color that I love it. Let's face it, bridesmaids are just accents. We're the ribbons to the brides dress. If you're a bridesmaid and you want attention, get over it. It ain't your day. You aren't the one with the shiny rock on your finger. The only tears you cry should be tears of joy.

And with that said I'm going to leave you with some lovely photographs of my dear friend, Cristina, as she was preparing for her wedding day. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Zurborg. May meeting Ron Jeremy on your honeymoon be a sign of many things to come!

AmeriVespa

So we just returned from AmeriVespa 2009 in Los Gatos, CA. I have to say this weekend has made it into my top 10 experiences of all time. I'm so glad I was able to go.

Imagine if you can hundreds of scooter riders in one small town for an entire weekend. Organized rides. Scooter photo opportunities everywhere. Cool people from all walks of life. It was my ideal setting.



Here's a sneak peak of some of my shots from the weekend, but believe me there are lots more to share!

Welcome Baby Devin!

Well it has been my joy in the past year to play host and witness to three baby showers for four amazing women: Konjit, Jackie, Dominique, and most recently my dear friend Rose.



Rose is due June 21st and I find myself anxiously awaiting the arrival of my very first Godson. Now don't laugh, but when Rose asked me to be a God parent for Devin the first thing that I did was Google it! I found out that I had already been doing the first thing that is asked of every God parent: I was praying for Devin and his safe arrival.



I can honestly say that I don't know many people with Rose's strength, conviction, morality, faith, and above all sense of humor. I know that all of these things will aid her in God's amazing path: motherhood.



She's got one more added bonus for this journey ahead: God has equipped Rose with some of the greatest friends and family that I've been blessed to encounter. Her mother Ya, her brother Tre, her sister Shelly, and her best friend Amber have truly shown me what God meant when he inspired Paul to write to churches of Corinth to inform them that love is "the greatest of all things."

Mommy To Be!

Here are some more shots of just Dominique:

Welcome Baby Frankie!

My mother & I had the priviledge of hosting a baby shower for a good friend of ours, Dominique, last Sunday at our home. It was planned by our dear friend and hair stylist, Stacy Singh. I have to say the shower went off without a hitch and everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously. I highly recommend both Dominiqe and Stacy for hair cuts, color, wedding make up, wedding party hair styling, waxing services, extensions, and eyelash extensions. I also recommend that you take a look at some of Stacy's work as an event planner! Enjoy!

I especially like that many of the decorations are re-usable for the new mommy!


I loved the centerpieces! Each table had a "winner" that got to take them home a the end of the day to plant the petite little flowers!


Mommy to be Dominique, along with her sister Danielle, and mother Mary Ann



The baby maker and her wonderful bubble backdrop! What a cute idea!


The mommy to be and her party planner, Stacy.


The mommy to be!



The opening game: Guess the number of cotton balls!


The adorable signature book and welcome sign!


The mommy to be and her mother listening to a letter from the new aunt.


The mommy to be, Danielle, and her mother Mary Ann.


Even guests joined in on the "bathtime and rubber duckies" theme!


"I LOVE HUGS"



Present time!


The beginning of many more smiles for baby Frankie!

Grab it and Do it!

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Married the love of your life
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Ridden a horse
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been friends with someone for more than 10 years
65. Had a kiss that has lasted more than 5 minutes
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Man is there a lot I still want to do!

Something Healthy

The "Smealthy" Salad with brie, apples, grapes, nuts, and a balsalmic vinagrette

.Myself and a co-worker discovered a Monrovia gem today! On Shamrock, where ToGo's used to be is a new restaraunt called "Something Healthy." The name is innocent enough and because we are all on our New Year's Day diet plans we decided to check it out. Here's the scoop:
Almost evertything on the menu is $7.
Almost everything is extremely healthy.
Almost everything we tried was extremely delicious.

The long and the short of it is that everything we ate was healthy and yummy! I had what they called the "Smealthy Salad" (we think that stands for smart + healthy) and it was yummy! She had the Greek Sandwich on Sourdough and it came with a small green salad. She didn't enjoy the dressing but was satisfied enough from the sandwich that she skipped the salad altogether. We left talking about when we could go back and sample the rest of the menu!

On a side note, if you order a salad or sandwich you can add one of their delicious and fresh iced tea's for only $1! What a great find! A healthy and satisfying lunch for less than $9!!! I'm so excited! All that and it is walking distance from our office.