Jacques, the day after, Canon A1

When you’re about to get married, people always say, “This will be the best day of your life!” and of course, I would always cringe and think, “What if it isn’t?”

Well it was! And it blew our freaking minds.

Because we had the best photographer in the entire world, (we love you Rikka!) and are waiting for the photos to be printed, I will take you on a virtual tour of some snapshots in my mind’s eye…

Morning of the big day. Eating breakfast with my sister. Me, shoving bacon nervously into my mouth, my sister, beaming, grinning harder than I have ever seen.

Sneaking over to the ranch, hours before the pre-ception (cocktail party before the ceremony) to see the decorations. “Take the aromatherapy tour!” said Jacques, as he led me through the delicious garden dripping with colorful leis hanging from the trees, brightly colored flowers in the mouths of wooden tikis, hibiscus and ginger and succulents everywhere, Balinese umbrellas, wine glasses waiting to be filled, and the smell of plumeria and tuberose in the air.

The taste of cool white wine as my sister and friend Laura and I waited, nervously for the time to put the dress on.

The laughter that ensued when, as my ladies and I were taking our formal photos, I realized I had stepped in poop!

“Porta fortuna!” my italian friend Stefano assured me.

The dreamy light we woke up to that day. Initially disappointed there was no sun, then realizing the gift of this balmy, shadowless, still, white afternoon.

My 3-year-old ring bearer cousin Josh, who got nervous and instead of handing the rings to us, hurled the rings as hard as he could. We watched them sail across the chuppah and land at Matt’s feet. Brilliant!

Matt’s black and white pin striped suit, tangerine colored tie, and blue eyes that filled with tears when he saw me for the first time that day.

The cacophany of sound that emanated from our family & friends as we processed down the aisle with our parents. Every single person at the wedding had a musical instrument, a drum, a shaker, or a shout of joy for us. It was loud, raucous, celebratory, and I’m certain it shook the earth that day.

Thank you all for your wishes.
We felt em’.

Photos to come!

Sasha in her frothy hat, Nikon coolpix 4500

I’ve been stressed out lately. Really, really stressed out.

In fact, I am like a lab experiment for myself of all the ways that stress can show up in my body. It’s fascinating and awful.

It’s also reasonable due to the fact that I’m getting married in about a week, but wow, is there a way to do this without wreaking such havoc on the body?

I discovered yesterday at the dentist that the reason two of my teeth chipped (see crumbling girl entry) was because I had been grinding them to bits. Grinding my teeth into dust!

My acupuncturist, Carol Fong, has been helping me with my digestion since I have been so nervous for the last few months I can barely digest my food.

It seems that instead of lashing out and being a complete Bridezilla bitch-athon, I have lashed inward, and as my acupuncturist says so sweetly, “Your body suffer.”

I mentioned this to my dear friend Sasha and she concurred by saying, “I know! I’ve been whipping myself into a frenzy lately, just whipping myself into a froth!” and I laughed so hard imagining her adorable head of curls whipped into the peak of a cappuccino.

She has been sending me priceless emails all week that say, “Stop the froth!” and this does two very important things for me:
1. Reminds me to laugh.
2. Reminds me to slow down.

And so, I implore all of you out there, I beg you, I plead with you, STOP THE FROTH! Please! and check out this web site because it is the best thing that happened to me all week. (Be sure to read the text that goes along with each individual recipe card)

party at the beach, Canon A1

Sometimes the weight of sweetness is hard to bear.

My friends planned a party for me this weekend, a bachelorette party of sorts. My dear ones gathered in a cozy house by the beach waiting to celebrate me. So much sweetness there.

The sweetness of the kimonos they all wore and their cherry lipstick and brightly colored scarves. The sweetness of the lemon drops they served in martini glasses with powdered sugar around the rim. The sweetness of their secret surprises, the strawberry rhubarb pie, the sparkly nail polish, and the “this is your day!” and “whatever Andrea wants!”

The sweetness of allowing yourself to be celebrated.

“We are your maidens!” they cried, and led me out to the fruit trees in the back yard where there was a web made of string tying the trees to each other. Gifts wrapped in lavender tissue were tucked away in the branches and I was instructed to gather them all.

I looked back, and they were all grinning, martini glasses in one hand, cameras in the other, like my mothers…eager for me to find every easter egg to fill my basket.