Daily Reminders

When life gets complicated and stressful (work, commute/traffic, daily "to-do" lists, wedding planning, etc.),  I take a moment to spend some much needed quality time with our beagle to forget about my worries, even for a little bit. Being with her reminds me of the three simple things that I should always keep in mind to change my perspective. Life is too short to stay unhappy.

Step 1: Enjoy the small things in life (like gnawing on a rope, in her case).

Step 2. Relax and hang out with your BFF.

Step 3: Laugh and/or smile often.

So Cal Garden Wedding

Our third option is a garden wedding. This type of wedding would require the most work and organization from us, since a lot of the decorations and favors will have to be DIY. It would also be the most traditional type of wedding with the most expensive tab. We would also need to find our own officiant and liability insurance. Just the thought of having to coordinate all this (along with the other usual things like guest list, table seating, music list, catering, etc.) makes my mind spin and my fingers tremble with anxiety.

However, there are always plus sides that are worth such troubles. For one thing, being married surrounded by nature is a very romantic idea! If the venue is well-manicured, then the decorations can be minimal, like big, round balloons instead of flowers, and simple herbs as centerpieces. Party favors can be a s'mores kit if the venue offers a fire pit, or a simple candy station. Another great thing about a garden wedding is that depending on the venues, pets are allowed :) This is a huuuuge plus for us since our beagle is an important part of our lives, and I would love to walk with her down the aisle. 

It's been difficult for us to decide which type of wedding we should have, since all three choices are appealing in their own ways. The most important thing that we have to keep reminding ourselves is to do what's best for us. Hopefully we'll make our decision soon!

Married at Sea

Our second choice for the wedding is on a cruise ship. There are several advantages for us to have our wedding on a cruise ship: a) all-inclusive 2) one location for ceremony + reception (local and easy to gather) c) scenic/fun for our guests and d) the captain of the ship will marry us! No need to look for an officiant. It's pretty whimsical, but still official. The only down-side would be a) some people (especially the elderly) may feel sea-sick b) most of the cruise ships only have two small restrooms and c) depending on the season, it will be freezing. We're still mulling things over on this one...

No Fuss Wedding: Beverly Hills Courthouse

In the works...maybe...? :) We've whittled it down to three options for the wedding, one of them being a low-key, no-fuss wedding at the Beverly Hills courthouse + a reception to follow. This is my favorite option so far. I don't like the idea of having to put on a show for our friends and family for a fancy ceremony (just my personal opinion). Instead, I think the low-key, immediate-family type of wedding best suits me. In my mind, it's more intimate and special. 

I'll post the other two options next... :)

Jake the Dog Crochet

My fiancé and I love cartoons. Sure, a lot of them are made to be FOR kids, but adults can enjoy them too! :) One of my favorites is Adventure Time. The animation is so cute and it's a very creative, whimsical (sometimes gnarly) cartoon. One of the main characters, Jake the Dog, is Finn the Human's BFF and PIC (partner in crime). He can control his body to be tiny, huge, super stretchy...basically anything you can think of. He's a pretty cool guy. So of course, I had to crochet him! Here it is below (with our other low-maintenance pet, Mr. Succulent).

During one of my lunch breaks, I came across this signage outside a clothing store. Oh my glob, so cute! 

Owl Amigurumi

Owl Amigurumis!

I tried to teach my friend how to crochet an owl amigurumi. She has never crocheted before. It took us nearly 6 Tuesday nights to complete these little guys! Granted, we were having a great time, debriefing on our week and watching a few of our favorite shows during this time...which can cut down the actual amount of time we actually spent crocheting. :P 

Through this process, it truly set in that I am a great student but a horrible teacher. The only thing that worked in my favor was that I was able to provide my friend with youtube clips and cheat-sheets that would explain various crochet terms better than I ever could. I am so glad that my friend was patient with my horrible, sometimes confusing instructions. In the end, we're happy with our results! Mine is the larger, orange/turquoise owl, and my friend's is the more petite, brown/tan owl.

San Diego: Balboa Park

Balboa Park is probably one of the many main attractions of San Diego. Some areas require fees, but most of the park is free. It is a very large park, so you will want to spend a few hours there to enjoy all the different areas the park has to offer. Dogs are welcome at Balboa Park -- in fact, they have two dog parks there! Our beagle seemed to enjoy sniffing orchids and other plants from the botanical garden.