Link to see the interview:  http://www.luminaireimages.com/blog/?p=1190

She was so great to ask me to meet with her and talk a bit more about my business and my plans for the future. I really do hope that I get a chance to work with her soon!

Molly Ann even took my photo, which you’ll see posted on the blog post.

Thanks again Molly Ann!

My husband celebrated a milestone birthday this year and I wanted to get something a little bit special to commemorate. He is a wine lover and an aspiring wine maker, so I thought getting something wine themed would be so fun. In case you were wondering, the character on the wine label is our (his) last name in Chinese.

We didn’t do a groom’s cake for our wedding, but I think that if I did do one I’d probably want a wine bottle cake too.

Lido Bakery in Manhattan Beach, CA made this awesome cake for me with two days notice. It came out great! They are really nice people, and you should check them out if you’re in the area.

I really like when parties include some element of surprise. This event included a cigar roller demonstrating how to make and roll cigars that many of us enjoy from time to time. There were people on hand to answer questions on the various stages of rolling. I even got some education on storage without a humidor. This was a nice break from the bar and the dancing, and I had a chance to chat with various people who were also standing around watching the demo.

I’m sure that Utterly Engaged e-zine will be coming out with their entire feature of this party, but I’ll just post a couple sneak peeks for now.

Beautiful work everyone! I can’t wait to read all about it in the next Utterly Engaged e-zine.

Last chance to get tickets today for this great show. All you brides and soon to be brides out there, you’ll be able to see first hand the work of some great industry people and get some inspiration for your own weddings.

http://utterlyspankinparty.eventbrite.com/

Thanks to my friend Shopping and Info for telling me about this New York Times article, “Carpe Diem? Maybe Tomorrow” by John Tierney. The author discusses how we as human beings tend to put off pleasureable activities to wait for a better time in the future when the enjoyment might be even more hightened. Findings show that “once you start procrastinating pleasure, it can become a self-perpetuating process if you fixate on some imagined nirvana. The longer you wait to open that prize bottle of wine, the more special the occasion has to be.” – exerpt from John Tierney. I’m sure that we are all a little guilty of this type of behavior. Perhaps you’ve held onto some vouchers for a discounted show or dinner, or held off on having that special celebration event or party for a significant birthday or anniversary. Maybe you’ve even been holding off on a brand new business venture because of this reason or that reason.

This really resonates with me. I know that I constantly hold onto my gift cards for a long time, or hold off on that spa day because I’m just too busy working. How about those romantic dinners that I postponed simply because we didn’t want to spend the money or deal with crowds on a date night. It’s so important to start living for today and living for yourself. What’s the point of working your butt off only to never enjoy the benefits? People do need time off to recharge and to continue to grow and maintain their personal relationships.

What about those of us who wanted to start a new business but had fears of making the leap? I think 2010 should be a great year to fund those creative ideas into something more than just a concept. I hate to feel like a cliche because this time of year is always about resolutions, but I feel like we are getting a fresh start so why not push yourself that extra mile.

I know what I’m going to do for myself and my husband for 2010. I want to try visiting some more parts of this great California. Often, I just bypass everything except for the major cities. I want to drive up and down the coast and see what adventures can be found.

What do you plan on doing?

It’s only January of a new decade. It’s time for a change.

This is a photo of my family’s Christmas tree this year. The majority of the gifts you see are for my 5 year old niece.

I was fortunate enough to get some early information from a very good friend that he was going to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas day! He is such a good friend, that he even married me and my husband at our wedding two years ago. I was so excited to receive a phone call from my friend about a week before Christmas, where he very coyly asked if I could join him for dinner after the holidays to celebrate his engagement.

I’m still waiting for the full story to unfold when he gets back from his vacation home, but in the meantime I’m imagining that he proposed around the Christmas tree with her family in the next room waiting. This is such a sweet story because my friend and his now fiance endured a long distance relationship (Los Angeles to Japan) for a year. I can’t even imagine how difficult it was to maintain a relationship from such a long way across an ocean, and many time zones. My friend is strong willed and really knew what he wanted. I knew things would be different with this girl, seeing as my friend couldn’t stay away from LA for more than a few months at a time.

I really love that my friend shared such important information with me, regarding his relationship. I know that he trusted me enough to keep this information safe and when he was ready to make the move, that his fiance would be completely surprised and so happy. I know from personal experience that I wouldn’t want it any other way either.

Congratulations to my dear friend and his new fiance. I can’t wait to celebrate the great news with you!

This is my sweet start to a beautiful 2010.

Celebrating holidays with the special people in your lives.

My parents gave me these champagne glasses a few years ago. They told me that these are the actual glasses they used at their own wedding almost 40 years ago! These are really special to me, and tonight in honor of my parents and New Years Eve 2009, I will be breaking these out to use for the countdown.

Happy New Year!!

I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season, and a joyful New Year! I am grateful for all of the new friends I’ve made this year both professionally and personally. I love the feeling of actually being able to call these great people friends of mine. I really hope the best for all of my new and old friends for 2010 and beyond. I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for all of us as we start over again in January.

To my family – I am looking forward to all of the great holiday festivities and all the great FOOD!!!

Taylor and Chris on Vimeo.

Filming by Luv Boat Films