Pretty Dresses and Celebrating Four Years

This past Friday my husband and I celebrated four years as husband and wife. This year, unlike the past couple years, I decided to make an effort to dress up and go big. We have a tradition of dinner and a movie and that didn't change. I just went a little dressier than usual for our special night.

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Eshakti to review one of their products. I had been reading their reviews for years and it felt so nice to be considered as a blogger worthy of reviewing one of their lovely designs. I knew that our anniversary would be the perfect occasion to show it off. :)

Pinterest

Over the years I have acquired a small collection of vintage reproduction dresses. It's honestly no surprise that I love dresses as much as I do. My mom has been curling my hair and putting me in party dresses since I was a toddler. When I was choosing my dress I was so impressed by the large amount of vintage inspired designs that Eshakti carries and equally impressed when I discovered that all of their designs are customizable! So fun!

Floral Digital Print Bow Tie Dress

What I loved most about this dress was the print. Call me an old lady but I am a sucker for most things floral print. The pattern reminded me of everything I love about spring. I knew it would be a great transition piece to carry through all seasons.

I took advantage of the customizing option and sent them my exact measurements, requested the short sleeve option and a below the knee length. My favorite option was hands down the pockets! Perfect for carrying my phone and lipstick. :)

Pockets!

I received the dress in a week and was thrilled at the turn around time of a custom piece. The only down side of all this was that the dress was too big in the waist. I'm not sure if I didn't correctly take my measurements or if something went wrong in production. Other than that, the length, the sleeves and the fabric were wonderful. The fabric is a heavy polyester blend that not only felt luxurious but kept me warm all night.

Because I loved it so much, a quick trip to the tailor and it was perfect! I paired an old pair of Target heels with it and I not only felt pretty but stayed comfortable all night. I don't think I have loved a dress this much since my wedding. Fitting, since I wore it four years to the day of our special day.

After my mini photo shoot ;), Wan and I were off to our favorite family owned Argentinian restaurant, Pampas. We ate lots of Chimichurri covered goodness and then headed to the movies to see American Sniper. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it! Wan had already read the book and I'm currently half way through it. We concluded our wonderful night at Denny's for some dessert and took lots of pictures of ourselves. Lol!

I kept trying to get him to smile and was giving him the look after the fifth take! Haha!

I am so grateful to have married my best friend and look forward to many more years of nights like this with my handsome man and pretty dresses. :)

* I was sent this dress for the purpose of reviewing it and all opinions are my own. If you would like to purchase your own customizable piece from Eshakti you can enter the code 'throughtheseeyes' - exclusively created for my readers to get 10% off - valid until 2/28/14 :)

Flashback Friday | I Do!

Today is a special day for Wan and I. Four years ago today, I walked down the aisle with my blubbering dad, and met my sweet man to say our vows.

We didn't know then how trying these next four years would be and how much our vows would be put to the test. Our first year of marriage was long distance (thanks Army! Lol.) and my injury came shortly after his homecoming.

I honestly could not have gone through all of this without the love and support of my amazing husband. 

To Wan: Happy Anniversary my love! I am thankful everyday that I married the man of my dreams. You're the bestest and I'll love you forever. <3

Thoughtful Thursday

This week has been flying by and I have so much on my mind. Here's a bullet point list of a lot of what's going through this crazy head of mine!

• Appointments! How did I book an appointment for everyday this week?! They are all health related and some I've been waiting on for a while. I sure am glad to be getting stuff done!

A little chronic pain funny :)
Pinterest

•  The future. Is it bad to think a lot about the future? I can't help it. Sometimes I feel like life is so stagnant and I just drift off to a better time. A time I know is coming. I've been all about visualizing lately. If I think positively and surround my self with positivity then maybe something positive will happen! I'm still living the best life I can but I know there is so much more out there for me. :)

Pinterest

•  Visiting my Mom. It's been almost three years since I've been to my Mom's house in Arkansas! I've seen her a lot since then but man I miss just being with her in her home. A big reason why it's been so long is because of the small town she lives in, it takes a couple planes to get there and man is it painful trying to manage all that! I do check flight prices daily though, hoping maybe a flight will be so cheap I'll just suck it up and go be with my mama. :)

Pinterest

•  My amazing husband. I got so lucky with that guy. When he can, he drops everything for me and never complains! There are still a few things I can't do on my own and he is always there. I've been doing a lot of staring at him and thinking this lately. Good thing he's used to me being a weirdo! Lol.

Pinterest

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my thoughts but it's nice to share some of them with you.

Hope you're having a great week!

Throwback Thursday | We're Engaged!

Today's throwback post is pretty special to Wan and I. 4 years ago today we sat on a bench in San Diego with the sun setting over Coronado Bay and the love of my life asked me to marry him. It was like a fairytale! You can read all about it here.

I snapped this picture moments before he asked me. :)

In two weeks we'll be celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary. Time sure does fly by. We have grown so much together and are in such a good place. 10 years together has brought so many ups and downs but we are so much better for it. We're both determined to make 2015 (our 10th year together!) the best one yet!

Hey Guys!

Holy crap! I didn't realize it had been so long since I last updated the blog! Well I'm back to check in and share what I've been up to by way of the bullet point. Enjoy!

• We moved!  Lots of changes in our life prompted the move but it was mostly to be closer to my dad and brothers while I prepare for and recover from surgery.

• You read that right, I am in the process of choosing a world class surgeon for my surgery! I was sent the provider list a couple weeks ago and now I'm just waiting for my appointment. :)

• I've been trying to get out of an emotional rutt by being more social. Moving and getting ready for surgery has been really nerve racking and I just need to forget about it sometimes. My friends and husband really help me out when I need it! I went to a BBQ this past weekend and Wan and I went to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library last week. All of which I hope I get around to recapping for you soon!

• I love to drive! Since my injury I can't drive any long distances with my back and leg pain but when I do get to drive my car I really love it. I've been able to drive myself to my doctors appointments now that I live closer and those few minutes of alone time in my car with the music turned up is the best!

• With surgery getting closer, I've started to plan some of the things that I want to do once my recovery is complete. The first one is Disneyland! Too cliche? Lol. No but really, my sister and I have been talking about it for quite some time and with her in Colorado she really misses it. I live about 1 1/2 hours north of Disneyland and have not been since my high school grad night! I can't wait. Hoping and praying my surgery comes quick and I recover well without living in pain everyday. "I can't wait" is an understatement!

And that is all she wrote! For now. I'll try to work on some recap posts this week so I can capture all the wonderful things I've been up to this summer.

I hope you have a great day!

Hey there!

I've been thinking about coming back to the blog for a while now. I just feel so behind. I haven't been feeling very well and reading my favorite blogs hit the back burner. Do you ever feel so behind it seems overwhelming just thinking about catching up? Yea, that's where I'm at.

Anyways, I thought I would start by catching you up on what I've been up to since my time off from "blogland". Warning: It's pretty picture heavy! :)

At the end of April, a friend of mine who attends a make-up design school, asked me to be her model for a 1940s/50s photo shoot for her portfolio. I was honored and a little nervous! I've never done anything like this before but I'm so glad I did. It was so much fun! I felt so beautiful that day!

This was the first look. A very glamorous 1950s housewife.

The second look was a glammed up Rosie the Riveter.

I still haven't received the pictures from the shoot back yet, but when I do I'll be sure to share them here!

In May my husband was honored with being chosen as the Best Representative for Judo by his Judo Club.  Martial Arts has always been something my husband is very passionate about and he  dedicates all of his free time to not only learning but also teaching. It was an honor for me to attend the award ceremony with him that was for all the clubs in the Southern California area.

The end of May into early June I started to embrace change a little more and get ready for my birthday. I make a big deal out of my birthday because my Mom always made me feel like it's supposed to be your special day. No other day in the year is just about you.

So as I started to think more and more about my birthday the only thing I wanted to do is look good! Haha! I've lost 43lbs and I may not always know how to feel about my new body but on my birthday at least I know I'll look good!

I started by a haircut and coloring my hair back to red. I had it red for so many years and decided that it's time to go back. I love it!

I also bought my first pair of shorts in well over 10 years! They're not short shorts but they're perfect for me and where I'm at with my body image. :)

The week of my birthday finally rolled around and my best friend decided to have a dinner at her house for me the night before. What I didn't know was that she had invited some of our closest friends to surprise me! It was amazing and I cried! Haha. Here are some tidbits from that night. Comment below if you'd like to follow me on instagram for more. :)

It was an amazing night and I felt so incredibly blessed to have so much love in my life.


The next day on my actual birthday, I enjoyed a lovely lunch with my Dad and brothers and a great dinner with my husband and close friends.

The following day was my final birthday celebration with my family. My Dad likes to cook and entertain so he offered to have a get together at his house. He's the best. :)

My Aunt brought the most delicious birthday cake!

My Uncle who is 78 years old gifted me his mothers graduation pin from 1924. As he was telling me the story of the pin he began to cry and then I started to cry! My Aunt (Dad's sister) and Uncle never had children. As my Uncle is getting older he is starting to gift a lot of his things to close family and friends. I am so honored he chose me for such a sentimental gift. I will post pictures of it soon!

It's been a great couple of months. I'm trying to live a little more and not let my disability limit me too much from doing things I enjoy. The cherry on top of all of this is of course:

My favorite hockey team, the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup!

It was a tough season but they got through it and came out on top. I'm so proud to be born and raised in a city that has such an amazing team. I'm hoping I can get out to meet some of the players and of course the Stanley Cup sometime this summer. :)

Hope you enjoyed catching up with me! I'll try not to leave so much time between posts next time but no promises. I would also love to catch up with all of my favorite blog friends. Be prepared for lots of comments from me!

Hope you're having a great week!

Better Together

On Thursday, my husband and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. We took a little extra time with each other and tried not to let the little moments pass. Sometimes life can get so busy and in my case painful that I can easily forget to give my husband some attention. It was a gentle reminder that we need to stop every once in a while and just be together.

It was such a perfect night. We headed out to our favorite Sushi restaurant in the rain! As you know, we live in Southern California. It has been dry, windy and hot for most of the month. I'm sure those on the east coast have no sympathy but this drought is rough! I was so happy to see the rain!

Colors shone with exceptional clarity in the rain. The ground was a deep black, the pine branches a brilliant green, the people wrapped in yellow looking like special spirits that were allowed to wander over the earth on rainy mornings only
 • Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

We enjoyed our favorite meal while talking and laughing. It was a perfect night. An escape from all the distractions.

So happy I get to spend the rest of my life with this guy <3

Three Amazing Years

Today marks 3 years to the day that I married my best friend!  

 

1.30.11 <3

We have been through so much these past few years and

I'm so happy we are getting through this life together.

 

 

"It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing it's always better when we're together"

-Jack Johnson "Better Together"


I Married Well

Last weekend my wonderful husband woke up early to meet up with his dad and spend the whole day working on my car. Wan's dad is a master mechanic and can pretty much diagnose any issue you will ever have with your car.

My car needed new front shock's really bad and instead of paying crazy labor fees at our local garage, Wan and his dad said they would do it. Love them!

I am so blessed that my husband has learned so much from his dad and takes such good care of our home and our vehicles. :)

I hope you have a great week!

Birthday Weekend

This past Saturday was my husbands birthday! I made my first ever layered cake and we enjoyed a night out at our favorite Japanese restaurant with friends. Here are some pictures from my lovers special day:

I love how his cake came out! (Fun fact: My husbands name is Juan but he comes from a long line of Juan's, including his Dad, so he prefers to spell it Wan :))

We enjoyed some great food! At the end of our meal the waitress surprised my husband with a candle sparkler atop tempura green tea ice cream and the whole restaurant joined us in singing happy birthday to him! His face was priceless!

After dinner we headed over to his parents house to enjoy some cake and ice cream (we were so full we didn't even eat it! Lol). 

He had such a good day and I'm so happy I got to spend it with him. 

Happy Wednesday!

*I'm still in the market for a new computer, hence the long breaks in blogging. I try to get things done on my Dad's computer when I visit him but its not much. I hope some of you are still sticking with me! ;)*

Yesterday I had the great opportunity to capture some iPhone pictures of a hummingbird hanging out at my new feeder! It was such a great moment and this little guy let me take as many as I wanted. This was the best shot I got:

The weather here has been so hot! It's well over 100 everyday and with some clouds hanging around it is way too humid for this California girl! I've been spending lots of time inside with my lovely a/c. :)

This past Saturday my husband, his brother and I went to the local American Heroes Air Show. It happened to fall on a very hot day! By the time we got there a lot of the vendors had already left because it was just too hot. We were there maybe 30 minutes before we decided to leave. Hopefully next year will be much better and the new government budget will allow for more military helicopters. There were none this year. :(

On Sunday we headed over to the San Fernando Valley Japanese-American Community Center for their annual Obon Festival. My husband practices Judo there and his Judo Club had a booth. It was much cooler and we all had a great time. I probably ate more then I should have but how can you pass up shaved ice, cold noodles and sushi! It was a lot of fun and I got a picture of my brother-in-law helping out at the booth. 

It was awesome to be so busy this past weekend! As you know, my injury keeps me from doing a lot and I am so proud of myself that I kept up with everything. I'm getting to know my limits a lot better and with medication and my husbands help, this weekend was comfortable and just what my mind and body needed.

I hope you all have a great July 4th! :)

My Birthday Week (in pictures)

Yesterday I turned the big 2-8! It was a great day and wonderful reminder of how truly blessed and grateful I am for all my friends and family.

My birthday week officially started on Sunday when my great friend/co-worker invited me out for lunch. We were chatting and having a great time when I told her how much I've been wanting to go to the beach. She had the great idea of going right after lunch and we were off! 

 

It was an overcast day but I had such a great time and loved digging my toes in the sand. 

After a much needed day off from all the excitement from the day before, Tuesday was my next birthday outing!

My Aunt took me to a wonderful day at the nail spa with a mani-pedi and full leg,arm and shoulder massages! It was my first pedicure since I was 13 years old and very first massage of any kind. Lets just say those massages hurt so good! Lol. It took a little bit of pain to feel that relaxed! ;)

After our spa appointment we headed over to lunch and a little shopping. It was so much fun! I didn't get any pictures from that day so here is a picture of my lovely nail colors and a little drawing I posted on my instagram a week before my birthday as a hint to family. ;)

Later that night I met up with my friend Stephanie for some Sushi! She gave me some sweet gifts and did some much needed catching up. 

On Wednesday I received two large packages from my mom and sister. They both came at the same time! My sister sent me a custom made birthday card along with comfy sweat pants and make-up. She's the best! 

My mom got me this beautiful humming bird feeder and super soft pajama pants as well as a sleep mask. I loved everything and I'm so grateful to have such wonderful ladies in my life!

Yesterday was my big day and it was great! I woke up to a ton of messages on my phone from loved ones. After replying to as many as I could, my husband and I got ready and went out to lunch at Outback Steakhouse. It was so good and I had a great time with my hubby. :)

We then headed off to the market to pick up some carne asada and veggies to BBQ later. After watching our L.A. Kings play we had dinner with my husbands family.

With all the excitement of the week it ended with me blowing out the candles and making a wish!

We also celebrated Rocky's 4th birthday yesterday! It's been some of the best years of my life and I'm so grateful to have this little guy around. :)

Tomorrow I'll be heading over to my Dad's house for lunch, swimming and a final birthday celebration! Have I mentioned how much I love my family and friends?! Lol. :)

I hope to be blogging more but it's still hard without a computer. I'll be catching up a lot this weekend with all my bloggy friends!

Have a great weekend!!

My Weekend

This weekend was pretty good. Because of my injury I don't get out much and do many things but I try to make the best of it. :)

Friday, my husband and I took a trip to Walmart! I know, so exciting! Ha ha. We didn't need anything in particular but it was nice to just get out of the house. I ended up getting this wonderful maxi dress. It's super long and comfortable! I added a belt to it to dress it up a little. It comes in other colors and I can't wait to go back and get more. 

Saturday, we stayed in and did some chores around the house. Our L.A. Kings are in the playoffs so we spent the evening watching the game and cheering them on. 

Sunday, we had a wonderful date night at our local Poquito Mas. It's a small Baja Mexican franchise restaurant here in California. Not sure if they are in other states but its one of my favorite places to eat. I got a chance to wear my new dress and had a great make-up and hair day! 

I also started doing Simple Pilates this weekend! I have a great video that walked me through all the exercises. I was surprised at how many of them I knew from physical therapy. I skipped a few of the higher intensity ones and spent a lot of time focusing on my breathing and "scooping" my lower abs. Stronger core leads to a stronger back.  Slowly but surely I'll be ready for surgery. 

I hope you all had a great weekend! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Since I took a bit of a break from blogging, 

here is a little bit of what I've been up to. :)

(Warning: This post is picture heavy!)

 March started with some time spent with my Mother-in-Law. 

Here we are at a neighbors baby shower. Being there definitely gave both of us baby fever. She began planning my "future" baby shower right there! Ha ha!

My husband and my Mother-in-Law started walking together around the neighborhood. I've been getting a bit of cabin fever from staying in so much, so they took me along with them! 

Here is my husband pushing me in a wheel chair. :)

I found this wonderful flower maker on Facebook 

and purchased some of her flowers. 

The top one was one I found in her shop that I love! 

My husband likes it too ;).

The bottom one I had her custom make for me. 

I love that I can represent the best hockey team in the NHL on a flower! ;)

Speaking of hockey! Here's an OOTD on game day! 

I'm wearing my Kings flower with one of my favorite Kings shirts.

{My mirror is lined with all of my flowers. I'm a collector. :)}

On Easter Sunday, we had some beautiful weather here in So Cal.

This is the view from our balcony at sunset after a brief rain shower.

My husband's best friend just had a birthday,

so we all went out to our favorite local deli for lunch.

No one wanted their picture taken but my husband. He's such a good sport! Ha ha!

On Sunday, Wan and I got ready and headed over to my Dad's for lunch. 

I got some new make-up I've been playing around with 

and got all dolled up just because.

I'm a lucky lady to have such a sweet man in my life. :)

That is all I've been up to! 

I hope you enjoyed catching up with me 

and can't wait to get back to blogging more. 

I know I don't have many readers, but if you have any questions you'd like to ask me I'd love to answer them!

Happy Wednesday!