KRISTINA + KIP : Lace Wedding Gown Alterations

This was one of my sweet #Brides Kristina. She was a Bride when I had my design studio space (below).   I had the honor of altering her lace wedding gown.  It is pretty nostalgic to see the photo with my old signage and decor. My design space sure has changed😉!  I made a lot of great memories in that place🥰.

I thought I lost all my photos and work dating back before 2017. My old computer no longer wanted to cooperate and I wasn’t able to access backup drives. It’s nice to have FB save some memories for me. Surprisingly, I even made notes on the photo description😆.  Here are my alteration notes:

“Take up the shoulder, take-in waist, take-in hip, carefully remove lace & beadwork, hand-sew lace & beadwork”

Photo1:  Carefully study the placement of lace, beadwork, and intricate details
Photo2:  Slowly and carefully remove the lace for alterations
Photo3:  Hand sewing the lace back on the dress & hand sewing the beads

Kristina’s love story is a true testament of “Love in Action.”  She celebrated a beautiful wedding ceremony in Cancun.  Read on to see why it was meant to be…

KRISTINA + KIP

How did you meet the love of your life?  We met in law school (nothing exciting there!), but I do note that Kip and I were friends first, and I didn’t start to see him in a different light until a group of us stayed at his parents’ house in Houston during law school for a friend’s wedding. Meeting his family and seeing how he interacted with them showed me a different side of him and peaked my interest.  At his friend’s wedding, Kip spent time showing me pictures of his then 2 year-old niece, which also revealed that he was just a sweet guy inside.

When or at what moment did you know he was the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with? Kip and I say we did not have a “fairy tale romance.”  That is, we didn’t start dating and automatically know that each other was the one.  We were both hesitant because we both had in mind that we weren’t ready to settle down.  Also,  I was planning on returning to my native California after graduation where my family resides.  The fact that I wasn’t intending to stay in Texas created a facade in our relationship that it wasn’t going to last, but we were going to enjoy it while it did.  

After graduation, although Kip and I had an amazing relationship, I wasn’t ready to change my plans and I moved back to California.  I even took the California Bar Examination.  However, Kip and I couldn’t imagine breaking up.  After several months of long-distance, I decided to move back to Texas and give it a shot.  Immediately Kip and I knew we made the right decision and knew we would eventually get married.

You faced some challenges recently, what were they and how did you overcome it?  We got engaged exactly two years after I moved to Houston.  Kip is extremely close to his parents, and I became part of the family.  I even lived with Kip’s parents while I was looking for a job and getting settled.  Soon after we got engaged, we didn’t want to wait another year to plan a big wedding and set a date of June 12th for a Cancun wedding with only family and close friends.  

On April 30, 2011, we got a call that Kip’s parents had been in a serious car accident on I-10.  They had crashed into the freeway barrier wall at a high speed.  Kip’s dad suffered a broken neck and broken back.  He was extremely lucky not to have suffered any spinal cord injury and Kip’s mom had broken her back.  Kip and I had to decide whether to cancel the wedding because we couldn’t imagine a ceremony without both of his parents.  Kip’s parents were adamant we have the ceremony.  We hoped that at least his mom would heal enough to attend.  Kip’s dad had a halo and was hospitalized for seven weeks.  There was no chance he would be able to go. With their encouragement, we went forward with the wedding in Cancun. Kip’s mom was there and Kip’s dad watched a live webcast of the ceremony.  Although it was heartbreaking to miss Kip’s dad on our wedding day, it was a beautiful ceremony and that gave us an experience that brought us all closer together.

I believe when a couple can endure tough challenges like this and remember what brought them together, they can make it through anything.  Thank you Kristina for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day many years ago.  Much love to this couple!  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Hugs,

Ann

Here is the video on how to bustle her Casablanca Wedding gown.  It was one of my early videos. If you were one of my past Brides and have any photos, feel free to send them my way. I would love to relive some wonderful memories with you:

15 Years of Growing in Marriage

Greetings Everyone!

I hope you are all doing well.  My husband & I recently went on our 15 year Anniversary trip to Seattle, WA with just the two of us.  Our anniversary was on November 13th.  Thank you to my brother-in-law Thong who made it possible.  He took on the role of parenting and made sure the kids were fed & picked up from school on time.  He even waited in the car rider line;) – Thank you Thong!

It has been 5 years since our last trip together and my husband had surprised me with this trip.  I love the experiences & memories we got to create together.  He also got the kids involved by getting them to create a card for each night we were in Seattle.

Mr. T & I have been so busy the past couple of years trying to stay focus on building our careers & trying to balance family life.  Is there such a thing as balancing life?  Please share any tips because I haven’t figured it out yet:).  He has been attending dental school and works on the weekends.  Me?  I’m trying to manage family, grow my business, and keep life simple.  Keeping life simple is not as easy as it sounds.  However, both my husband & I agree that it has been worth all the struggles…I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  He will be graduating this May so please continue to pray for us.  It feels so close yet so far away.

This getaway was much needed for the both of us.  We had the opportunity to reconnect & talk more about our future plans.  We got to share our wants & needs without judgment & had a better understanding of where we are now as individuals.  We talked and discussed how we can continue to grow as a couple & how we can become a stronger family unit.  Our children love to travel so we can not wait to do more of that after he completes his semester.

Gum Wall

Sunset at Kerry Park

Starbucks Reserve

Space Needle

We got to do our morning jogs together and walked to our different destinations.  If anything was less than 2 miles away, we walked there.  It was our way of enjoying the scenery & also train for the marathon coming up in January.  We did get to dress up one night to attend mass at Saint James Cathedral & afterwards have dinner at Aerlume.  We were invited to bring up the gift offerings for mass which made it extra special.  What an honor to be a visitor & carry up the gifts on our Anniversary trip!   Thank you God for the blessings!  I truly felt the graces & love.  My husband & I took the time to pray for those who asked for prayers and intercessions.  I also prayed for our marriage and for a deeper understanding of this vocation.
 For my creative friends, I got to wear my most recent sewing project, the front zipper skirt.
 Mr. T, thank you for everything.  Thank you for your dedication to our family & to me.  I know we are both trying the best we can for our family, but ultimately, I know we have to rely on God for the graces, blessings, & mercy to overcome any of the challenges.  We are almost graduating….ok, he’s almost graduating, but we did it together.  It’s almost real!  We got this!  Love you Mr. T!  Love you everyone!  Thank you for reading & sharing this big milestone with us.  Praying for many many many more years of growing in marriage 😉

Hugs,

Ann

P.S. Front Zipper Skirt Video

Happy 14 year Anniversary!

Exactly 14 years ago today, November 13, 2004, Mr. T & I knelt down before God and invited Him to be the center of our marriage. Reflecting on our personal journey, it was the only reason we made it to fourteen years. Because of God, we grew to have a better understanding of one another through the years.

Also, I never thought I could love Mr. T more than the day I married him. But as we brought children into the world and I saw how he cared, loved, and nurtured them – my heart melted. When I thought love couldn’t grow beyond that, God showed me otherwise. Over the years, Mr.T made sacrifices for our family. He wanted our children to know they can accomplish anything if they worked hard & believed in themselves. For that, my love for him grew more and to be honest, he not only showed our children, but he showed me what dreams are made of. Yes, Mr. T is my inspiration😍.

In no way is our marriage perfect, but I am grateful for what God has taught me about love through our journey.  I would like to ask you, our family & friends, to pray for us – that God continues to be the center of our marriage. As many know, it is not easy to walk the narrow and winding path.  Thank you so very very much 🙏 ❤️

xoxo,
Ann.

12 Years of Marriage : 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

When I came across this picture, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.  I bet you are laughing at me already:) I know, I look pathetic in this picture — pathetically in LOVE!  This moment was captured by our dear friend & Groomsman Anthony P. 12 years ago on November 13, 2004.

Well, Mr. T and I had this thing called LOVE all figured out (I mean look at that picture of us 12 years ago:).  We were going to experience this “feeling” of great jubilation and sheer bliss for the rest of our lives.  And as long as we “felt” the LOVE, we were going to have a perfect marriage…Ladies & Gents, we were in for a big surprise.

Brides and Grooms-to-be, I truly do hope and pray you will experience the “feeling” for the rest of your life.  Chances are, from speaking with many friends, family, and those who married before me, the “feeling” of LOVE every single day of your life for the rest of your life is very slim.  Here are a few things I have learned from my journey of marriage, it may or may not be helpful to you but take it with a grain of salt:)

 I learned that feelings will come and go, but the ACTIONS rooted in LOVE will get you through almost anything — even an imperfect marriage like ours.  I also learned that people will change.  My husband and I change every single day.  Our daily experiences, our interactions with others, our feelings & emotions, thoughts, etc. change every single day…and it effects our marriage — positive or negative.  Also, I learned that men process information differently from women.  I’m complicated and Mr.T’s well…simple:)  Another thing I learned is our relationship with each other changes as it matures through the years.  For example…

Here we are in our early 20’s…that’s the 1990’s.  We dated 6 years before we married.

Remember the early days of dating?  Well, when I look at this picture, I see two young naive people.  Two people who thought they knew what love consisted of…LOVE=butterflies in your stomach.  Those were also the days we would speak on the phone for hours…sometimes to the point we were mumbling words that made no sense…talking literally in our sleep.  Silly me, I would get so excited when he paged the number “10” on my beeper (yes, old school pagers were in:) cause that stood for Mr. T’s name (btw, his name is Tan)

For you old schoolers, remember when you could spell LOVE upside down with the numbers 31707?  lol!

Well, below is the most recent picture of us.  When I look at this picture, I see two people who love each other with all their hearts and had to work extremely hard to make it work, sometimes even making mistakes.

2016 Anniversary Date

  There were days when we were not on the same page about life but those were the times we had to work harder to try and understand the “why’s” of it all.  Or the times when children came into the picture and we became strangers because somehow life was about the kids. Instead, we had to try harder to find time to talk and get to know each other again.  How about when we got so comfortable in our marriage that we forgot how to treat each other with kindness and respect.  Often strangers were treated better than how we would treat each other in the home.  But we re-evaluated our behavior and worked harder to build, encourage, and help each other become better people.  And when one decides to make a career change for a better future (however long it may take – inside joke)?  Well, it just meant we had to work harder and pray harder to somehow find harmony and peace through the challenges of change.  Looking back, I do not regret going through the 12 years filled with tears and laughter.  We may have been tempted to walk away at times because the “feeling” of LOVE was lost but I am so grateful to stick it through because it opened my eyes to what LOVE (in action) truly means.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:4-8a)

Well, Mr. T…Happy Anniversary!  I am so grateful for you and how much more beautiful you have made life.  May we celebrate 100+ more Anniversaries:)

Love, Ann

  

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to read “Growing Old With My Valentine”.

Happy Thanksgiving!

photo via The Cottage at 341 South

I am thankful for….LIFE.  What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!  I wish everyone a day full of laughter, peace, and wonderful memories with family and friends:)

Keep safe and warm!

Growing Old with My Valentine

{Photo courtesy of my God daughter, Mary P}

If I am not the first, then let me be the first to say…Ladies, marriage is no fairy tale (in my experience).  However, it is one of the best decisions I have made for my life.  My Valentine (Mr. T) and I are going on 9 years of marriage.   Although we are not perfect people in any way, we are perfect for each other.  In all honesty, I can not wait to see what will unfold as we grow OLDer together.

Since it is the Season of Love right now, I thought I would share a little of my own experience about Love and Marriage and to also thank my Valentine.  If you are yawning right about now and just want to go straight to the tutorials, feel free to click {here}.  Trust me, you won’t hurt my feelings.  I know that most guests who come to visit my blog are here for the tutorials.  So again, I totally understand:)  Feel free to click {here} and enjoy the tutorials.

Well, here are my 8+ years of experience with Love & Marriage in a nutshell…(and still learning)

ME to WE.

I use to be a free spirit and a dreamer.  After my college days, I use to take off and traveled whenever and wherever I wanted (Thanks to my dear friend Linh P. who worked at an airline:).  I figured that I will  continue to do what pleased ME and made ME happy  – even after marriage.  I mean marriage was one of those things that was suppose to make ME happy all the time right?  Well, through a lot of self reflection and some growing pains, I quickly learned that marriage was not about ME, but about WE.  Because of my husband, I am still a free spirit and a dreamer.  However, not the youthful selfish one I use to be, but a more mature one that considers others.

Definitely not a LOOKER.

When the make up comes off….o my goodness…I do not look the same.  My husband has literally seen me at my worst.  After giving birth to three of his kids and making a decision to be a stay at home mom…Mr. T does not come home to a bombshell.  There has been days when my quickly tied up ponytail ends up on one side of my head.  Also, what is a fairly new mother to do when you receive a new stretched body that doesn’t fit old clothes anymore?  Of course! You go put on your husband’s oversized Tees and his sweat pants. I mean, that’s what I did.  But Ladies, do not let yourself go.  Learn to take care of yourself even after children.  Your husband does not care that you still look how you did when you first met, but he genuinely wants you to take care of yourself.  I am still in the process of learning to take care of my new body.  I just want to thank my Valentine for showing me the importance of staying healthy and feeling good about myself so I can care for our children.  He may not have always been eloquent with words but he learned quickly how to rephrase his sentences to a sleepless grumpy spouse:)

Growing OLD Together

I remember the day My Valentine told me about his belly.  From the sound of his voice, he was very disappointed that his belly hung over the seatbelt. What was a loving wife to do?  I laughed of course!  Maybe I shouldn’t have laughed that hard but that was a milestone for us.  It was a sign we were growing older…together.  My husband use to be an athlete and quite fit I must say.  But that was our younger years.   As we grow older, our bodies are inevitably going to change.  Yes, we will look different.  His belly incident encouraged us to get healthier, but even so, he is not going to have his youthful body.  And that’s okay.  I love my Valentine’s aging body just the way it is.  I honestly don’t care about his strong biceps (that he use to flex and call snakes:)  but I do care that he stays healthy to enjoy the rest of our lives together.

The other day we were talking about our grays.  Our hair is slowly changing colors (thank God for hair dyes) and we know we are transitioning into a new season of life.  Our children are quickly growing and we are continuously changing physically.  As a woman, I dread the aging process but I am slowly learning to embrace it:)  But because of my Valentine and the love he puts into action, I confidently know I will be loved regardless of how I age.

I just want to take this time and Thank my Valentine for loving me, for making me a better person, for accepting my imperfections, for loving me at my worst, and especially for giving me three beautiful children.  Because of you, I can confidently grow old and know that someone will still love me…for me.  Mr. T, I am so grateful for you.  I LOVE YOU and Thank YOU for being my Valentine!

I know…this is a little mushy.  But because of him and his encouragement.  I made my very first video tutorial, the {TANYA} headband.  It was named after him with a feminine twist of course:)  Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

If you got this far, thank YOU for reading!

Happy Valentine’s Day!