PDX

First off, I LOVE Portland!
I love the trees, I love the weather, I LOVE my best friend that lives there!
My friend Ashley and I were able to fly out this last weekend and attend said best friends wedding.
It was beautiful!

Julie, the bride, is the one sandwiched in the middle. 
(Also side note, I own all of these outfits)

It was a perfect wedding weekend!
They had the reception at a ranch which was just gorgeous all around!



This horse was super friendly and wanted to take me for a ride I'm sure.

Ashley and I were able to sneak away from wedding duties a couple times and do some shopping and walking around town as well. We were dying to check out Portlands antique/thrift stores!
I bought the CUTEST dress from the 1930's that fits perfectly!  
I will take pics when I wear it to show off.

Some other cool Portland stuff from the weekend:

Christmas tree farm!!

For those who don't know me, I'm a Christmas fanatic and these trees made my heart swell with Christmas spirit!

Powells Book Store

Another passion of mine, reading. I bought The Great Gatsby. Seriously how have I never read this before!?! I also bought my husband a beard book...for obvious reasons.

[see pic top right]

Voodoo Dougnuts

I think I was expecting fairy dust and unicorn farts or something cause the doughnuts kind of fell flat for me...or it could just be that I don't really like doughnuts in the first place??

Cool art in the city

I can't wait to go back to Portland and bring the hubs!! He would love to climb the surrounding mountains.

Ps- My Instagram is full of Portland pics as well.

aaannd....action!

For those that don't know, my hubs makes short films with our friends.
Our friend Jon, aka Madbeard, is the main instigator, and he really has some good stuff!
You need to check out his You Tube.
Especially watch Chunderstruck, it's one of the most recents and some of his most genius work if I do say so myself.

Anyway...making movies is sooo much fun!!

No, their not big budget stuff,

but we have a good time regardless.

Here's the first one Scott helped direct:

THE LAST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!

(A rare moment with me in bangs and straight hair)

 

Eventually they'd like to get something into the Sundance Film Festival,

but that may be a ways off.

These last few years we've been doing the 48 Hour Film Project.

Which is a bit tiring!

They participated in one this last weekend and Scott only got a little over 3 hours of sleep the whole weekend!

You see, for the 48hr you draw out a genre and then you have to write, film, & edit all within the 48 hours.

If your late then you're out of the judging and you will never know how your film held up to others made.

Unfortunately the guys were an hour late this year :-(

Their film will still get viewed, just no awards for them.
Bummer, I know!

 I don't have this years movie yet, but here is the film they made last time which I really loved:

Horror is kind of our genre, but there are plans to branch out this summer.

10 things you should know about Thailand & Cambodia

Sometimes I'm a world traveler. Less often than I'd wish to be, but still, sometimes I am.

In March Scott and I got to go on an epic Thailand/Cambodia adventure with our good friends the Sorensons!

 Here's something that you should know about Sorenson's:

 They are always up for anything, adventurous with food, always looking for the best deal, and can barter the pants off of anyone!! So all this equals good times with good friends!

Now's here's something you should know that applies to traveling in both Thailand and Cambodia:

First, it's hot and humid! As in "do you think people will notice if I walk around naked because I'm tired of my clothes sticking to my sweaty body?" hot & humid. Just an FYI you will be sweaty, ALL the time, and because you are so sweaty you won't ever have to pee (which is a perk because who wants to use a public squatter? Gross!!). I can honestly say I never once had to pee during the day even though I consumed bottles upon bottles of water.

Second, every 2 feet you will be asked if you want a Tuk Tuk or a taxi. By the end of the trip you will want to shove their Tuk Tuk pushing faces into the hot pavement, but you probably shouldn't because they really dislike rude people.

 
Third, never take the first price offered at the market. Whatever price they give you cut it at least in half and go from there. Don't be afraid to use the walk away (I learned that tid bit from Mike). Once you start moving on the prices drop drastically! Here's a secret...you can find whatever your trying to buy in at least 50 million other booths there. One of them is bound to give you the price you want.

Fourth, speaking of prices, excellent deals everywhere on everything!! EVERYTHING!!

Fifth, the food is amazeballs! I didn't have one bad meal, but I also stayed away from the weird sea creatures smelling up the joint on every corner.

 

Sixth, they have the cutest kids you will ever see in your life. Seriously.

Seventh, they have the most disease ridden looking cats and dogs you will ever see and they will always be sitting in the kitchen of the place you are about to eat at. Don't touch them or think about them whilst eating.

Eighth, buy poo pants. No there not really pants with poo in them, but they looked like you just dropped load hence the name I dubbed them. They are Thai heaven and feel like your not wearing pants at all (See first point I made)! Plus they keep the sun & dirt off your skin.

Ninth, get massages daily, but do not go to the backroom you dirty whores. We got hour long foot massages nightly for only $6! You want a full body one? No problem! That's only $10! For those prices you are an idiot for not partaking in it. So worth it...even if it is a he/she rubbing you down.

Tenth, it's another country and it's just oozing foreignness which in turn makes it a fun adventure!!!
(adventure mingled with the poo's)

(Stay tuned to upcoming blogs for in depth talk on each area we stayed)

Ringing in the New Year

I love good friends and I love small gatherings!

We had a mini party at our house on New Years,

and it was fun festiveness!

 We hung out

 played games,

 smiled for the Cannon & Polaroid cameras,
 
we even put on festivus gear,
(Andrea is totally smizing!)

 and just enjoyed ourselves.
(Jon is having the most fun I think)
 
We even lit off fireworks!!
(Yeah we're cool like that)

 

By the end of the night the house was partied in and we had a ton of fun Polaroids to prove it.

 

Happy New Year everyone!! 

welcome to your Wedding Day!

Happy 6 months anniversary!!

  I realize I haven't posted on my wedding yet.
It's busy work getting into wife mode!
I would never in a million years want to plan another wedding,

but when the day finally came...it was perfect!!

The details:
I did a 40's do with the hair and took the pearl crown my mother wore to her wedding and twisted it into this accessory. It was my favorite!

How cool is my brooch bouquet?!? I love it for the fact that I can keep it forever! I have it on my piano right now in a vase. Notice the manatee brooch? Haha! That was for Scott.

Peacock boutonnieres for the men. Made that myself!

The day:
The wedding was at 1pm so I was able to relax and get ready with my mum, sisters, & bf Julie.
One thing I totally recommend is having your hair and makeup done for you! It was so fun and worth it to get pampered!
I had butterflies in my stomach the whole way to the Temple.

(I look nervous, but I swear I was nothing but ready!)
I just kept saying over and over to myself "I'm getting married today!"
It's was so surreal that the day had finally arrived.

Right before Scott and I went into the sealing room to be married we looked at each other and said "we should have eloped".
Haha!
It was just kinda nerve wracking to know that everyone was going to be staring at us and making a big deal of us tying the knot...which of course it is a big deal. We just weren't ready for people to be gushing over us.

During the ceremony I could not hold still!
I felt like I was going to burst out of my skin!
It was just a combination of it all.
Finally being there marrying my love; plus I had never seen Scott look at me like that before; plus the spirit was so strong; plus I was beyond happy!


After the ceremony we came out of the Temple to greet all our well wishers,

 and take the customary photos.

 



Scott and I couldn't stop smiling!
 
Doesn't he look happy? :-)

I can honestly say I had never felt happier!
After the Temple we had a luncheon with our family and close friends at Settebellos.
I love that place!
 It's true what they say that you never get the food on your wedding day though.
I was too excited to sit and eat. Plus I just wanted to be visiting with everyone.

After the luncheon we had more photos to take of the two of us, family, bridesmaids & groomsmen.


The whole Van Hoose Clan
(minus Christine & Benat)
 
 
The Whole Steele Clan
 
 
Groomsmen
 
(Chad, Santi, Scott, Jon, Zo)

  
Bridesmaids

 (Julie, Bexxx, me, Jenna, Jen, Alex)


We had the reception in the evening at Pierpont Place and it was epic!

 Chandeliers and white lights strung up, peacock feather centerpieces, mocktail bar, & yummy desserts!
 It was awesome!
I have to say I hate the whole meet and greet part, but I know it's something that must be done because I didn't know all of his extended family and he didn't know all of mine.
When we finally got that out of the way we were finally able to dance!
I love to dance!

Our first dance
 I had so much fun! I was a bit sweaty from shaking it in all the wedding dress layers, but who cares! It was my wedding day!
Scott was probably the better host because he mingled whilst I stayed on the dance floor all night.

I love all my family and friends and I'm so grateful they were there with me to celebrate marrying my love.

My only gripe is that I didn't get enough quality time with them all.

I wish I could re-live this day over and over!
(but with a smaller group so that I get my quality time)

It was the best day in the whole world!
Here are some more of my favorite pics of the day:

 
It really bugs Scott that his tie was off center...how did no one tell us during all these pics?? 

This is how Scott holds hands. He holds my neck.
 

 
I must say I LOVE photos! I love taking them and being in them.
Especially when I look like a princess! :-)