My Induction to Wedlock

Wedding date: October 29, 2010

It happens to be my grandma's birthday.

R.I.P. Lola Geli

My husband and I had a long distance relationship for a little over two years. We mutually came to a decision for me to emigrate to the States. The visa process was a grueling wait for us so when my application got approved, we visualized the planets align in our favor. I came to the States in August and as it is part of the requirement, we got married before the expiration of my I-94. If we had a choice, we would have planned it for 2012. Being a traditional romantic, my husband wants to give me my dream wedding. A few years from now, he wants to get on his knee and propose to me all over again.

I can't possibly ask for more. I've got all that I need.

Before the wedding

Jordan and I with the officiator

Mr. & Mrs. P

Make-up by Sabrina of Jumelle Makeup Artistry

I love Sabrina's make-up job! <3

The wedding was at 1:15 pm and the night before, Jordan had a bachelor's party at the house. Since we wanted to keep it traditional, I slept over elsewhere to surprise Jordan on the wedding day. I had my make-up done at 10:00 am and was done an hour later. Sabrina did such a great make-up job because I had no smears the entire time. By the time Jordan and I called it a night at 2:00 am the next day, my make-up was still looked wonderful.

She'll be blogging about her make-up jobs soon so follow her at Jumelle Makeup Artistry. As a lot pf our family and friends had plans yesterday and this weekend, we're having an intimate dinner next Friday to celebrate our union.

Tonight, we party! I, in a 20's flapper dress and Jordan as my mobster lover.

Happy Halloween!

Jumelle Makeup Artistry

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I'm getting married this Friday. I'm fortunate that my fiancé's twin aunts are professional makeup artists and stylists. They are the brains behind Jumelle Makeup Artistry. They both worked with music artists at the Latin Grammy Awards and numerous wedding entourages. Makeup is an evolving lifestyle and these two ladies surely keep up to date with the latest beauty finds in the industry.

We went to Macy's yesterday and purchased my wedding dress along with makeup and other articles of clothing. I like the classic Victorian style so that's exactly what we got for me to wear on the big day. I'll reveal my dress on Friday but for now, I do want to show you another purchase I made that day. There was a clearance sale at Macy's and I got a skimpy dress by Ms.Fabulosity herself, Kimora.

I'm thick and I don't mind it.

Soon enough, another ring will be around my finger.

Yesterday was a good trip to the mall and I'm happy with my purchases. The twins are going to join the blogging world soon so watch out for their page. I'll link them to my blog this Friday. Go and take a gander at their work!

Relationship Rules 101

I'm getting married in approximately 10 days. I've been with my fiancé, Jordan since late 2008 and we've been living together since the end of August. There are a few things I've learned throughout our time together that I want to impart with my readers.

Never go to sleep angry - As hackneyed as it sounds, take time to cool off and show a little tenderness towards your partner. Set the anger aside and be the bigger person by reaching out without mouthing off at each other. All it takes is for you to initiate the conversation. Kiss and make up!

I'm a rather patient person with an extremely bad temper. My fiancé and I argue over the most trivial things and this is how a usual fight goes between Jordan and I:

How do we resolve it?

It's usually me who approaches him after a heated argument since I begin it majority of the times. No matter how it kills me to admit it, I'm usually the one at fault. I've mentioned in the past how crabby I can be. I'll get dramatic over the smallest things and feel utterly guilty afterwards. A little cariño goes a long way. Being the way I am, I have come to realize that annoyance takes much longer to abate than anger itself. I can be irked for an hour and not want to be around people while when I'm angry, I'll be calm after I let out what's on my chest. Maybe that just goes for me.

This leads me to my second point...

To attain marital happiness, know when to apologize - When you're wrong, you're wrong and when you're right, you're right. Excuses only dig a deeper hole. Apologies don't always have to be serious. Be creative and repair your misunderstandings through simple gestures like a hug or tease her/him about something that you know will make your partner smile. One of the memorable apologies I got from my fiancé was when he made me giggle after an altercation.

*silence*

Jordan approaches me as I push him away

Jordan: You know, you look sexy when you have an angry face.

Toni: Oh you shut up! I'm mad a you... (I try to secure a serious look.)

(Our eyes lock as he presses his face against mine. He gives me a big bear hug and then kisses my cheek as he wraps his arms tighter around me.)

Jordan: Are you okay now?

Toni: I love you, thank you.

Don't lose your individuality - Don't get me wrong, it's nice when you enjoy the same things your partner does but what about what you like? Keep in mind that s/he fell in love with you because of who you are so retain your hobbies. Do your hair the way you like it, continue to dress how you normally do prior to being with him, laugh the way you always have. Have a girls'/boys' night out! You don't have to be with your partner 24/7. Lets not smother the significant other. Everyone is dependent to a certain extent but living and breathing your partner to the point of doing every single thing with them is a summon for unhappiness. People prefer to be around those who are themselves. Don't put up a facade. Smile and show him/ her why s/he fell in love with you in the first place.

HUGE NO-NO

Talk about an awkward situation.

Love is not absolute - Like every other feeling, love ebbs and flows. Don't expect to live in a fairytale but rather, translate your dream relationship into a reality. Treat your partner the way you wish to be treated. Think twice before you speak and learn to listen to yourself. There's a huge line between hearing yourself and listening to what you're saying. What may seem frank to you may be hurtful to someone else. Keep things exciting by engaging with your partner in new ways.

You don't know how to cook? Learn to make your significant other's favorite dish.

Is s/he stressed at work? A quick massage can ease his/her stress.

Embrace your imperfections - There are times when we want to be perfect for our mates. Then again, I ask myself; WHY? You know you're with the right person when s/he makes you want to be a better person. It's when you feel at ease because a void has finally been filled. The traits peculiar to you make you endearing. Don't change that for anyone.

I like how Jordan's right dimple comes out when he laughs really hard or that he grimaces when I wake him up for work every morning. It's those little things that make me smile and say, "That's my papo."

My mom inculcated so much family values in me during my youth and one that left a mark with me was a saying in Filipino that goes something like, "Marriage is not like rice that you spit out when it's hot." I'm of age to marry though it may be too soon for some. I wouldn't dive head first into a relationship if my heart wasn't 100% into it. There will be inevitable rough patches, the usual highs and lows but those will only further fortify our relationship.

One other thing Jordan and I like to share:

Use alliterations - This may sound a tad corny but it works for us. Movie Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Shopping Saturdays, Wacky Wednesdays and so on. Why not? Change it up and add more flavor to your week! It surely keeps me looking forward to the succeeding weeks. Shopping Sunday just passed! ;)

Hola A Todos!

I'm ba-aaack!

I had an eventful five days with my friends, mom and fiancé. In bullet form, this is how it went for me.

Saturday:

-Jordan, mom and I visited the Pumpkin Patch in Calabasas where we saw Travis Barker of Blink 182. We were the only ones at the Pumpkin Patch who didn't have a kid in tow. It was rather funny.

There was a petting zoo, blow up slides and concession stands for the guests. We had fun.

I see pumpkins!

It's Travis! :O

Mi madre

chillin'

The blow up slide

They sell everything that's Halloween related

-Jordan and I went to Old Pasadena to meet with an old friend of mine and mingled with her friends.

Sunday:

-Jordan's aunt and boyfriend brought us to Redondo beach and Hermosa beach.

(I'd rather not post my friends' faces on here. I'll tell you though, we had a great time!)

What did we do?

We got to Redondo at 1:00 pm so we went around to see the sites. The usual, me taking photos of the area and then we had champagne. After walking around for a bit, we bought hats at a store since the sun was beaming that day. We proceeded to Hermosa and ate at a place called Heineken. We had cocktails and grape vodka shots. After lunch, we proceeded to the beach and stood by shore where the cold water touched our feet.

The view of Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach

It's Baywatch ala Hermosa!

She was on stilts walking around the pier

Suddenly, I forgot how to swim

View of Redondo from the pier

The pier

Mom enjoyed the stroll

All of a sudden, we spot boats a few feet away from where we were standing and people huddling around the pier above. Lifeguards rushed to the water, we saw a fire truck and ambulance arrive while a helicopter was circling in the air. A lady was telling my mom that a woman fell off the pier and landed into the water. After a few hours of searching, the boats and the rest of the rescue team proceeded down the beach. I assume that they found that poor woman's body.

Monday:

We drove off to Vegas at 12:00pm and got there at 3:00pm. That's the perk of leaving on a weekday. No traffic whatsoever. We stayed at Treasure Island where we gambled for a bit and won a little. That night, we went to The Venetian and rode the gondola then watched Sirens at Treasure Island. Upon returning to the hotel, Jordan and I were exhausted so we slept in as my mom gambled.

The view from the room

Sirens

Entering Vegas

On the gondola with Carisa

By the canal

The square

A mammoth's tusk

Interesting, eh?

Forgetting Sarah Marshall, anyone?

Tuesday:

I woke up in amazement because my mom flashed her V.I.P. card to Jordan and I. She gambled so much the previous night that she got us a free lunch, tickets to Cirque du Soleil's Mystere, a free night during our stay and the privilege of not lining up at any places within the hotel. For our next visit, we're going to get a free night and the same privileges.

When my mom told me about the free Cirque du Soleil tickets, I was ecstatic! I defied the laws of gravity and lunged at my mom with a big hug. This was my reaction:

ME: Reaaaaally???

*with a twinkle in my eye*

I wanted to see the wax museum so we visited Madame Tussaud's and took photos with the wax figures. There was a Scream maze inside and zombie actors walking outside the maze. I was talking to my mom about not wanting to go inside then when I turned, an actor was an inch away from my face and I screeched like a mother!

I paid $1 to take a photo with them

We belong together :)

I got "married" to George Clooney

J-Dogg and Double TT carousing with Hugh

I'd see it all over again

We went around the strip afterwards then my mom resumed her gambling as Jordan and I got all dolled up for Mystere. It was an two hour show and I adored how the actors so interactive with the audience. Jordan has seen it before but they tweaked the show a tad and added new acts so it was fun for him as well. Mystere was amazing but Cortere will forever remain my favorite Cirque du Soleil show.

Also, Jordan had his first taste of Dunkin Donuts and we grabbed some Tacos Mexico after the show for dinner. My mom seemed to enjoy the tacos.

Wednesday:

I was sad to leave Vegas but I knew that we had to so I stared at the view of The Strip for as long as time permitted me to. We bought pizza from Pizzeria Francesco's in Treasure Island. After a two hour drive, we stopped at Barstow and got chili fries from Tommy's.

That was the best and most eventful five days of my life. I was so tired when I got home that it felt like a hangover. It looks like my future father-in-law is planning a trip to Vegas next week so lets see how that goes!

We just got our marriage license. The wedding is on October 29, 2010. I'll catch up with you all soon!

I Bid You Adieu

... for about five days! :)

By the time I finish composing this entry, I'll be heading out to LAX to fetch my mom. The last time I saw her was in August so she's coming to visit me for two weeks.

My mom, Jordan and I will be driving to the City of Sin - Las Vegas this coming Monday through Wednesday so I'll give you an update on our out-of-town trip. As it is a tradition for Jordan, we'll be filling our bellies with IN-N-OUT burgers on the way to Vegas and back.

Oh yeah! I went to Molly's in Hollywood today. (It's a rickety burger shack.)

There's a good reason why it still remains standing to this day.

Yes, a scene in Constantine was filmed there.

Molly's Hamburgers 1605 Vine st. Hollywood, CA 90028

My fiancé and I are attending a Halloween Costume Party on the 30th. I'm going as a gypsy and Jordan as hmm... I don't know. The only character that comes to mind is Quasimodo but he snarled at me for that. What else could he be?

So, I guess not? *snickers*

Here's something I'd like to leave you with for your entertainment while I'm away. I promise to catch up on the comments as soon as I get back from the trip! ;)