My new kitchen

The build out is done..but my decorating is not, but my mother INSISTED I post new photos for her. So here it is. New, more stylized photos to come...without all the junk in the background. Okay mother, you win!

Mocha's long lost brother, Charlie!

We found Mocha's brother, Charlie! They were adopted to different families from the same rescue group about 3 years ago. We happened to run into Charlie walking with his owner, Pat. Charlie lives only few streets away. I was blown away at the similarities they both shared including how they sit!

Cute dogs!

Our kitchen project is almost to an end- before I get get settled down and do all the finishing touches for the final blog post, I wanted to share some really fun dog photos.


Paul's aunt Jeanie loves dressing up her dogs, so this time around to celebrate a sunny spring day in Long Beach, California, she dressed them up with a cool summer theme.

From left to right, Patches, Clancy, and Moses.

And my poor precious dog, Mocha who was a good sport!

My Kitchen Remodel: Going on Week 5

The kitchen/living room/hallway project is on week 5. At this time, we are all tired of eating out, drinking out of paper cups, and not being able to brew a fresh cup of coffee first thing in the morning. We are waiting on the arrival of our cabinets. They were custom ordered so it takes long time. When it gets delivered, we still have to cross our fingers to make sure that they didn't get damaged during the transport, schedule the installers, get the floor tiles done, and wait another two weeks for the countertop to be produced and installed. When the countertop is installed, then one last tiling of the backsplash, and I'll be done. I hope that we can get everything done by March...or before our family goes all crazy. Look at Mocha's tired face. She too, feels the wrath of kichen remodel.

My Kitchen Remodel: Also a Living room project

Our kitchen remodel somehow spilled into the living room. Totally not planned, but my hubby said, "why not just do everything all at once?" Sure hon, why not tear out everything and start new? Well, it's looking pretty great so far. Lot of more work to do. We are on construction week 3. Boy, I miss home cooked meals. Is this ever going to end?

Ok, happy thoughts.



I don't think Mocha is too happy about this either.

Wedding Dress Shopping: Monique Lhuillier

My little sister got engaged and now the fun begins with all the wedding plans. First stop, shopping for wedding dresses. Luckily, Monique Lhuillier, a famous wedding dress maker brand was having a truck show at their Los Angeles based boutique store.

Met up with my mom and sister.

It's important to do a lot of research and figure out which style of dress you want to try on before actually going to the store.

Monique Lhuillier dresses are known for their beautiful lace and corset body which gives you a very flattering fit. Their signature is their ribbon sash belt.



After reading the sign in sheet, they said no photos unless the dress is purchased.
Oops! Sorry!

Besides wedding dresses, they also make other gowns for different occasions. Is that a dress that Sarah Geller wore at the Golden Globes?

And they also have other lines of products like fine china and wedding invitations.

One sneak photo I grabbed while my sister was trying on a gorgeous wedding gown. Service was excellent, and they suggest making an appointment with a store consultant to ensure that you'll get the full experience. Just remember that when buying a dress, it takes roughly 6-12 months to make the alterations to the dress so make sure that this is one of the first you do. The wedding dresses here range from $6000 and up. The alterations are $640 and up.

Port photos

This morning on my way to a photo assignment, I caught an amazing morning light that made everything at the port seem a little softer and calmer. I took some quick snap shots so I can share them with you.