{Our Wedding} A few lovely lil' details

March 13th has turned out to be one of my most favorite days.  Two years ago on this very day, my life changed forever; I happily said "I Do" and became Mrs. Cham+Thom.  I never  did get around to submitting our photos to wedding blogs.  Kind of ironic, seeing as I do some event planning and, at times, obsess over wedding blogs...but really, when does one have the time???  C'est la vie.  So, this is kind of like an unveiling of sorts.  Ta-dahhhh!

Please join me as I wander down memory lane and take a quick peek at some of the little details that made our wedding day so special.  As far as photos go, this is a favorite...


The fun started with our whimsical invitations. We really loved two different invitation suites at Hello Lucky but due to our limited budget, they just weren't a possibility.  With the pricier invitations as inspiration, we reached out to our super talented (artist) friend (Jason).  With his help, we came up with a combination of the two and something that was totally us!  And then we had them printed & cut at Office Depot on paper we purchased from Paper Source.  I lined all of the envelopes and got crafty with die-cut felt hearts and baker's twine from Etsy.  And voila!  I'm not going to say it was easy because it was super tedious and time consuming...but, they looked great and it was WAY more affordable than purchasing custom invitations.  Aren't they the cutest???


Of course, I had a little extra help getting all gussied up that day.  Thanks, Annah, for making me feel so beautiful!

I wore these sparkly shoes...

And this fancy dress...

There were bunnies. Lots and lots of bunnies.  And flowers.  SO many flowers. Looking back on it...we made WAY too many arrangements.  Meh!  Can you really HAVE too many florals???  I know I'm biased but I think it looked totally amazing.


It was all definitely home-spun.  I made the table runners and photo wall, the escort card display, and hand stamped all of the favor bags for the place settings.  Biff and I collected wood boxes and vintage glassware and miscellaneous vessels for months leading up to our Big Day and then two days before the wedding, with the help of my mom and some lovely gal pals, we did all the flowers.  It was pure insanity. The house was covered in flowers and smelled SO good.  It was tons of work though.  And I do mean TONS.


On that beautiful Spring day, surrounded by our closest friends and family, Biff and I exchanged vows.  The ceremony and reception were held at Marvimon, an old car showroom-turned-event-venue in downtown Los Angeles (and then 9 months later I became Venue Director for the property! Life is crazy...).

So there you have it, people.  A few details from one of my favorite days.

Maybe on our next anniversary I'll take another trip down memory lane.  There's plenty more wedding hoopla to discuss and some great pics from the ceremony and reception. Wait till you see our (totally ridiculous) diy photobooth!

Ghetto-fabulous for sure, but more fabulous than ghetto.

xo

The San Gabriel House :: the kitchen

It's no secret that I truly do love the little treehouse we currently live in.  There are days though, that I find myself pining for our old San Gabriel House. We created such a sweet home there and today I am feeling like a trip down memory lane.  Now, you've already seen the den, which was one of my favorite rooms in the house.  Let's take a look at another favorite...the kitchen!

And actually, with Halloween right around the corner, this is the perfect room to share with you.  Who needs to see monsters when you can see a scary before picture like this.  Consider yourselves warned, my lovelies...  

Feces in the cupboards?  You betcha. And yes; that yellow scrap hanging from the ceiling... that is indeed wallpaper.  (Now you don't know this about me yet, but you will soon. I actually LOVE me some wallpaper.  Just not this ugly yellow wallpaper and not hanging from my kitchen ceiling.  Oof!)

Biff took this picture of the kitchen on Day 1.  Seriously.  Can you imagine?

Wow.  It's hard to believe our pretty kitchen once looked like that.  When I met Biff the kitchen actually looked like this:

He did such a great job, didn't he? I was so proud of him. The decorator in me knew that, with some minor adjustments, we could finish what he had already started.  Here was the plan along with some of my ghetto fabulous photoshop skills:

1. Take down the country shelves.
2. Change the wall paint color & style those shelves!
3. Finish the top of this cabinet and add crown molding.  In an unforeseen twist, we did something crazy and went for BLACK crown molding in this room.  I know it might sound crazy but it was the best decision ever!
4. Remove artwork.  And to balance out this side of the room, add more shelving.
5. This table is a family heirloom and we've given it to Biff's sister for safe-keeping.  Instead, we brought in my celery-colored barn table.  The shape and color worked perfectly in the space.
6. And lastly, we needed some rugs to make things feel cozy.

Aaaaaand drum roll, please....
Can you believe this is the same space?!  Here is the kitchen with her brand new look!




I completely forgot how dramatically different the after photos are.  When I met Biff, he had already done the major reno to this room; he had redone the floors, ripped out the old kitchen and installed the new cabinets...all by himself.  God, I love that man.
All I had to do was some quick cosmetic tweaking to pull the space together.  Didn't it come together nicely? Oh to have that much counter space again...  Some day...
So, have you redone any spaces in your home?  Send me a link!  I'd love to see. 

Craving the beach

Los Angeles, you are killing me with this heat wave.  Today's 90+ degrees is making me long for some cooler ocean air and sand in my toes.  Me thinks a trip to the beach is just what the doctor ordered and I am adding that to our "must do" list for the long weekend ahead.

In the meantime, I shall sweat profusely and dream of owning some "beach art" like this piece featured in Elle Decor. I've always loved this shot.

The photographer of the beach photo is Christian Chaize; he did a whole beach series called Praia Piquinia and shot the same spot on the same tiny stretch of sand in Portugal...over and over again.  You can find limited editions of his work for sale on 20 x 200.  Now if only I had an extra $10,000 lying around...  If I did, this 80" x 60" version would be all mine.

Another (slightly more affordable) photographer I've fallen for lately is the super talented Gray Malin.  I am dying for these aerial shots of his taken from a doorless helicopter.  Not only are the photos amazing, but I love that he quit his day job to follow his passion and got his start as a vendor at the Melrose Trading Post.  If you live here in LA, you know that The Trading Post is a small (hit or miss) flea market held every Sunday at Fairfax Highschool in Hollywood.  I've truly had the best luck at that flea; at one point, 75% of my apartment were treasures I had found there.   How is it possible that I missed Gray Malin?  His work is so colorful and so fun!  Is it weird that they make me so happy?

These three have been added to the tippy top of my wishlist.  Tiny ant people on the beach.  Me loves!  Any one of these in the 50" x 40" size, please.  I have just the spot!

A girl just knows...

The Cinderella Forest Cafe - Tokyo, Japan

Wow. Am loving the chic but natural feel of this beautiful cafe designed by Jamo Associates.  Love the chandeliers, those mismatched chairs, the tablescape and most of all, all that greenery!  I'm dying over here.  I'm bookmarking these shots and putting them in my wedding inspiration file.  And this cafe's name surely fits, don't you think?  I can totally see Cinderella hanging out here with Prince Charming.

There's something about these Jamo images that are making me think of another magical venue.  This one is way closer to home, and although there aren't any beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling (I suppose it could be done though...), it's super chic and oh so green.  Succulent filled walls, fantastic vintage furnishings, a built-in movie screen, mismatched chairs and reclaimed wood tables...and that's BEFORE you start decorating!

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of working as the venue director for SmogShoppe, a unique event space located in Culver City (as seen in the photos above...to-die-for gorgeousness).  What is so incredibly amazing about this space, is that it works for a totally funky aesthetic just as well as it works for something a bit more traditional.  It is definitely NOT for the gal who imagines her wedding in a hotel ballroom, but truly it's all in the event styling and finishes; it's a beautiful blank canvas and you can make it what you want.  It's also one of the greenest event spaces in LA, which is pretty ironic considering it used to actually be a REAL smog shop that tests car emissions.

Biff and I got married at Marvimon, aka Smog's "older sister", and it was amazing. I like to think of Marv as a hidden treasure in downtown Los Angeles.  It was an actual car showroom from the 1920's that the owners, Sherry and Miguel, transformed.  Initially, the space was their home and you can really sense that when you walk through the front doors.  It always felt like home to me too.  I came across the venue years ago when I was scouting a location for a wedding I was planning.  As soon as I walked in, I knew it would be where I would say "I do."  Of course I hadn't even met Biff yet, but it was eminent.

A girl just knows.

Wedding details and photos of Marv coming soon!
SS images found here, here, here & here.

Here's to fresh starts!

Welcome to the party, 2012. 


I am so filled with hope as this new year begins. Goodbye, Seattle. Hello, Los Angeles!


2011, you gave me some beautiful memories but I'm rather certain you also gave me a few grey hairs.  And I have to say I'm not terribly sad to see you go.

Some of the highlights...

I turned 40. I'm still in denial of this but am almost certain I am getting better with age.
I married the love of my life. Miracles really do happen!!
I became a stepmother. Equal parts amazing and what the hell am I doing?
I was laid off from my job. The timing couldn't have been worse but this was definitely for the best!
I gained 10 pounds.  What the what?!?!

And "the most insane thing" that happened?  As newlyweds, we picked up and moved to Seattle to be closer to the kiddos.  Unable to find work and realizing it just wasn't the right fit, 7 months later we picked up and moved back to LA. Pure madness but thank goodness!! 
  
As 2012 begins I'm tossing around several goals and/or resolutions. Maybe if I put them in writing I'll actually DO them?  Maybe.

1.  Exercise more. It seems I became a big blob in Seattle; must lose extra layer of warmth currently covering my entire body.
2.  Eat healthier. Please see #1. Must focus on #'s 1 & 2 straight away!!
3.  Travel!!  Maybe Spain for a belated honeymoon???
4.  Send more handwritten notes. Just because it feels extra special.
5.  Time for some self discovery. What's next for cham+thom???
6.  Create a Mighty Life List and start crossing things off this list.  Immediately.
7.  On this here blog, write 5 posts a week.  Must get brain working... Must catalog projects and tidbits of inspiration. Must WRITE!
8.  Create ART!!! Am feeling the urge to PAINT! But I don't know how. Step 1: buy canvas. Step 2: buy paint!
9.  Volunteer. Anywhere. Everywhere.
10.Read more books.  Anything. Everything.


*Update 8/29/12 I have actually accomplished a few of my goals!  Joined the gym and have been running the Reservoir; I'm exercising at least 5 days a week and am eating much better!  I'm happy to report that the extra layer of warmth covering my entire body is much thinner now and is on its' way out for good!  AND most excitedly, we have booked our trip to Spain!  

Unfortunately I've failed miserably on some of my other goals listed above. The year's not over yet though and I have no intention of giving up.  2012, I have 4 months left to make these things happen and I will!

Let's try this again...