wedding details

I finally get to post on the wedding. This day was so much fun; absolutely the greatest day of my life! I loved it! But before I go into talking about the day, I would like to dedicate this posting to all the wedding details. I feel that these details made my wedding extra special because it added a lot of who Tony and I are. It took me forever to decide what theme I wanted the wedding to have; all I knew was that I did not want a stuffy event but one that was colorful and packed with lots of fun. I also wanted to highlight the Latin American culture because that is just who I am: a Guatemalan married to a Mexican...and I just happen to love everything Latin America has to offer.

After much thought I decided to go with bold colors. I must admit I was a bit concern how the whole event would turn out but after finding the right color ribbons, everything slowly came together. The greatest thing about not limiting yourself to a few colors is that it is easier to match things. My bridesmaid dresses did not match but with a little creativity, we were able to add a hint of color to their attire (their fans) to tie it in to the whole event. Everyhting turned out amazing and because I did most on my own, I was able to save a lot of money! It just takes a sprinkle of creativity to make it all work...

rehearsal dinner

Our rehearsal dinner was so much fun. A night of delicious food, good people, and great music.

We kept to the Latin theme so we held it at an organic Bolivian restaurant and had a great live group play wonderful music from around Latin America. Some people got up to say a speech and it made the event even more special. It is always nice to hear everyone's best wishes. At times it got a bit emotional, so I am glad we got to do this in a more intimate setting because a wedding is just so filled with joy that it is best to keep it that way. I want to thank Nancy for helping organize this because her assistance made the event run very smoothly.

brunch, manis and pedis: the morning of the rehearsal dinner

The morning of the rehearsal dinner a couple of us got together for brunch, pedis, and manis. It was a fun time especially because we were served a good bottle of champagne while we got pampered. I found this cute little nail spa in montclair and they made sure we had a wonderful time. I love the layout of the place; it makes it perfect to have an event like this with all your girls.

taking joshabel and nancy on their first napa/sonoma trip

Susana and I love wine! We have pretty much become wine tasting friends. We love taking trips up to Napa and Sonoma every once in a while, Every time I go I have so much fun. On the Thursday before my wedding we decided to take Joshabel and Nancy up to Napa/Sonoma to our favorite restaurant and to wine taste. We had a blast. It was a beautiful day! We first made a few stops in Berkeley to show Joshabel what our city had to offer. I made sure to take her to Indian Rock Park...one of my favorite spots! We headed up to wine country and had an amazing time. This time we also did some olive oil tasting...I love olive oil! I have to mention one of my favorite stops, Roche Winery. This place is a boutique winery...owned by a cowboy family. Every wine we tasted was amazing...I had my best flight here. The attention that the lady gave us was great. She taught us so much about wine...(but not enough...there is so much to learn about wine! It would take years!). This was a fun day with the girls...perfect way to relax before the craziness began with the wedding...

daisy...our family dog

Daisy was our family dog since I was 12 years old. She was a very wonderful and faithful dog, especially to my mother. She loved my mom with a passion and she became my mom's best companion. She could recognize my mom's car engine from the million other engines that would cruise by our street. I remember the day I began driving my mom's car; Daisy was so confused when she saw me walk into the house and not my mother. She learned quickly though. My mom's new car sounded different and within four days, she had learned to recognize it from the rest.

We first got Daisy when she was only three weeks old. She and other puppies had been abandoned in front of Safeway and my mother, knowing that we (especially Vicky) wanted a dog, decided to bring Daisy home with her. We were such happy kids. She was the cutest thing in the world! She could fit into my brother's boot!

Another memory I have of Daisy is that she was in love with my ex-boyfriend. Daisy loved him so much that she would sit on his lap to get all his attention. If I happened to be lucky and sit on his lap before her, she would slowly get on his other leg and slowly begin to push me off until eventually she was the only one on him. She was so tricky, she and I used to compete to get his attention, but he was really good at giving it to both of us. I loved watching her give him lovey-dovey eyes, it was so cute!

Sadly...today my mother and my sister had to put Daisy to sleep. She had a tumor in her stomach and it was too late, nothing could be done to help her. I am sorry I could not be there to say goodbye since I am in Oregon, but it was probably for the best. It is a pretty sad moment for all of us but we are happy to hear that she is no longer suffering and that she is in doggie heaven. We will miss you Daisy and we all love you so much!

(will get a better picture of her later in the month)

mom's birthday in napa/sonoma

My mom turned 50 this year. Unfortunately, with everything that was happening (my graduation and my wedding) we were not able to throw her the party she had always wanted. Fortunately my mother is flexible. She decided that she will not turn 50 this year but 49 again. She thinks, there is no need to rush her age...especially if she can't have a party to celebrate her half-a-decade of being a strong and beautiful woman. I agree with her, no rush! Next year will be her year to celebrate it big and we will make sure that gets done. If it is not a party then maybe we can send her on a trip...maybe Italy? That wouldn't be too shabby. She deserves the best because she is wonderful. Thanks to her my siblings and I have had such a wonderful life. And no she is not a professional, so she has had to work hard so that her kids could have a good life. I am thankful that I am her daughter and that she is my mom...

To celebrate her birthday we took her on a trip to Napa and Sonoma where we had a wonderful picnic in VSattui. We drank so much wine and ate the best cheeses, bread, prosciutto, salami, and chocolate. We even had a salsa performance by the one and only Vicky and Carlos Team. It was a fun day full of laughter. We had planned to hit a couple of wineries for more wine tasting but our picnic was so much fun that we couldn't leave. Later that night we had dinner at my favorite restaurant in Sonoma, The Girl and the Fig. We had more wine, cheese, and some delicious meals. Honestly it was an amazing day!

Graduation: May 2009

After many years...I finally graduated! This is a huge accomplishment for me because there were so many obstacles that kept on standing in my way. I began at Berkeley in the fall of 2002 and due to financial reasons had to withdraw for two years to work full time. This decision broke my heart because I had worked so hard in high school to attend college, and then there I was, (forced) to take time off. Everyone kept on telling me that after working full time it would be hard to go back to school, but I never listened. I always knew it in my heart that I would return because that was the goal I had given myself and I would not stop until I had accomplished that goal. After paying the school what I owed and all the loans I had taken out, I was finally able to return to continue my education. Taking two years off had actually proved to be a great decision because I came back more mature, more committed and I possessed a stronger work ethic. While working full time I was also able to meet the man that would become my husband, Tony.

Returning to school this time around was much easier for me because I had Tony by my side. He helped me so much in so many ways that my accomplishment is as much his as it is mine. This time around I was able to take advantage of many things Berkeley had to offer, such as studying abroad in Portugal and on The Scholar Ship. Those experiences have shaped who I am and allowed me to meet so many wonderful people that are very important in my life. During my first two years at CAL I met some wonderful friends that I treasure so much, but the lucky thing is that my last three years at CAL I was able to meet another group of amazing friends that I would have never met had I stayed in Berkeley and graduated in time.

I am proud to say that in a total of five years I double majored in International Political Economy and Latin American Studies, I minored in Portuguese Language and Literature, I studied abroad in Portugal and overseas in a program that allowed me to visit: Italy, France, Greece, Portugal (again), Panama, Ecuador, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, China (Shanghai), and Hong Kong. Berkeley gave me the best education and the most extraordinary opportunities; I am very thankful and proud to be a UC Berkeley Alumn!

But before I finish, I dedicate my degree to my mother because I would not be the woman I am if it wasn't for her. She is the strongest woman I know and she has sacrificed her life for her kids. Thanks to her I was able to have the opportunity to obtain a bachelor degree and her belief in me gave and continues giving me the strength to push forward.

My Bridal Shower: What a Great Day!

My bridal shower was planned by my one and only sister Vicky and I must say she impressed me so much. I have to admit that I was a little scared about the party since Vicky is not a planner and I felt (my crazy anal self) that she was leaving everything to the end. I think I did well and I let her handle it all and man did she surprised me. She threw me the best bridal party ever! It was fun and classy and our food spread was amazing. Vicky pulled it off well with the help of some friends: Lupe, Becca, Lindsey, mom Amanda, and mom Terrie. She also had some fun and entertaining games that were sweet but not over the top. The party was just a success; Vicky proved to be quite a hostess and I was so proud of her.

Thanks to everyone that joined and helped out! A special thanks to my maid-of-honor Vicky!

Bachelorete Party: Vegas and New York

Yes...I had two parts for my bachelorette party. Hey, any excuse to travel! Jaye planned the first part of the trip (the naughty part), VEGAS! It was a three day trip to the town that never sleeps...true, we all barely slept. All seven of us beautiful ladies explored the city during day and night. The city does look very different depending on the time of day; I like night time because it is all about the nightlife and the lights. The best night in Vegas was our second night. We spent some time in Eye Candy and in Krave, the best gay club that I have ever been to (well...the only one beside Eye Candy). I had the best night dancing with my friends and not being worried about being hit on by men because we were not manly enough for them. We danced all night long and drank all night long without realizing the time or our drunkenness. The next morning though, I felt as if I had gotten hit by a car…no, maybe a truck. But all I know is that I had a blast and that I am glad my party days are over!

Thanks you soooo much Jaye for giving me a bachelorette party of a lifetime!


The second part of my bachelorette weekend was spent in New York City with my good friend Janet. We both had a blast together! Again, we barely slept and we walked like crazy. My feet began hating me so bad and did not let me forget about what I had put them through until a week after the trip. I was limping around after my trip. While in New York, Janet and I met up with some LBSA alums and with my good friend Joshabel that I met while traveling around the world. While there we went dancing, saw a play, and had some amazing meals. I have to say that my favorite dinner was a Schiller's. I had the best Steak Frites...yum, yum, yum!

I can't forget to mention one of the best memories that Janet and I have...dancing Bachata. Dancing Bachata with someone that knows how to dance is just unbelievable! I felt in love with the experience...

Back in Action!

The last time I blogged was early April...pretty bad blogger! Anyways, so many important things happened in my life ever since and I would love to go back and fill in the void. So on my honeymoon...which I am enjoying like crazy, I have made myself a promise to continue with what I love to do, wite and share such wonderful memories! I wont allow myself to talk about this magical place called New Zealand until I catch up to the present, so I will save all the juicy details of my honeymoon until...well, we will see.