Category: Announcements

June 24, 2013

{ Congratulations to WILD ORCHID : winner of our $50 Shabby Apple giveaway! Thank you to all who entered — we will have more fun contests coming up very soon!  I appreciate your support of this blog!  xo }

Well, we made it!  Saturday was move-in day and with the help of our incredible church family, we moved our 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house to another one in just under 4 hours!  It was no small task, considering that our old house had 16 stairs and our new one has 19.  I think we all got more of a workout than we bargained for.  😉  I was so blessed by those who shared their muscles, trucks, and servant hands with us as we cleaned, loaded and unloaded.  That afternoon, another sweet friend from church (Hi Lauren!) brought her daughter over and watched her with Olive while I started unpacking.  I was able to get so much done in the kitchen and I hope to resume cooking in the next day or so.  Our tolerance for takeout is wearing thin… hehe

I imagine we’ll be living out of boxes for another week or so, but I am truly enjoying getting things settled in our new home.  Some little updates:

  • Two friends from church came to help us begin painting!  We only tackled our master bedroom so far, but I can’t tell you how much a fresh coat of paint has brightened up that room.  
  • I couldn’t find my makeup on Sunday morning so I went barefaced for the weekend.  I liked it.
  • Olive has rekindled her love for her bouncer, and we have been able to get 15 minutes of distraction out of it lately.  It’s hilarious watching her jump so enthusiastically in that thing, when the last time she was in it (5, 6 months old) she would just sit and delicately swat at the toys.
  • I deep-cleaned the washer and dryer that the seller left behind for us.  I bleached it twice, ran a hot vinegar cycle, and then went at it with a toothbrush, skewers and a bulb syringe!!  LOL  If you haven’t cleaned your washer in a while, I dare you to.  😉  Now mine is sparkling and I’ve been able to begin that “moving laundry” pile that is taunting me in our room.
  • The night before we moved (Friday), we had the worst night of sleep in recent memory.  Olive woke up screaming and was completely inconsolable for an hour.  In the morning, we realized she had cut ALL four of her molars.  In the same night!  Thank God she is feeling better now, but can you imagine?

Re: the title of this post… Sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking of all that we want to do and need to do for the new house.  I am grateful that most of the issues are simply cosmetic, but it will be a while before many are addressed.  I have to be reminded (when I turn all Veruca Salt “I want it nowwwww”) that it will all come together in good time.  Working on the house is actually something Erik and I really enjoy, so here’s to many packed weekends ahead of painting, scraping, cleaning, replacing, sanding, staining, replacing, tiling and more!

Trying to channel my friends at Casa de Perrin with my glassware.  One day we’ll paint or re-face the cabinets.

dishwashing for days

If only you could hear her elated squeals… Floors need refinishing, too.

paint in progress

We don’t have internet at home yet so I’m working and blogging with a laptop at church using the WiFi!  I expect to be up and running in a couple of days but until then, I appreciate your patience with me.

Moving was bittersweet, as I truly loved the house we rented for the past 21 months.  When we moved in, I was pregnant.  We created Olive’s beautiful nursery together in that home.  We hosted 40+ guests over the course of our time there.  We had our church over for a big potluck, I hosted a ladies’ tea… I made countless meals in that beautiful kitchen, gazing out the four windows facing the ocean.  We brought home our baby girl to that house.  We spent sleepless nights pacing the floor, rocking her to sleep.  We laughed with friends and cried with friends sitting in the living room.  Olive learned to roll over, crawl, and walk in that house.  If those walls could talk, they would have so much to recount about the joy we shared under that roof.  I thank God for the blessing we had of renting that home, and now for the amazing gift of buying our own house.  I can’t wait to build new precious memories in it…

home.  in the foreground: a massacre of pampas grass.

Coming soon to the blog:: more NZ/Australia trip recaps, a featured wedding, and Olive’s 15-month post.  Enjoy the rest of your Monday!!

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April 16, 2013

Hello everyone!!  I hope you had a great weekend.  🙂  We definitely did, with a quick trip to visit family and celebrate our nephew’s 5th birthday.  Olive had the best time trying to run after the “big kids” — the excitement certainly wore her out!

I’m excited to announce that the winner of the Casa de Perrin giveaway is Selena — congratulations!  I sent you an email already.  😉  Thank you to everyone else who entered; I have more fun giveaways in the works so stay tuned.  I am grateful to each of you who takes the time to visit this blog, and your comments mean so much to me!  xo

Today I wanted to share some sweet photos of me and my Olive, taken by my generous friend Cameron Ingalls.  You might have seen a handful of them in my Wedding Standard interview, but there were many more I just had to post.  A million thanks to Cameron for taking these photos, which were snapped in under 30 minutes on a random weekday afternoon.  I will always cherish these precious images!!

Thank you again to my friend Cameron Ingalls for shooting these wonderful photos! Olive is changing so much these days and I am grateful for these moments frozen in time.

Olive’s dress + sandals are from Zara Baby.

Hope your week is off to a great start!  xoxo, Angel

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April 1, 2013

Happy Monday, loves!  I’m finally getting squared away with setting up my bloglovin’, so click below if you want to add me to your feed there!  It is my new preferred method of keeping up with my favorite blogs!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Olive’s 12 month update + a fresh wedding feature are in the queue for the week, so I’ll see you *very* soon!  For now, here’s a photo via my Instagramof Olive from the weekend…  Oh she KILLS me in these heart sunnies (just like mine!) from our dear friend Ashley Rose.

xoxo, Angel

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March 18, 2013

Happy Monday, everyone!!  First things first, congrats to the 3 winners of Olive’s birthday giveaway: Vivian, Delia and May!  I’ve contacted the three of you so check your email so we can get your goodies out to you!  I’ll be sending out all the giveaway prizes (these 3 + the 2 winners of the Martha Stewart Weddings giveaway) on Thursday!

Today I’m thrilled to have a guest post up on the WhatToExpect.com Blog “Word of Mom.”  It’s a fun blog with original content from the WTE editors as well as real moms like me!  I was so honored when they reached out to me in January (I was in Big Bear at the time and remember squealing on the couch, in fact) and really enjoyed writing this post for them.  The post centers on 5 lessons I learned during my first year as a mom, and I’d love if you went over to check it out!

I’ll be back later this week with some wedding sneak peeks (yay!  So overdue!) and Olive’s official 12-month summary post!  Enjoy this beautiful day!

xoxo, Angel

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March 11, 2013

Happy Monday, everyone!  Olivia isn’t officially 1 yet (her birthday is tomorrow, the 12th!) but her big party was this weekend.  That means most of last week was consumed with final party prep (as well as some great meetings with vendors and clients I LOVE!  Hi H & T!).  I wanted to thank each of you for entering the giveaway on my last post and for sharing in my excitement.  I appreciated all of your sweet words and I loved reading about your spring favorites.  It is going to be a great season!!

I decided to pick TWO lucky winners (you know me…) using random.org and the winners came out to be Rachel W. and Ashley!  Congrats ladies!  Check your email as I’ve already contacted both of you for your mailing addresses.

For everyone else, don’t fret… I have another fun giveaway around the corner.  I can’t help myself; giveaways are so much fun!  Check back tomorrow for a special birthday post for my darling Olive.  I’m still in shock that she’s really-truly-absolutely going to be a one-year old.

I will have LOTS of photos to share from Olive’s 1st bash very soon, but thank you to all of our loved ones who came to celebrate with us.  It was an unforgettable celebration!  I didn’t take a single photo that day (thanks to the amaaaazing Courtney of Erin Hearts Court) so I’ll end the post with a little snapshot from my former client – now friend – now mama, Shue-Ping!  Also pictured is another former client-turned-friend, Monique.  These girls met at my baby shower last year and now we all have little girls.  We’re raising the next generation of hapa babies!  What a blessing… and talk about full circle!

Enjoy the rest of the day!!  xoxo, Angel

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March 4, 2013

Happy Monday, everyone!!  I am SO excited to let the cat officially out of the bag today and let you all know that we were PUBLISHED in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine!  { pinch me! }

Yes, the Spring 2013 issue features one of our beautiful weddings on its pages… and it happens to be the wedding of my baby sister, Anna!  My love & splendor clients and colleagues all know and adore Anna, as she has been an assistant coordinator for me since the very beginnings of the company.  Anna was married to my wonderful brother-in-law, Sean, last June, and it has been sooooo hard to keep this gorgeous wedding under wraps for so long.  But, we knew this stunning wedding was destined to be shared somewhere special.  It is a true honor (and honestly, one of my proudest biz moments ever!) to see this wedding on the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings — it is a dream come true.  The fact that the wedding is my sister’s takes it over the top because the event held so much personal meaning to our family.  I will never ever forget that day… It was filled with so much beauty and love and emotion.  I kept looking over at Anna throughout the evening and her expressions were filled with so much pure joy.  Designing this day for her and Sean was a true labor of love and I hope it shows!

photo by my dear friend, Ryan Ray

When we found out that the wedding would be featured in the magazine, I nearly keeled over!  I have been counting down to this date for months!  Okay so I’m already thrilled, I am pushed to the limits of my excitement, and then imagine when I found out that a photo of my precious family was included in the magazine as well!  Yes, a photo of me, Erik, and a 3-month old baby Olive are featured in the magazine, too!!  AHH!  

I cannot tell you how much my heart is exploding.  It’s a business-personal-family-press milestone all wrapped into one big ball of joy and now I want to celebrate with YOU!

To mark this fabulous occasion for love & splendor and my family, I wanted to host a little giveaway!  The prize includes a fresh copy of the Spring 2013 Martha Stewart Weddings magazine to enjoy, a Starbucks gift card (because we all know reading magazines is always better accompanied by a latte) , and a few surprises.  😉

To enter, just comment below and let me know either your favorite thing about spring.  It could be a flower, a tradition, a local event…  I can’t wait to read about your seasonal favorites!  One of my favorites has to be fresh English peas.  They are like tiny bubbles of happiness!  I love their mild sweet flavor and I try to eat as much of them as I can while they’re available!

Good luck on the giveaway — you have until WEDNESDAY, March 6th at 6p PST to enter.

P.S. I highly recommend grabbing the magazine in all its printed glory, but right now you MUST get the gorgeous iPad version.  It’s currently FREE (woohoo!) with the code GEhhNG.  Just go HERE, fill out the info and the promo code, and they will email you instructions on how to obtain your free iPad copy.

I will eventually be sharing a LOT more of this wedding so stay tuned!  For now, here are the incredible vendors who made this day what it was.  I am truly thankful to every single one of these amazing folks…

Location, Catering, and Cake: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa  — Sarah in catering is AMAZING.
Event Planning and Design: Events of Love and Splendor 
Photography: Ryan Ray  — our talented and dear friend, who is more like family to me!
Flowers: Heavenly Blooms  — Jaclyne always goes way way above and beyond!
Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals  — Jeni’s beautiful furniture set the stage.  Her styling is impeccable!
Tabletop Rentals: Casa de Perrin  — CdP’s wares made the tabletops shine.  I wish every meal was served on their beautiful china, and every toast made with their gorgeous glasses!
Stationery, Menu, and Calligraphy:Julie Song Ink  – such a sweetheart and a brilliant artist!
Videography: Elysium Productions — Julie shot my wedding, my mom’s wedding, and now Anna’s wedding!  The circle is complete!
Music: Brandt Jacobus and Ray Fortune  — two people you NEED to hire.
Linens: La Tavola Linen  — always my pick for lovely linens!
Hair and Makeup: Nicole Deanne  — our cherished friend helped us look our best!  Loved her being there on the big day!!

And THANK YOU, to the wonderful editors at Martha Stewart Weddings who gave us this incredible feature.  I’m off to enjoy this beautiful Monday!  Thank you for sharing in my joy today!!!

xoxo, Angel

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September 12, 2012

Happy Wednesday, everyone!!  I wanted to put up a little post congratulating Amanda for winning the Ruby LOVE baby book!  I’ve already emailed you so look out for another message on getting the book to you.  😉

Thank you to all of our readers for entering and being a part of the giveaway!  We have more giveaway ideas brewing so look out for another chance to win something fab soon.

Today Olive is SIX MONTHS old!!  I absolutely cannot believe it.  I’m finishing up her six month post and hope to share it within a few days, along with a fun wedding featured on Green Wedding Shoes today.  Take a peek HERE and come back soon for our take on the big day.

Aside from all the excitement today, we are busy finishing up preparations for two more fabulous September weddings.  🙂  Back to escort card making for me!

Because every post should have a picture, here’s an iPhone snap of Olive from yesterday.

Enjoy your Wednesday and see you all soon.  <3

love,

Angel

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August 29, 2012

Hello everyone!!  I’m popping in quickly to say that we decided to give tickets to ALL of the entrants of our giveaway.  😉  Congratulations to each of you, and thank you for entering!  We are so grateful for all of you who stop by to read our blog so we are glad to have had the opportunity to give out these great tickets.  I’ve emailed all of the winners already, so contact me directly if you didn’t receive that email yet.

For everyone else, I am working hard on getting Olivia’s five month post up by the end of the week along with ANOTHER giveaway.  You won’t want to miss it!!

Life lately for the L&Sgirls has consisted of meetings, site visits, and emails galore… We are gearing up for an exciting September and also have some fun features to share in coming weeks as well.  As for me (Angel), I am starting on some fall baking (never too early to start, right?) and I’ve taken up knitting!  I just learned to knit last Tuesday and I’m almost done with my first scarf *and* I’ve started another new project I can’t wait to share here…  It’s fun to do something creative “just for me” and I am really enjoying knitting in the evenings after baby goes to sleep.

Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday!  xoxo, Angel

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February 27, 2012

Happy Monday!!  I’m excited to announce that the winner of our giveaway for two tickets to the CREAM event was Angela!  🙂  Angela — check your email for instructions on how to get your hands on those hot tickets!!

Everyone else — thank you sooo much for entering the giveaway.  I would still love to see you there and it’s not too late to get your tickets, so make sure to get ’em while you can!  Whether you are engaged, soon-to-be-engaged, or just seeking inspiration, I promise you won’t be let down by this fab event.

If any of my readers out there are in attendance on Thursday, please make sure to stop by and say hello.  We’ll have some little surprises for those who come by our table.  😉 

I’ll be back soon with the next installment of {the nuptial primer}, so stay tuned for that.  Enjoy a marvelous evening!

xoxo, Angel (10 days ’til my due date…)

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February 23, 2012

Hello lovely readers!!  We are thrilled to share that Love & Splendor will be at THE CREAM event next week on Thursday, March 1st!  This unique event is a one-of-a-kind curated wedding  showcase of fabulous vendors in the wedding world, all put together by the lovely ladies of Bash, Please.  We are honored to be a part of this event’s “crop” of vendors and share some inspiration amongst our peers!

There are endless reasons why you want to be at THE CREAM next week, but here’s our Love & Splendor top ten…

  • Come visit us and our playful tabletop display!  We are thrilled about our unique collaboration with Heather, floral designer of Twig & Twine, and cannot wait to debut it!
  • Get dolled up by the incredible ladies of Fiore Beauty, who are going to be doing lashes, lips and neon/metallic shellac nails at the event.
  • Ogle over (and even shop for!) the artistic creations of one of my favorite wedding friends — Myra of Twigs and Honey.  Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge fan of everything Myra creates.  I’m sure you’ll find me buzzing around her pop up shop.  😉
  • See some of the best-of-the-best in the wedding world, including some of our favorite vendors & friends — {found} vintage rentals, Braedon Photography, Sloan Photographers, Heirloom LA, Sweet Lucie’s, Casa de Perrin, and the aforementioned Twigs and Honey.  So many of our faves under one roof = guaranteed great times!
  • Chat it up with some amazing bloggers like Jen from Green Wedding Shoes, Summer from Grey Likes Weddings, and the ladies behind 100 Layer Cake.
  • Try Sno-Con Amor with us!  My mouth is watering over the idea of their sno cones made with natural handcrafted syrups.  With flavors like hibiscus, prickly pear, watermelon basil and pineapple with lime… I have a feeling one won’t be enough.  😉
  • Watch a gorgeous fashion show by BHLDN.  Love this!
  • Great food and drink from some amazing catering companies = nosh and nibble while you peruse the pretties.
  • The Flashdance spinning tunes for your listening pleasure… and a dance-off where the winner gets a 3-night stay in PARIS — as in, Paris, FRANCE.  <3
  • And finally — come take your bets on when I’ll go into labor (maybe that night?!  LOL) since I will be 39+ weeks pregnant!  Unless I’m in active labor, I’ll be there.  Live on the wild side with me.  🙂

We are delighted to GIVEAWAY a pair of tickets to a lucky reader out there!!  To enter, let us know the top 3 things you want to do at THE CREAM (feel free to use 3 things off of my list above, or write your own!).  You have until this SUNDAY, February 26, at 9pm PST to enter.  The winner will be announced on Monday morning here on the blog!!

If you want to guarantee yourself a spot at this not-to-be-missed event, buy tickets HERE.  Cannot wait to meet some of you there!!

xoxo, Angel

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