Nick and I had been debating the merits of taking a video camera with us to Manila. Initially, we were looking at full-size HD cameras, but then we stumbled upon the pocket camcorder. We ended up purchasing the Kodak zi6 HD pocket video camera for $179 at Best Buy. We’re...
Perhaps you didn’t know this, but I am an ICE CREAM JUNKIE. I love it, love it, love it. In fact, in 2007 I committed to eating ice cream a minimum of once a day from Memorial Day to Labor Day (successfully completed)! I also allow myself to eat ice cream for all 3 meals on my...
Never been much of a cake girl, so the thought of spending loads of money on something I don’t enjoy pretty much seemed pointless. Now ice cream, that’s a different story! Izzy’s Ice Cream had long been our favorite ice cream shops, as it was the site of one of our...
From the very beginning Nick and I were set on not having a DJ. Originally, we thought a concert would be neat, but I couldn’t get the artist to agree to do it (he doesn’t do weddings). Then we tried for a Dueling Piano group but they were out of our price range unless we...
The choice of venue for the reception was perhaps the easiest decision I made. We were set on St. Paul for the location, so I set up tours for 317 on Rice Park, The James J. Hill Library, The MN Boat Club and Christos Union Depot. It was no contest. We walked into the Union Depot...
Perhaps the hands-down coolest thing we did at our wedding was hire a wedding painter. Yes, that’s right! A real, live wedding painter who created a complete picture during the course of the reception. I’m sure you’re curious how I found her. Well, my whole motto...
Today’s wedding vendor feature is the harpist that we had play during the cocktail hour. Her name is Laurie Leigh and I found her at a bridal fair. What I loved right from the start about her was that a.) she played the HARP (so cool) and b.) she played very non-traditional harp...
Being that I have event planning in my blood, it’s hard to wrap up an event without sharing some of the magnificent resources that I came across during the planning. I’m all about sharing and I was so darn pleased with how it went off. So what we’re going to do is...
I know some of you never thought you’d see the day when I would be an early adapter for technological goods. Heck, I didn’t even own a cell phone until I was 21. WHOA. I’ve come a long way! I think my new interest in this area is largely due to the increased...
I know this is what you’ve all been waiting for – our COMPLETE wedding gallery. Warning. There are approximately 900 shots in the gallery, so we’ve broken them down into smaller chunks for your viewing pleasure. For those of you wanting to see just the highlights...
Seriously, who’d have thought choosing a hat or two would be such a challenging thing? Now, you may ask, “Why get a hat anyway?” I’d be thinking the exact same thing if I weren’t porcelain-skinned and heading to the equator. I’ll probably have...
Many of you know this, but for the past 6 years I’ve had the honor of being Estelle’s “Big Sister” in the Big Brother, Big Sister program. We have grown incredibly close over the years, so much so that she was one of my personal attendants for the wedding last...
Here it is folks, the last video from the day. SIGH. It’s hard to comprehend that it’s over. I can see why brides go through a little post-event let-down period. Rest assured, I’ll be on to something new by the afternoon. Nick’s off learning to save me at...
Here’s the first round of speeches from Janet (Sarah’s Mom), Robert (Nick’s Dad) and Sarah Jansen (Sarah’s friend)… I’m working on the last upload for tomorrow (another speech and our first dance). Enjoy!
Yes! I’m married AGAIN! The 2nd time was equally magical. Over the next week or two, I’ll share some of the details of the event – from the vendors I used to my favorite pics. Today we’ll start with a highlight reel from the Ceremony. I’d write more...
As many of you know, we’re T minus 5 days and counting until Wedding number 2 in Minnesota. Sorry about the lack of blogging, there’s just so many darn programs left to fold…. I couldn’t resist this post though. It turns out that one of the newest celebrity...
As you know, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time on airplanes recently. In the April version of the Delta Skymag, they had a hilarious section about new slang words that have been created due to the infusion of technology in our lives. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much...
Well, here’s your chance. Introducing KIVA, the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending site. I came across this in a magazine and just HAD to pass it along. For as little as $25, you can select an entrepreneur in an impoverished country that you want to fund. ...
I’m not sure how it happened, but at some point during the trip to Mexico I picked up a copy of the book Twilight. Ladies and Gentlemen, it was all over from there. I had book 1 finished in two days, book 2 of the series done in 2 more and I’d managed to find the third one...
with Penzey’s Spices! A couple years back I took a cooking class at the Kitchen Window and they went on and on about how the only place that you should ever buy spices is from Penzey’s. I had never heard of this crazy place, but all I could think of were Pirates every time...
Loved this! Check it out…
Hello – Welcome to this overview of “Millers Take Mexico 2009”. We’re going to do only a brief bit of commentary and let the pictures speak for themselves. Photo 1: Our favorite place to spend the day (The Pool). This resort was perfect for the Millers...
Greetings all – sorry for the delayed absence! I am back to blogging! In my defense, I have been quite busy though! After a delightful week in Mexico with the fam, I spent the last few days driving cross-country from St. Paul to DC. I did 6 hours each day, covering 1200...
Greetings blog readers- I’m sad to tell you that I won’t be around for the next 7 days, as it is imperitive that I participate in my last family vacation for quite some time. We are off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to stay at a timeshare. I’ll soak up some sun for you...
MANILA TRAFFIC! You have to see it live to believe it…
I fell in love with these photos recently and just HAD to post them. They are part of an ad campaign for Hickey Freeman. The cool twist is that the model, Reed, went to my high school. I am proud to say he was my dance partner for a theatre show sophomore year. My how I paled in...
Well, I’m back after a week of adventures in DC. Nick and I had one of the most “normal” weeks together that we’ve had in a long time. We managed to have a few date nights at local restaurants, did some shopping and took a walk in the nearby cemetary. (Is...
It’s no secret that finances are tough stuff for the majority of people right now. While I will agree that negative returns are no fun, the joy of financial management is in the day-to-day planning, goal-setting and tracking. This has been on my mind a lot as I focused on...
I know I’ve been posting a lot of video lately but this one is downright heart-warming! Clara Cannucciari is a 93 year old woman who has risen to wild popularity recently via her Depression Cooking with Clara Video Segments. Her Grandson grew up on them and wanted to capture the...
I couldn’t resist sharing this – it was just too darn cute! From bottom to top: Janet, Jenna, Emily, Beth, Sarah
I arrived in DC late Friday night and Nick treated me to a fun new cuisine I had never sampled before – Moroccan! Wow. What a feast! We ate at Taste of Morocco in DC, one of the best know venues in town for that type of cuisine. We each sampled a tasting menu for $25 a...
Very exciting news! Jodi Picoult, one of my very favorite authors, is coming to town. She’s written some of these titles that you may recognize: My Sister’s Keeper, The Pact, Plain Truth, Nineteen Minutes… She’ll be at the Rosedale Center Borders on...
That is the questions I’ve heard a lot recently from the 25+ crowd. There seems to be a cool societal evolution happening right now which is making it acceptable for “older” people to embrace technology and participate in social networking. I have to be honest, I...
On Sunday I was the recipient of my very first shower, hosted by my family and co-workers from LADC. My wonderful mother Janet dreamed up a tacky-tourist theme for the day – complete with Leis, Filipino Food, Music and the appropriate island-themed decorations! This was no...
Nick and I have been in an experience-based gift giving phase due to the lack of physical goods we can take with us to Manila. I started poking around on the internet and came across this fabulous site called Excitations. The premise is simple – select the region of the country...
Ladies- I think most of us can recall a time in our lives when we were invited to attend an in-home party. It may have been tupperware, baskets, candles or stamps; the options are endless. Nowadays, women across the country are meeting up for a different reason – to host a Green...
Lately I’ve been booking a lot of flights out East to visit Nick. Most times it’s been easy as pie using the online booking system. But then I ran into a glitch and needed to talk to an actual human being. So I sign, sit back in my chair and start the dialing process. ...
I just got back from a lovely dinner out with SJ at Minneapolis’ Cafe Lurcat for Restaurant Week. I had been to Lurcat before for happy hour, but had never dined here. Restaurant week is such a steal and it’s only day one so you have plenty of time to get out for a lunch...
A bit of inspiration for the end of the week!
This month I had the opportunity to do a night of service at Feed My Starving Children. I had been there in the past, but forgotten what fantastic work they do. This is yet another fabulous MN-based non-profit, founded by a businessman after he saw devasting hunger on a mission trip...
Okay folks. It’s time to go out on the town for one of the best deals of the year! Restaurant week is an annual event where local restaurateurs showcase their finest offerings at remarkably low prices. Here’s how it works: Lunch fare will showcase 2 courses for either...
Wow, am I overwhelmed right now. As you know, we’re T minus 2.5 months and counting until wedding 2. I was doing so well lately, mainly because I wasn’t thinking about it. Then I had to go and take part in my friend Leah’s wedding as her personal attendant where...
The beaming couple on flag day! You’d think we were holding a newborn; we look so proud! :)
Last night we had the opportunity to attend a reception hosted at the Bacon House by the Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired (DACOR). It was such a delightful evening, with each of the retired officers and their spouses sharing stories about the different posts that we’re...
Last night I threw my first 10+ person party in DC. It was an informal gathering- BYOB, appetizers to share, and BUNCO in the community room at our residence. Let me tell you though, I got SOOO much flack for doing a Bunco party! Sample comments included: “That’s only...
After the stress of going through flag day, Nick knew that I’d need to get away for the weekend. He surprised me with a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina (Cape Hatteras, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills). It’s about a 5 hour drive from DC, so it was an ideal distance...
We may just be the luckiest people in the word today- we managed to get assigned our number 1 pick: Manila. The city, not the envelope…. :) I’ll do some research to see if there’s any link there. This magnificent destination is located in Southeast Asia, right by...
Well, the BIG Day is nearing. I’m about to hop on a flight to DC to see Nick for the first time in 5 weeks. HOW EXCITING! Note to newlyweds: I do not recommend staying apart for 5 weeks right after getting married- it kills the fun! Notes about tomorrow, since I know a lot of...