Congratulations Jonathan!

After two and a half years of planning to move and work in LA, it's finally happening! Jonathan is transferring to the 310 area code to work and live in 2 weeks.

And the countdown begins!

First Joint Account

We have our first "joint" account! We are now on our own cell phone family plan and I have my own iPhone! As cheesy as it may sound, having this first joint anything is another step forward and I am so excited! Jonathan surprised me with a new iPhone 4 on August 28th and now, 2 weeks later, we prepare to go on our second family vacation!!

We have been talking about moving in together, having a joint banking account, and other together stuff but I think taking things one at a time has made it much more exciting! Being able to talk unlimited during the week is something that other couples probably take for granted. Having different cell phone providers, we tried keeping day conversations to a minimum and waited until 9pm to talk. BUT now... we can each other just say "I love you," or to talk while we drive home.

The importance of little things....

Small Wedding VS Big Wedding

Spending time with my family this weekend was amazing, it brought warm feelings back. It had been so long since I had gone to a family event due to school and work, but this weekend I was able to go right after work. It also really reinforced the importance of being one big happy family. Both on Saturday and Sunday we discussed the simplicity of a Vegas Wedding and how much more money saving it would be. AND IT WOULD, BUT I DON'T CARE. I want to share my day with my husband in unison with my family and his. I want my cousins who I spent Christmas' and Thanksgivings with, there with me, I want my aunts who took me to school, there too. I don't want to wait for my funeral to see my family in one place at the same time.

My wedding is about being the person I love, celebrating our 2 people family, with our families.

House Hunting? Apartment Hunting? Buy? Rent?

And the questions begin to arise. Now that we have been approved for more than what we can afford, we have options. We can buy and be on a tight budget with the wedding on credit... oooooor we can rent for a year or two and have my ideal wedding paid in cash. Sometimes I am amazed with the possibilities. Should we buy because the interest rates are low and we would be losing money if we rent? Should we buy a cheap 1 bedroom condo so that we can afford it on one person's income? Should we get a 2 bedroom just in case we stay there longer and have kids? Or should we rent the 2nd bedroom? Should we buy in Long Beach because that's where we have been looking at and it would be a short distance to pick up the blue line? Should we buy in a nicer place and drive to Downtown LA everyday? Where do we plan to go to grad school? How many parking spots are available? Are there washer and dryer hook ups?

I don't know. I just want him to get the job he wants in LA, I want to be together, in the same city, in the same home.

2nd Wedding Board

These are some party favors and decoration ideas.
Clippings taken from The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings

YA! DONE! FINALLY!

I gave myself the best birthday gift, peace of mind. And it was not priceless, Mastercard was there for me.

I FINALLY FOUND THE PERFECT VENUE

Last week we went to visit Sportsmen's Lodge Event Center in Studio City and I liked it even though they did not have the capacity to hold the ceremony and reception outdoor. (Jon was supposed to write a guest post on the venue since he liked it soooo much especially for the price.) I had given up on my dream outdoor wedding so I was ready to put in a deposit. For about $10k they were including the ceremony and reception site, 1 hour of hosted hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, salad, entree, and no fee for bringing our own desserts. Thanks to Jonathan's dad who wanted to see the place before we booked it, it bought me time to continue to search and FIND.....

THE SPORTSMEN'S LODGE HOTEL

The Catering Sales Manager from the Event Center did not even mind mentioning that their partner, the hotel, had outdoor reception capability, even after I told her that's what I wanted!!! She wanted to keep the sale to herself!!!

I was able to contact the Catering Coordinator from the Hotel today, visit the venue and LOVED IT. It is everything I want! Outdoor ceremony with a cute white gazebo, a nice white tent to give us shade, and we can have it for longer hours, have a hosted bar for an extra hour longer than at the center, and still have our outside desserts. The best part is that it is still under our $10k budget! (I just need to rent my own chairs because I am picky)

They don't have many pictures of the venue online and I will resist posting the ones I took with my camera today.

The Plan: Pay Deposit on my birthday as my gift to myself!