so...when's the next party again?

Amidst this week long festivities that Brina and I are attending, we thought we'd stop to smell the roses, catch a catnap, play some crib and of course, share some pictures along the way.

Shabina & Ronnh are officially getting married! Their close to a year long engagement has finally come to an end and with it begins the first of many celebrations leading up to their wedding this Saturday, November 3rd. So, without further ado, let the party journals begin...

Party #1: Sunday night's Jack & Jill



The first party was a joint party for the friends of Shabina & Ronnh, all coming together for an old school jam before the family festivities got under way. It was a really great idea of Raj and Scotte's to organize and do, since all the friends can come out and have a drink and a laugh even if they couldn't attend the wedding. Plus, with all our out-of-towner friends in the city, it was the best quasai-reunion yet!



Party #2: Tuesday: Shabina's Engagement Party & Sangeet

Last night's party was truly the first of their official celebrations. Held in a huuuge hall in Richmond and filled with loved ones from both sides of their family (and friends), Shabina & Ronnh were beautiful, poised, and gracious hosts. Plus, the food was fantastic!


Shabina getting ready for her big night.




Ronnh, patient and handsome, waiting for his bride to be.


Beautiful Shabina. How cool is it that they're on TV?!


This is just one of the many families who went up to congratulate and take pictures with the happy couple. Our crew went up as a "family" and as we went to pose for our picture, it ended up looking like a class picture. Whatever. We're still cool.



Some of the chitlins.


Dance Dance Revolution, Sangeet Style!



I forgot how awesome it is to be around family and friends with nothing but time to enjoy each other's company (until, of course, the clock strikes midnight and we all turn back into pumpkins). Really need to try and do that more often :)

Thanks to Shabina & Ronnh for such a fun evening, to Raj & Scooter for getting it together (across oceans, no less) and throwing a great jam and, to the rest of you: sleep well, kids, for tomorrow we dance again!

doing it right

I'm not one to really get too into Halloween but last night I was surrounded by people who do and did, and I must say it was VERY entertaining. Only once, above the age of 20, did I thoroughly enjoy dressing up for Halloween and last night, as I sat in a room full of costumes, I asked myself the question "why go through all the trouble?"

And the answer I came up with is: Just Because.

Next year, maybe possibly, there is a small chance I could maybe take the time to get myself organized enough to think about the possibility of putting on a different costume other than the "graphic designer" one I wear day after day. Maybe I'll understand then.

Anyways, here are some special shots of last night's festivities. I hope you enjoy your Halloween.

itty bitty sneak peek

What are we up to, you ask? Well let me tell you, we have been working VERY hard to build up our catalogue designs for 2008 (as I think I mentioned yesterday). We are excited to be able to give everyone more options and more wedding designs. Since the inception of blue skies and daisies, we have been proud to offer couples all over the world something different, something you wouldn't find anywhere else. I think we're pretty awesome.

Here's a little sneak peek into the future...don't get lost!!

catching up

October is almost over! The leaves are all turning into their pretty fall colours, Ronnh and Shabina's week of wedding events is fast approaching and the rainy season will bring Teenie's biking season to an end (unless she buys herself a cute little rain jacket). Ohhhh there's just so much going on.

It's nice being in our slow season, although this year it is proving to be more of a consistent good pace season, because we have found time to play cribbage during our lunch breaks and we can put time into adding more designs to our ready to wear catalogue and at the same time joke around with our new neighbours across the alleyway.

Just this last week we had to let our neighbours know that...well...the frosted windows in their bathroom cover enough but...really...not really...well...we can still kinda see them go twosies. SO we let them know with a note taped to our window. They thought it was pretty funny, we hope, and they quickly found their own solution to the problem.

In the last few days we've actually been exposed to the sun for a few hours here and there. It's amazing! I was beginning to wonder if maybe the sun disappeared forever. Nope. I was wrong. It was all in our faces the other night as we walked home over the cambie bridge.

And last night I (brina) had the pleasure of dining with Dana Oikawa. It's been a long time since we've seen eachother and it was SUPER GREAT to spend time with her again. It's about time I introduced you to her. She rocks.

So that pretty much sums it all up. New neighbours, saw the sun again and watched Dana mash up her fancy dessert.

two weeks in nicaragua

What to say. HM. There's just too much. I will try and point out a few highlights of the trip because to write everything would be really time consuming and possibly boring for you.

I like numbering my points...

1. Managua - Greg's home

Arriving in Managua without knowing Spanish or having the Nicaraguan currency or any advanced planning, made our initial landing very very interesting. We made it though! We were tested and passed with flying colours. Greg picked us up with his friend Victor and from that moment on we began our two weeks of drinking, learning and resting. All 3 were necessary and inevitable.

We stayed in Managua for the first week, where we drank as much as we possibly could and spent the rest of our time listening to stories of the revolution, war and an ongoing time of crisis...from the comforts of a hammock. It was more than eye opening. We met wonderful people who devote their lives to bettering the lives of the people of this amazing country and not once did we feel like outsiders. We were invited with open arms everywhere we went, AND THE FOOD! We were fed constantly. We loved it. ha ha. It's true.

Thanks to Greg, Victor, Robert, Karen, Hubert, the Canada House, Trudy, Kai, Kent and so many more people for our fabulous first week. It was intense but unforgettable.

2. Granada and the bus ride to the Pacific Ocean beach.

A few day trips took place during the first week. The first was to Granada, a colonial town just an hour away from Managua, with stunning architecture and beautiful views of Lake Nicaragua (the only fresh water lake in the world where sharks live). We took a tour of the Cathedral of Granada, an art gallery and took a walk along the lake. In between our mini tours we would hide in Dario Hotel (owned by Greg's brother) to escape from the heat. It's just too hot for our Canadian acclimatized bodies.

The second trip was by bus to the Pacific Coast. Victor took us on the public bus for almost 2 hours to see the beach and all the small villages along the way. It was a crazy ride up and down a mountain with cars passing us on a narrow winding road. To me it's completely chaotic but to everyone else on that bus this was normal. I love it! The beach was beautiful. We were there for only a few hours because we left late and the bus ride was fairly long. Still we had a great time and felt like we experienced something real.

3. Corn Island

After a crazy first week we reserved a couple seats on a flight to Big Corn Island, which is fifty miles northeast of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. For 4 days we stayed at Greg's parents house, which was right on the water on the south end of the Island. The word "big" is used lightly here too since it has a 14 km circumference. The house was big and beautiful and our friendly neighbours kept an eye on us and helped us any time they could. They were amazing to have around. Elizabeth, a new best friend of mine, cooked us yellow tail and plantains one evening and it was DELICIOUS. You have no idea. Rod and I visited 3 different beaches during our stay and relaxed, drank flor de cana, rested, watched tv in an air conditioned room, swam, ate and played with the neighbourhood kids. It was our only "vacation" during our vacation. We felt quite privileged to have spent any time on this little piece of heaven and with the angels that live there.

Thanks to Greg's parents, Elizabeth, Lester, Lubit (not sure on the spelling), Lubit Sr (still not sure on the spelling), Victor and Karla and anyone else that made our stay so great.

My notes here seem really brief but if you want to know any more about our trip, then just give me a call and we'll chat over a coffee. I can talk about it all day long! Right now, on this blog, I just wanted to share my overall experience with you because it is a story that needs to be told.

no baby, you're money...

As promised, I'm officially breaking my blogging record and blogging twice in one week. Shocking, I know.

There's good reason, last Sunday, while Beans and Robo flew away to Nicaragua for two weeks (MISS YOU GUYS!), Benny and I flew back from five days in Vegas, baby, Vegas! Two great friends were our reason for going, as the got married (off the strip, thank you) the Friday that we were there. But first...Vegas, baby!



Our first night that we got in we basically checked into our hotel and changed and high five'd while Ben threw me in a cab to meet the rest of the ladies for Melinda's stagette night and he ran off to be with the boys for Mike's stag. The ladies, I must say, kept it together...I mean, there was minimal grabbing at the Australian strippers and for the most part, I'm pretty sure everyone was present and accounted for. ha!



After getting the crazy's out the first night in, we (Ben and I) kept it pretty chill for the rest of our visit, with a LOT of lounging by our pool (ahem, Paris hotel rules!) and meeting up later in the day once we all had our poolside time in for eats or slots or laughs.



Oh, did I mention already that Melinda & Mike got married last Friday? AWW YEAH! Congratulations to the both of you, you both looked beautiful and so happy and there was so much love there for you that day that really nothing could've made it more perfect (in my eyes)...



Thanks again to the both of you for including Benny and I in your special day and congratulations, you two!!! Vegas, baby, Vegas!!

the first of many parties for shabina...

Okay, so I'm a little late in my blogging about Shabina's shower, but I have a REALLY good excuse! I've been out of the country for the past week attending our other friends' wedding! And GAMBLING! :D Don't worry, I'm sure I'll eventually blog about that trip too!

Back to my original reason for blogging...two of our dearest and awesomenest friends are getting married before the year's out, and I had the pleasure of attending the first of the many parties for both Shabina and Ronnh in celebration for their wedding day.



This party, Shabina's bridal shower, was hosted and organized by her longtime friend, Anne Sanderson (I just like to say her full name, it rolls off the tongue). She seriously went above and beyond the call of duty, organizing all of us to attend, making an AWESOME cake for the party (FANCY cake) and made sure there wasn't a minute unplanned with eating, games, presents or cake. Thanks to Anne for such a good time!



It was a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon filled with good friends, lots of love and tons of laughter. Thanks to Kinder for all the yummy food and of course to Anne for getting us all together. And although I had to fly out of town for Shabina's following event (last Saturday's surprise stagette), I'm sure I'll see all you ladies very soon at the next party for Shabina & Ronnh!



Congratulations again, Shabina & Ronnh!!!