Once in a blue moon

A blue moon is the term for the "extra" full moon in a particular time frame or lunar phase. In the month of August, there were two full moons instead of the usual one. The second, showing itself on the 31st, was the "blue" one.

Although though it's not actually blue-appearing just the same as any other full moon in the night sky-I had to witness it. So, Parker and I drove up to the Griffith Observatory at dusk. We watched the sun set over downtown, and then admired the moon in the black of night, atop the glow of the city lights. 

When we got home, we enjoyed dinner with our brew of choice....Blue Moon.

Amor

We recently traveled to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico for our cousin's wedding. The waterfront town was absolutely beautiful, with its mountains, beaches, dessert, and cobblestone roads. It was a week filled with sunshine, swimming, paddle boarding, hiking, dancing, mariachi bands, and lots and lots of eating!

Mexican Blouse: (similar style here), Skirt: Anthropologie, Clog Sandals: American Eagle Outfitters
(similar style here, here, & here.)

We started out the week with an early morning hike to the top of Mt. Tetakawi. We crammed about 13 friends and family in the van, drove to the base of the mountain, and hiked to the summit.The bride to be even made the hike 2 days before her wedding! 

The Molan-Holloran nuptials were exchanged at the Hotel Playa de Cortez.  It boasted lovely views of the Sea of Cortez and Sonora mountains, plus lots of great Spanish-colonial details inside.

Steve Stanton Photography

Steve Stanton Photography  

The hand-painted grand doors in the lobby were one my favorite details.

On our last day in San Carlos, we woke early to watch the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez. At 5:30, the town was quiet and and oh, so beautiful. 

Love Train

One year has come and gone....I can hardly believe it! This past year has been wonderful, and I am truly blessed that we were able to take a short holiday to both reminisce about all the life happenings these past 365 days and also to look forward to all the great moments ahead of us. 

After our wedding, we were on such a high, the happiest and most carefree we had ever been. This newly wed state of mind made our South African honeymoon surreal- it was lovely, exotic, and passionate. We had a hard time leaving, especially knowing that we were coming back to 40+ hour work weeks and not a minute of vacation to our name....it would be a year before we could save up enough time to take another trip like that, but we could dream and plan in the mean time.

There were some crazy events that unfolded throughout the year, and we decided that instead of taking a far-away vacation for our anniversary, we would save money for something much bigger a little further into the future (I can't wait to tell everyone about our plans!).  Instead, we just took the weekend to "get away." So we opted for a local spot-somewhere close that felt like a world away. Destination: Ojai; a charming town with hidden hot springs, oak-shaded paths, lavender fields, olive tree orchards, and rolling crags.

The train would take us up the coast to Oxnard, and a trolley would take us the rest of the way to the Ojai Valley. We left from the deco Union Station in Los Angeles where Jessica Boone of OneLove Photography captured some alluring moments in the station before we departed! 

The weekend was filled with rest, relaxation, and lots of romance. My favorite moment was taking a stroll in the pouring rain, hand in hand we enjoyed the beautiful fields and hills surrounding us, not caring that we were completely drenched not even a block from where we started.

 

Photography: OneLove Photography
Dress: Ted Baker (NordstromRack)
Shoes: Chie Mihara
Purse: Thrifted

I Do

 

It's hard to believe it's been a year since our wedding day....

It was the best day of my life;  the day we were able to share and celebrate our love and commitment in front of the people we cherish most. The excitement and affirmation we received from our family and closest friends was truly captivating. What a great day it was-rain and all!

After being engaged on the 4th of July, 2010 (read about it here), we had just shy of nine months to plan our wedding.  There was a lot put into those nine months-tears, laughs, frustration, LOTS of sewing and even MORE money, but also lots of love.

There were of course things that didn't turn out as planned, but had they been done "perfectly," I would have missed some really great moments that are now unforgettable. Like the fact that my dad let the baker convince him that the upside down apple pie was better than the lemon meringue. Of course the lemon meringue had the pretty white top, and looked the most like a wedding cake, but of course, dads don't think of those things. He wanted me to have the best, and if the pie that looked like it was dropped on the ground was the best-then that is what I had to have (and man, was the baker right-it was the best pie I have ever had!). Or the fact that the rainy weather moved the garden-party cocktail hour indoors. I had set the scene in my head: we would walk into the party, old jazz music playing and the romance of patio lights glowing amidst the overcast sky. At first I was disappointed that things didn't happen as planned, but after looking at the picture of the two of us under those string lights, I realized-that if no one else was able to enjoy it, it meant that Parker stayed up all night to hang those lights just for me-and I could live with that. 

I would love to go back to that day and observe our wedding as a guest. There were so many stolen moments that passed us by, but I was blessed to have a good friend photograph our day and she captured every little detail. Sara of OneLove Photography has a fantastic editorial style. Her work is filled with candid shots that capture natural emotion, so I am able to get glimpses of these moments when looking through our pictures...like the moment my dad was standing by my bridal party with a big smile on his face and hands in his pockets, or when one of Parker's groomsmen covered his eyes when I arrived at the ceremony location so he wouldn't see me before he was supposed to, my mom bringing the umbrella that I had bought specifically for the ceremony to the altar as the rain drops started coming down, Parker trying to fight back the tears as I walk down the aisle, the smiles on everyone's faces throughout the ceremony, the cheers of the crowd during our first kiss and upon the pronouncement of husband and wife...I could go on and on.

 It was a truly beautiful day!

Ceremony: Berkeley, Ca Mather Redwood Grove Reception: Oakland, California Montclair Women's Cultural Arts Club Photography: Onelove Photography Floral Design: Clayton, Ca Sonset Flowers Wedding Coordinator: Jewell Chung Sequin Bolero: sold out, but you may be able to still find it here, here, here, or here.Bow Tie: Groom's Brogues: Sparklers:  

I love this City: Pasadena, Ca {Huntington Gardens}

Although they aren't my roommates anymore, I think I'll always see them as such. Heather, Kiki, and I met in college our freshman year (we all lived on the same hall). They are each one of my closest friends. Moves (including one clear across the country) have pulled apart and brought us back together at different periods in the last few years since we graduated, but we have stayed ever close.

Recently, we were all together again and decided to spend some time at Huntington Gardens. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, boasting 120 acres with 12 specialized gardens, an art gallery, a greenhouse, and a conservatory. We spent way too much time taking pictures of our rings on different succulents and on self portraits, but it brought a lot of laughs. I can't wait until the next time we get together...which will be in April for Heather's bridal shower and then again in June for her wedding!!