Sleepless in Seattle

It was Memorial Day weekend and we were enjoying our dinner at a revolving restaurant called Chart House on top of the Tower of Americas in San Antonio, Texas when we decided we want to go try the restaurant at the Space Needle too. Yes, in Seattle.

So we booked our flights for the July 4th weekend.


1st day.
Our flight was (PHL) 3:54pm - (SEA) 6:48pm. Duration, 5 hours and 54 minutes. We drove to Smart Park (hubby's favorite airport parking) around past noon, and from there we were shuttled to the airport.

When we landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and claimed our luggage, we headed straight to the shuttle that would take us to our Enterprise Rent-A-Car location. I kept pestering the hubby to stop by Jollibee first since it was only about 1.5 miles away from the rental office. He’s a huge fan of Chickenjoy and actually loves the spaghetti too, so he was looking forward to it just as much as I was.

Unfortunately, they had closed early that day at 7:00 PM even though their usual closing time was 10:00 PM. I’m guessing it was because it was the Fourth of July.

We ended up heading straight to our hotel instead, then later went out to explore some of the restaurants around Post Alley. Since it’s right near Pike Place Market, and our hotel, The Westin Seattle, was only within walking distance, it turned out to be the perfect area to stay and wander around in the evening.

our hotel from the monorail

 Most of the restaurants are closed and we ended up having dinner at a French Brasserie called Cafe Campagne. I ordered their Duck Confit and the hubby ordered Coq Au Vin. We both enjoyed our dinner.

Duck Confit
photo from their Cafe Campagne's website

There were Fourth of July fireworks happening at Gas Works Park, but we were completely exhausted. Remember, Seattle is three hours behind Philadelphia, so 11:00 PM in Seattle already felt like 2:00 AM to our bodies. In the end, we decided to skip the crowds and simply enjoyed the fireworks from the comfort of our hotel room window instead.

2nd Day.

outdoor dining place

dry blood anyone?

I woke up early determined to finally get my Jollibee breakfast fix. I ordered the beef tapa while the hubby happily went for his favorite combo: Chickenjoy and spaghetti. Some traditions simply travel well. 🤣

After breakfast, we headed back to downtown Seattle to buy tickets for the Bill Speidel's Underground Tour. Unfortunately, we arrived about five minutes too late for the noon tour, so we had to wait another hour for the 1:00 PM slot.

To pass the time, we spent the next 45 minutes at an outdoor restaurant called Delicatus. The hubby ordered wine while I asked for a Diet Coke, which they apparently didn’t have. Instead, they offered me something they claimed was “similar”, a Dry Blood Orange Soda. Let’s just say it tasted more like flavored club soda pretending to be soda. I drank about half before surrendering the rest to the hubby.

The Bill Speidel's Underground Tour was fascinating because of the history behind it, along with all the interesting stories and random trivia shared throughout the tour. That said, if you’re a bit finicky or sensitive to certain environments, this may not be for you.

There are some, let’s call them “mysterious historical smells,” and at times it genuinely feels like you’re trespassing through someone’s abandoned century-old basement. 🤣

But if you think you can handle that part, I’d still recommend trying it at least once for the experience alone. It’s one of those uniquely Seattle things that’s equal parts educational, eerie, and oddly entertaining.

this is supposed to be a walkway... the hotel or store entrance is to your left. click for better view

spooky

Then we headed to the Pike Place Market  next, just because I really want to go to the First Starbucks store (yeah, yeah, jologs alert, I don't care, lol).

piroshky bakery

I’m not exactly a die-hard Starbucks fan, but I still wanted to see the original store at least once for bragging rights. 🤣 So off we went.

The market was full of colorful artwork, quirky little items, and of course the fresh fish, fruits, and vegetables it’s famous for. We didn’t stay too long though. We mostly just wandered through and soaked in the atmosphere while passing by.

On our way to the original The First Starbucks Store, we noticed this insanely long line at Piroshky and got curious. So the hubby and I decided to divide and conquer. 🤣 I jumped into the Piroshky line while he bravely marched toward the Starbucks line that looked like it might require its own survival kit.

One of Piroshky’s best sellers was the Beef and Cheese, so I ordered that. I also noticed almost everyone around me ordering the Potato and Cheese, so naturally I got that too. We absolutely loved the Beef and Cheese. The Potato and Cheese wasn’t bad at all, but unfortunately for it, we tried the Beef and Cheese first, and it tasted so good it overshadowed the Potato and Cheese, so it never really stood a chance. We might have appreciated Potato and Cheese better if we tried that first.

Surprisingly, the Piroshky line moved really fast despite how long it looked. The Starbucks line, meanwhile, was apparently frozen in time because the hubby swore it never moved. But we survived both lines in the end. We bought the famous “First Starbucks Store” mug, and I also couldn’t resist picking up one of their vintage-style tumblers.

inside the first starbucks store

The highlight of our second day was definitely our dinner inside the Space Needle. This iconic structure has been standing since the early 1960s and is one of those landmarks you instantly recognize the moment you see the Seattle skyline.

At the very top is the revolving restaurant, Sky City Restaurant, and we made sure to book our reservation well in advance.

Little tip: try to dress a bit nicer when you go. Think, no jeans or shorts if possible. It’s not an official rule, but I honestly think it increases your chances of getting one of the better tables. Yes, the coveted window seat. You're welcome :D.

space needle: it's old but it never gets old

cheers

Our hotel was very close to the Seattle Center Monorail, so we took the monorail to the Space Needle. The fare was only around $2.25 one way, and honestly, it was part transportation, part mini tourist experience. 🤣

Once we arrived at the Space Needle, we discovered that SkyCity Restaurant has its own separate elevator entrance. From the monorail exit, just walk toward the Space Needle and keep to the right until you see another entrance with the SkyCity sign.

At the reception area, we checked in for our reservation and they handed us one of those lighting/vibrating pager thingies that let you know when your table is ready. Since we arrived early, the receptionist told us that even though our reservation wasn’t for another 30 minutes, we should still head up to the observation deck first (the elevator’s first stop), then immediately go one floor down to the restaurant level and request a window seat.

Now here’s the funny part. We noticed there were other SkyCity diners in the elevator with us wearing capris, shorts, and jeans, but they weren’t given the same little “tip” we got. Now, you know the secret *wink*

So of course, the hubby and I followed instructions exactly. The moment everyone else exited onto the observation deck, we quietly went one level down to the restaurant reception area. I let the hubby do the talking, and we were both amused when the receptionist immediately said, “We actually have one available right now!”

Which basically meant we completely skipped the waiting process. No need for the vibrating pager to buzz or light up, they escorted us straight to a window table right away. Mission accomplished. 😂

Awesome.

view of downtown Seattle from the revolving restaurant

The awesomeness of the night didn’t stop there because the food was exceptionally good too. I ordered the Carlton Farms pork chop while the hubby went for the Wild King salmon. To go with dinner, we shared a bottle of Beringer White Zinfandel, my go-to alcohol choice.

To finish the night, we ordered a dessert called the Lunar Orbiter (see video). Originally, we planned to order just one and share it, but while I was handing the camera to the hubby, he somehow managed to press the “stop recording” button right before the dessert’s little presentation/show started and didn't realize it wasn't recording until it's too late. 🤣

So naturally, the only logical solution was to order another Lunar Orbiter just so we could record it properly this time. I know it doesn't make sense, but, well, you know, for ka-artehan's sake, lol. 
But honestly, it was so good that it still didn’t feel like a waste of money at all.

LunarOrbiter bluemarlinfish on Vimeo.

Oh, and another nice touch at SkyCity Restaurant is they give you a complimentary professional photo too. A lady photographer was going around the restaurant asking diners if they wanted their picture taken (of course we said yes 🤣). She took our photos and handed us a card that we later needed to scan to retrieve the pictures digitally.

We were lucky because ours was taken during sunset, so the lighting and the view turned out really beautiful. After dinner, we simply scanned the card at the observation deck level one floor above the restaurant. From there, they just give you the option to have the photos sent through email. Sadly, no printed copies.

After dinner, we briefly considered going out for drinks because there was a bar we had seen featured in a magazine that looked interesting, although neither of us could remember the name anymore at that point. 🤣 But in the end, we decided to skip it. We had an early morning ahead of us since we’d be driving to Portland and Mount St. Helens the next day.

So we officially called it a night around 11:30 PM.

...coming up  next: 3rd day - Voodoo Doughnuts and the Hike/Helicopter ride to Mt. St. Helens...
update: done! click me

all photos and videos by yours truly, please do not use without permission.

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Flee from Bad Aura

There are people, and this could be an acquaintance, a family member, your exes or your neighbor, that no matter how nice you try to treat them they will always have something bad to say about you behind your back.

Ignore them.

They're bitter and unhappy and jealous and they want to drag you along with their misery. Stay away from them. They're not worth wasting your time nor energy with.

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Boudoir Photoshoot, anyone? (it's the best hubby gift)

i was having second thoughts to do this at first but after much thought i figured what the heck. i won't be naked anyway. and i really want to give the hubby a special and unique first wedding anniversary present.

and i’m so proud of how it turned out and i’m really glad i did it.

one, because i know how hard it is to lose weight, so this is a reward for myself, lol. plus i want to have something to look back to when i'm old, wrinkly and fat, a proof that i was hot once, haha. (vain alert, hee hee).

two, because i won’t be young forever and not getting any younger either, plus once i give birth i might not have the same body again.

click to see all 6 of the photos

and three, because my husband love the boudoir photo album so much! he specially liked the photos where i was wearing angel wings (but can’t show it here because it’s a victoria secret kinda shot, if you know what i mean, lol). he loved it so much that he wants me to flaunt it to my married girlfriends so they'll get inspired to do the same for their hubbies.

if you’re married, i recommend doing this while you still can, you owe it to yourself and it boosts self confidence…..plus, i can't iterate this enough, your husband will love it! i swear! just look for a good photographer who knows how to pose you and hide the “unwanted” areas... i have a lot of unwanted areas and my photographer helped me hide them by doing certain poses and her finding the right angle...




#boudoirFor1stWeddingAnniversaryGift
(photos taken on april 21, 2013)

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Our Pinas 2013 Itinerary

Below is a quick view of our itinerary. The dates I have highlighted are actual tours and that goes to show you that you can do a lot of things even if you're just staying in the Philippines for a week.

Day 0        1/11 \ETD (JFK) Day 1 1/12   ETA (MNL) Day 2 1/13 (barong fitting), went to Mall of Asia, tried out local food Day 3 1/14  (meeting with wedding suppliers), tried Dampa and did mall-hopping Day 4 1/15 (canonical interview), Tried Kamayan/Dads Day 5 1/16 (hmua trial/prenuptial photo/video shoot) Day 6 1/17 (changed hotel), tried cheap foot spa at Ayala MRT station Day 7 1/18 Segway Tour in Intramuros, Manila Day 8 1/19 (wedding) Day 9 1/20 Villa Escudero (overnight) Day 10 1/21 Tagaytay (day trip) Day 11 1/22 Corregidor (day trip) Day 12 1/23 El Nido Day 13 1/24 El Nido Day 14 1/25 El Nido Day 15 1/26 El Nido Day 16 1/27 Manila (Resorts World, Greenhills pasalubong shopping) Day 17 1/28 Departure

I still haven't finish blogging about our Philippines trip. I'm actually still working on it. So far I'm just missing the Corregidor and El Nido part. El Nido was the highlight of our Philippines trip, both for the hubby and i and our foreign guests.


So again here is:
 part 1 - Unang Hataw
 part 2 - Villa Escudero
 part 3 - Tagaytay
 part 4 - Corregidor & El Nido (to follow)

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San Antonio Trip

I've always heard about how pretty San Antonio is. How it's the Venice of United States. Well, finally I got to see it.

Day 1 (May 24): Our flight to San Antonio started in Philadelphia Int'l Airport at 6:03 AM on a Friday. It was a long weekend (Memorial day) and the hubby and I both decided to take Friday off to stretch our San Antonio vacation.

Our flight was Philadelphia (PHL) - Houston (IAH), then IAH - SAT. We arrived in San Antonio at 11:24 AM and after getting our luggage we hopped on a shuttle that would take us to the Enterprise Car Rental office so we could rent a car for 4 days.

Valencia Riverwalk Hotel

We arrived at our hotel at around noon but didn't get our room until 2:00pm. Usually, the check-in time is after 4:00 pm but fortunately we got our room earlier than that.

We wanted a hotel by the riverwalk that's why we decided to stay at Hotel Valencia, which was our temporary home for 4 days and 3 nights. It's a nice hotel with interesting interiors, nice ambience, a fine restaurant and they even have some tables facing the river walk, a bar, a swimming pool and a courtyard. They have a valet parking that costs $35/day and the staff are all very friendly and genuinely helpful.

Since the hubby and I both didn't get enough sleep (we left for the airport at 3am) the first thing we did was take a nap. We woke up at 5pm, took a quick shower then put on some semi-formal clothes for our dinner at the Towers of the Americas revolving restaurant called The Chart House.

But since our dinner isn't until 8:00pm, we first tried their Skies Over Texas 3D (it's actually more like 4D). I suggest you do this when you're at the Towers of the

Towers of the Americas

Americas. Then we had our photo taken before we went up the viewing deck for the 360 degrees view of the city. After which, off we went to our dinner.

The hubby and I like to have dinner at restaurants overlooking the city and so far we have tried Boston's Top of the Hub (it soars 52 floors above the Back Bay), New York's The View NYC (it's a revolving restaurant but the view is disappointing because all you can see are walls & windows from the tall buildings), Restaurant Ciel de Paris at Montparnasse in Paris, Vivere's Sky Lounge in Alabang, Philippines and now, the latest is The Chart House of San Antonio. We're hoping to try Seattle's SkyCity restaurant, which is right on the Space Needle, next time.

The food is very good and the view is spectacular during sunset (FYI: sunset in May is around 8ish).

sunset view at The Chart House revolving restaurant

We didn't want to go straight to bed after dinner so we walked along the riverwalk. Most of the places were closed already but it was still an interesting walk, plus I got myself a new cowboy hat, haha (the one I brought with me got mangled up during our flight to San Antonio).

riverwalk at night

Day 2 (May 25):: We went to Natural Bridge Cavern for our day two activity which is only a 30-minute drive from downtown San Antonio (it's $19.99/person). I also tried their ziplining

inside the natural bridge cavern

 activity which I enjoyed thoroughly ($17.99/person for two zip lines). I have enjoyed my first zipline experience back in the Philippines when my friends and I went to Cagayan de Oro for our Canopy Walk/Pinoy Rafting experience, so when I saw they have this at Natural Bridge Cavern I didn't think twice and bought a ticket. The video below shows me ziplining on the second line. You'll have to "zip" through 2 lines.


ayeen ziplining in san antonio - day 2 from bluemarlinfish on Vimeo.

the capitol building

We then went to see Austin, Texas. We really weren't supposed to go there until the day after for our hot air balloon ride but the hubby wants to check the place because we have to leave very early in the morning (4am) for that and he just want to get the feel of where the location is.

We just visited the Capitol building and the famous 6th street. Then we had lunch at Salt Lick at RoundRock for some real Texan food. The hubby like their brisket very much. I like my meal too, and the sauce, O-M-G! There's regular and hot, both are good! The bread they serve is good too. I used that to make my pulled pork sandwich, too yummy!

inside texas capitol building

my meal: combo plate - bbq ribs, pulled pork, beans, potatoes, coleslaw

Day 3(May 26): We woke up at 3:00am in attempt to get to Austin by 6:00am. Problem is, it's been raining on and off and come 5:00am the hot air balloon people called to tell us they can't fly the balloon because of the weather. Oh well, I guess we now have an excuse to go back to San Antonio. It's a good thing the hot air balloon booking never expires so we can always just use it anytime we're ready to go back.

We were in Austin when it was still a little dark and decided to loop around the downtown area again so I could take some pictures of the buildings (I like buildings and interesting architecture).

Come 6:30am we headed back to San Antonio but before we went back to our hotel we wanted to try this hole in the wall Mexican place for breakfast called Grumpy's. We learned about that place while overhearing a conversation from one of the visitors at the Natural Bridge Cavern. We wanted to go there for lunch after the caving but it was already closed when we got there (they close at 2:00pm and opens at 8:00am). So we went back there the next day on our way back to San Antonio from Austin.

I love my fried chicken steak but it's just too big. I think I only got to eat just 1/8 of it. The hubby liked his order very much too, it's called huevos rancheros con carne guisada w/ beans, hashbrowns and tortillas. He specially liked it with their hot sauce.

riverwalk cruise tour

Since now we have the whole day free, we decided to finally do our river cruise tour ($8.25 per person, available from 9am til 9pm). The hubby kept oohing-aahing. It's obvious he likes San Antonio very much. He thinks it's better than Paris, I don't. I mean, I like San Antonio too, and wouldn't mind coming back but no, it doesn't compare to Paris. When I pointed this out to him he then explained that he's compairing our River Sienne cruise with this riverwalk cruise tour. I think I kinda get what he meant. You won't see restaurants and shops along the river Sienne. In San Antonio, on the other hand, are rows and rows of restaurants and shops and the river even goes through a mall. I still like Paris better though, no offense San Antonio fans.

alamo
hindi.
alamo nga e.
hindi ko nga alam e.

After the tour we walked to the Alamo site. I'm not a history buff and I just wanted to go there just for the sake of going there but the hubby on the other hand liked the history and the story behind the Alamo walls. We paid for the guided tour which lasted for an hour then we went in the Alamo museum to explore on our own.

By the time we're done it's past lunch so we headed back to the riverwalk to find a restaurant. I have just one requirement though, a restaurant that serves those HUGE margarita, lol. A friend of mine suggested it and I thought that would be cool to try and so we did.

our margarita after 15min (it was
actually filled to the brim)

We went to this restaurant called Dick's Last Resort. It's called that because the servers are trying to be "that". They will yell at you, they would sound obnoxious, they would throw your check at you. But they will give you a warning in advance that it's just all for fun. They're just living up to the name, lol. So anyway, since it's a HUGE margarita the hubby and I just shared. I don't want to eat too much so I just ordered their crab balls. I didn't like it. The hubby ordered fish and chips, that, however, is good. Oh, and yes, the margarita is soooo good! And we got to keep the big margarita glass.

Then we head back to our hotel for some nap and woke up around 5pm to get ready for our dinner cruise. It's nothing fancy, just some chicken or beef fajitas and dessert. We booked the dinner cruise thinking it would just be a barge floating on the river while we're having dinner but what a pleasant surprise! It's actually a riverwalk cruise tour too. I highly recommend a dinner cruise riverwalk tour  instead of just the regular riverwalk cruise tour. We booked our dinner cruise through Cafe Ole and paid $37.50 each plus tax. Don't forget to try their Daquiri Margarita, it's good!


bluemarlinfish on Vimeo.


San Antonio isn't just about Riverwalk, they have lots of interesting buildings too and some unusual stuff like the one on the picture below.

cinderella-ish horse carriage ride

Day 4(May 27): Nothing to share except that this was the day we had to fly back to Philly. I did, however, tried to wake up early for some quick stroll so I could take photo along the riverwalk with my travel gnome (pinky st:).

my travel gnome (pinky st:), sacheen

all photos by yours truly, please do not use without permission.

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Nothing Changed

nothing changed.

i still love charlize theron.
i still love maria sharapova.
i still love keith urban.

i still love tiramisu and pana cotta.
i still love CPK and jollihotdog.

nothing changed.

hmm.

ok, maybe i lied.

maybe i did change.

my age starts with a 3 now.
and my metabolism is slower.
i have extra wrinkles on the corners of my eyes.
i have white hairs dotting my mane now
and i swear yesterday i saw a hint of sagging cheeks.

i run more often now (not everyday but more than before).
i drive better now.
and i drink alcoholic drinks now.
and i love malibu baybreeze, mojito and bahama mama.
i can tolerate beer now too, but only if its coors light or landshark.

i also now know what's more important.
i choose my battles more carefully now.
i love more deeply now.

but nothing changed.

i'm still the silly girl who loves to laugh.
who makes goofy faces.
who tells goofy stories.
who loves to hold hands and kiss.

most of all.
i am still me.

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Cape May, my happy place

It was our 1st year anniversary last May 12 so we went to Cape May for two nights with our greyhound Chloe. We didn't go to Cape May just because it's my favorite beach in the U.S. but because this is where we got married (the civil wedding, our first wedding, which we consider the official).

along Jackson St.

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, which was spent waiting for Chloe to settle down in our room (we stayed at Marquis La Fayette, they're pet-friendly with beach front rooms) and early dinner at Mad Batter. We liked walking around in Cape May and we did exactly that too.






 We then went to Wildwoods, because I've never been
there. Wildwoods is just 30 minutes away from Cape May and is also one of the many Jersey shores. It is your typical beach with boardwalk, carnival food, carnival rides & games, stores, etc but my favorite is a photobooth called shooters-old-time-photos. See that pic on the right, we were dressed up like from the old wild wild west movies. They have rows and rows and rows of costumes! Not just the set I'm wearing but also the "Southern Bellas" kinda dresses & mafia attires for men. You'll love it!

I like how ours turned out, lol. It was $30/couple/pic and we got carried away and bought a frame with it ($50 total). We're planning to hang the frame on our bar area, which we think is the most appropriate spot, with me carrying a bottle of Jack Daniel's and everything, lol.





Come Sunday, May 12, was activities-packed. I woke up really early so I could do my morning run. Had breakfast then we went to Wellness Center for our couple's massage. After which we rented a bike.

It's been a looong time since I last rode a bike but it's true what they say, if you have ridden a bike before,

posing in front of Peter Shields Inn, our Cape May reception venue

no matter how long it has been since you last rode one, you'll never forget how to ride a bike. We had a blast. I'll say that's the best way to go around Cape May, biking. We were tempted to get those tandem bikes but I'm really missing riding a bike so we opted to get a bike each. We just biked along Columbia, Hughes (see video), Madison, Beach ave. Now, biking at Beach Ave. is tricky because of the wind. We all know biking against the wind is challenging, I'm literally glued on the road while I'm still pedaling because the wind is blowing the opposite direction. Needless, to say, our legs were all sore after that. I wasn't planning to drive along Beach Ave because there are too many cars but the hubby insisted because he wanted to take a photo of me on a bike in front of our wedding venue reception, Peter Shields Inn (see photo above).



ayeen biking in cape may (hughes st) from bluemarlinfish on Vimeo.

After that, we just took a rest then walked Chloe, took a rest again and went out to do my bridal march reenactment, lol.

the same spot where i did my bridal march same time last year...

After that we went back to Wildwoods, only because I don't like my nightshots when we went there the other night, lol, yeah, vain I know.

We were supposed to have dinner at Peter Shields Inn to celebrate our 1st year wedding anniversary, but they were having some Mother's day event that they were not serving dinner that day so we ended up having dinner at Pier House  at La Mer and we were pleasantly surprised. The resto really looks nice from the inside. The first thing I noticed is that they don't have salt and pepper on the table (that's one clue right there that they're a fine restaurant, atleast that's what I was told). Our server even gave us a complimentary champagne when he found out we're celebrating our first year wedding anniversary.

our complimentary champagne

Ofcourse, our anniversary dinner won't be complete without exchanging of greeting cards and gifts. Mine is not the usual gift. It's a coffee table album of 14 pages with my photos on it. Not just some ordinary pictures but boudoir photos. I've been meaning to give him one as a wedding gift when we got married in the Philippines but I didn't have the time and thought it would make for a very good 1st wedding anniversary gift, instead. Photos were taken 3 weeks before our 1st wedding anniversary.

I really, really think every wife should do this. One, because we are not young forever, so you want one for posterity. Two, like I said, it would make for a very good wedding anniversary gift for the husbands (my hubby LOVES it! he keeps saying I look like a Victoria Secret model every time he looks at the "book",  lol). Don't bother about losing weight before you do it, if you find a good photographer he/she would know how to pose you to hide or play around your problem areas (mine is the tummy and my arms). Just do it, and quick before life catches on (having a baby, too many parties, travelling, etc).

Anyway, here are just some of the tamer ones, lol. Nope, I wasn't showing any "inappropriate" parts of my anatomy, I'm just showing some skin and wearing swimsuits or sexy lingerie. Try it. Your husband will LOVE it!

(FYI: i brought props with me, like those autumn leaves, my wedding veil and an angel's wings, and some other outfits
Also, pix have watermarks because I haven't received my CD yet)

Update: I added more, because the hubby is too proud of them and insisted I add more, lol

Anyway, I digress, lol.

Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary to us! Looking forward to more wedding anniversaries with the best hubby in the whole wide world!

ps.
boudoir shots from snapxpressions.com

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