Oh Christmas Tree!

Ok I know we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet but my Christmas spirit came early this year and so up went our first Christmas tree yesterday!


I did a lot of shopping around online to find the best deal on a medium sized pre-lit Christmas tree and finally settled on one from Home Depot. We decided to buy an artificial tree so we can use it again in the future. I also got a 72-count box of Martha Stewart decorations and the tree skirt from Home Depot at a good price.


I don't own any Thanksgiving decorations but I am excited to celebrate with family and eat some delish turkey.

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Emily

Our Wedding Recap

Yesterday evening we went to our friends wedding that took place at the same venue we had our wedding at this past June. Paradise Cove is a hidden gem of a location in Orlando and I was so excited to be a guest and not the bride this time! I thought this would be a good time to do a wedding recap and talk about all the awesome memories that were created for K and I on June 16th, 2012.


Our wedding took place on a sunny Saturday evening this past summer at Paradise Cove which is an outdoor venue that sits on a lake and is just beautiful. The premises has a bridal suite, beautiful garden area facing the lake for the ceremony, tiki bar & cocktail area along the water, and open pavilion for the reception. We had friends and family travel to Orlando from Trinidad, Canada, England, and all over the US. Our wedding had a tropical Caribbean theme with Hawaiian food and a Caribbean band to entertain our guests.

My 10 bridesmaids and I got dressed in the bridal suite. The girls all wore matching purple tank tops that I gave them and we got to spent some quality time together getting our hair and makeup done.


K and I did formal pictures before the ceremony with our wedding party and immediate family.


Our ceremony started at 6pm and we had steel pan music during the ceremony. The guys arrived by boat which came as a cool surprise to all of our guests seated facing the lake.


We had K's uncle as our minister for the ceremony which lasted about 30 minutes. We were very lucky to have perfect weather in June because is usually the rainiest month of the year in Florida. God really blessed us that day!


After the ceremony our guests went off to cocktail hour while we did formal pictures together as husband and wife and also with the whole wedding party together and both of our families.


The reception then started and we had a Hawaiian buffet spread for dinner from a local caternig company who also did our bar service. We had out first dance, a champagne toast with speeches, caking cutting and all the traditional and fun wedding activities.


I did a lot of DIY projects for our wedding including designing and printing the menus, programs and seating cards as well as "bride" and "groom" chair signs.  I also got a lot of cute ideas from Pinterest and loved our sweetheart table which was decorated with my bridesmaid bouquets.


Our Caribbean band really got the party started and everyone had a lot of fun dancing. Many of our guests also enjoyed the open bar and unlimited cocktails!


Overall our wedding was a huge success and it is one of the most special days of my life having everyone their to support us. Great memories!!

Photos by S&S Photography

Here We Go!

Hi everyone! Here goes my first blog post.... (I have actually been blogging for the past 6 years for my job but finally decided to start my own personal blog spot that I can use to share with friends and the world). For the most part, I don't plan on focusing on one specific topic but mainly just everything I love - friends, fitness, fashion, food and everything fun!

So to give you a better introduction of myself, I've decided to list my top 10 interests, passions, and all-time faves:

#1: Family & Friends

My family and friends come first, of course!! My parents and most of my childhood friends live thousands of miles away in Trinidad, but I have also built an amazing network of friends in Florida over the past 10 years. I love socializing, entertaining and just being among friends and family. I was so lucky last June when my friends and family flew in from all over the world to be here for our wedding day. Yup! I had 10 bridesmaids who arrived from Trinidad, England and the US. My husband had 7 of his best guy friends who all grew up together in Florida. It was the greatest feeling having all our loved ones in the same place at the same time and getting to introduce everyone. Our wedding was beautiful and an absolute blast (more to come about the wedding)!

Our Wedding Party
My Best Friends


#2: My Husband

This is probably a good time to introduce my other half. K was born & raised in Florida and attended UCF where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Finance. He currently works in Sales for a well-known company nationwide and enjoys his job. I also attended UCF but we never met until a few years after college through mutual friends. K is a fun-loving and caring husband who works hard and also enjoys having fun and hanging out with friends.

My other faves come in no particular order...


#3: Traveling

This is a huge passion of mine and I still have A LOT to accomplish in this category! In my 28 years, I have traveled to a few provinces in Canada, several states in the US and several islands throughout the Caribbean but I hope to see so much more. My dream destination to visit before I die is Bora Bora - a French Polynesian island in the Pacific Ocean. It looks so magnificent and peaceful.

Bora Bora - Tahiti


#4: My Home Country - Trinidad & Tobago

I was born and raised in Trinidad and obviously still have a huge attachment to my home, mainly the culture, the people, the food and the beauty of the island. I miss all of those things especially my family and friends that live there! Trinidad & Tobago are two islands but one country and are the most southern Caribbean islands that sit right above South America (Venezuela). The weather is warm all year long and the people are friendly. I try to visit for the holidays and special occasions to get a dose of everything that I love, but I also love my life in Florida. I'll be talking more about Trinidad and some fun upcoming events.

The Caribbean Chain


#5: Fitness & Health

I've recently been focusing on this aspect of my life which I neglected for a long time. I'm back going to the gym regularly and trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Of course I am not perfect and still enjoy the finer things in life. Or should I say, the funner things in life? Love a glass of wine or a dirty martini but back to the topic... My faves are Yoga and Zumba but I also do a few other fitness classes and dumbbell exercises. I have a special love for the Yoga "state of mind" & lifestyle. I still have a lot to accomplish in this category and I to share my inspirations and motivations via this blog.



#6: Beaches & Boating
 
Could you tell yet that I love beaches and sunny tropical places? LOL this one is a no brainer... What better place to live than Florida (or the Caribbean) to enjoy the sun, beach and water. K and I take  weekend trips to different beach towns within Florida. It allows me to get somewhat of a traveling fix but on a cheaper budget. My favorite beaches in Florida are Siesta Key and St. Pete Beach, both on the west coast. I am hoping one day to settle down and live in a cute beach town that reminds me of home.


#7: Shopping & Fashion

This girl loves to shop, however, being on a budget often gets in the way ;-) I love finding deals and special buys which I will now be able to share with you. I shop online almost weekly whether it's for clothing, cosmetics, electronics, household items or gifts for others, I much prefer to browse online to compare items and prices. I'm also signed up for just about every mailing list so special deals often find me. Some of my favorite places to shop at Victoria Secret, Macy's, Target, Express, Ulta, Forever 21, Amazon, eBay, etc.

Recently Pinterest has been an awesome resource for fashion advice, although my wallet is freaking out a bit since I became friends with Pinterest. Now that the weather has cooled down, I'm loving all the new outfits and styles.


#8: The Internet

My geeky side comes out now. I've been working in the digital media and internet technology industry for the past six years so half of my life is spent on the internet. I love working in this industry and playing in this industry (online shopping, Facebook, emails, Pinterest, and now blogging!) so for that I have to be thankful for the Internet.


#9: Cooking & Recipes

I have to admit I don't have a whole lot of time during the week to focus on cooking but on the weekends or special occasions I love trying out new recipes.  During the week I cook quick 30-minute meals that are pretty simple such as chicken stir-frys or spaghetti but when I have time I love testing my cooking skills. Pinterest has also been a great help for helping to find delicious and creative recipes for entertaining and for the holidays.


#10: Purple & Sparkly

I know this is a strange interest but ever since high school I have always been attracted to all things purple or sparkly. As a teenager I used to rave about having a purple car when I grow up and I often chose outfits or accessories that were very sparkly.  Knowing this about me, my girl friends planned the theme of my bachelorette around dressing up in purple & sparkly outfits and going out for a night on the town. Now that I'm a bit more grown up, my fascination for purple and/or sparkly has somewhat dwindled but it's still there. I still like to wear sparkly outfits or jewelry and I also used purple and champagne as my wedding colors.  I loved my wedding cake below,

Our Wedding Cake

Well I hope that helps you to get to know me a little better and I hope to start connecting with more bloggy friends soon.

xoxo
Emily