Year of the Ox

Some people consider Christmas, Halloween or gasp, Valentine's Day as their favorite holiday. Mine is the Lunar New Year (aka Tet/Chinese New Year).

I haven't been able to pinpoint why this is my favorite holiday but I think it's because it's the only one that I celebrate that's rooted in tradition. There isn't a tradition of decorating the Christmas tree or sitting around the table expressing what we're thankful for around our home. Instead, we start planning the celebration of the Lunar New Year just around Christmas time.

There is no need to wrap any gifts but it's important to start wrapping the lai see which is a red envelope that contains lucky money. It is customary to give the lai see to children or anyone younger than you however I like giving so I tend to give my lai see to everyone. I also make sure that the money is brand new since that just makes it even luckier :)

•fresh money and lucky envelope•

•ready to bring luck to the year of the ox•

We usually head over to my aunt's house since she is one who loves hostessing parties. She always does an amazing job of decorating the home. I think that tradition is that there must be 100 things in the house red. I don't think that they stick to it but sure try.

•the vietnamese altar•

•cherry blossom money tree•

There are also games that take us into long into the night and I have no clue what to call the first one. It's more of a children's game, we play this first and then lead into Vietnamese Blackjack. It's a silly game of placing coins on each object. If that object is rolled with the dice, than you win. It's basic and silly but mainly, just fun to play with the kids. The "elders" tend to like their Blackjack much better.

•cua/boai/tom•

•time to play•

•marijn getting involved and counting my coins. he's become a fan•

•time for the adults to play vietnamese blackjack•

Anyway, I hope that everyone has a wonderful year and really get to celebrate in this Year of the Ox (which President Obama happens to be! Year of Change it is!).

I'm looking forward to what is coming this way. It's going to rock. Like an Ox! ;)

Old Photos

It's already January and another year has passed! Don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those self-reflective blogs of where one looks back on the year past and then tries to figure out what this upcoming year is going to hold. No resolutions. No reflections. But more of a gasp that it's already January and there is only four months left for us to cross a bunch of stuff off our "wedding to-do list" which is about twenty pages long. Eek, where does the time go?!

One of the things that we're doing is asking our parents/grandparents for their wedding photos. Not sure what we are going to do with them but will figure out a way to incorporate them into evening. So far, I've received my grandparents wedding day photos and what a treat! They have been married for over 61 years which is amazing and even rare in the age that we live in. I was shocked when I only received about seven photos but according to them, they really didn't have a lot of photos. Back in 1946, you take the photos of the "key" events only and hope that the film comes out (unlike today's age where we are probably going to get a disc that contains 500+).

I wanted to share some of the photos of my grandparents wedding which is so simple and refreshing compared from the photos that I immerse myself in with all of this prep. Everything is so colorful, overwhelming with details that the average person isn't going to notice. I mean, do people really pay attention to what the linen colors really are or what specific "theme" you were going for?! I'm really glad that the girl gene skipped me and this wedding is going to be simple and fresh and hopefully, low maintenance!

So I had to share some of my latest inspiration, here are some photos from my grandparents wedding, aren't they cute?!

•walking down the aisle, august 1946•

•cutting the cake•

•the end of the night•

•the hotel bill. there isn't a single item in our wedding that is going to cost that•

•sixty years later with their kids on the alaskan cruise•

Wanted: Christmas Spirit

I can't seem to find it this year and I wonder where it went. This is as much Christmas spirit that I could muster up this year. Our home should be filled with silly decorations and the lights should be adorning the exterior of our home but it's not. Our tree have the ornaments (many of them handed down from my grandparents) but there aren't any presents underneath it. We haven't really done any shopping this year. We've watched the Christmas movies (finally saw Elf, which was lame but A Christmas Story did help a little bit for me mainly because I heart that movie), I've done my Christmas cookies baking but still, the spirit is lacking. With just a few more days until the holidays, I'm really hoping to find it. I'm looking forward to heading home for a few days and seeing the family. That should jump start it. We're also taking the Coast Starlight train up to Portland, Oregon for the New Years and being with our friends will also bring in the spirit. Maybe my Christmas spirit will hit in January or something and I'll just be early for the next year, not late :)

• i'll wear my holiday socks until the spirit hits •

One by one...

...the penguins steal my sanity.

It starts to feel that way with the limited amount of work that I am doing. For the past couple of months, my company has felt the downturn of the economy. We're an advertising agency, with only seven people and the company has been around for over twenty years. It's a great company to work for and I really enjoy it. However it's become a little strenuous as a majority of our clients cut back their budget or are folding and I have two choices: work part time or file unemployment!

If the timing was different, I could start job hunting to find another advertising/production job. The only drawback of that is the upcoming year. How does one go job hunting when they need to disclose that they need to take a lot of time off in February, May and September for their own weddings (planning two long distance weddings is a lot of work)? I think that most employers would cross me off the list. So instead, I'm determined to hang in with my current company, endure the worst of the economy and just hope that it turns around so I can work again at full capacity.

The idleness drives me a little crazy though. What does one do with all this newfound free time? Coincidentally, it does open doors for more possibilities. My personal trainer needs a producer to help put together their workout videos. Great, that helps keep me a little bit busier and I get be productive in my field of work. I've also become a mean racquetball player. I've never been a sports girl. I used to play baseball and love to go to a batting cages but besides that, I have always lacked competitiveness. Until I started racquetball. It has become a great way for me to release this pent up stress that I have from the lack of work. Although my body has taken a toll as I endure running into the walls only to hit that damn ball!

Also starting in January, I am going to flower school. Sure, poke fun here but the main reason for it is so I can do all the flowers for our wedding. With all the time off, taking the classes and having an outlet for my creativity also helps me break this idleness that I currently have. There is only so much grocery shopping, library hunting and cleaning house that I can do.

I think that this all fills us about 5-8 hours of the remaining 20 hours that I have free nowadays. Any other suggestions for me to venture on to ensure that I keep myself busy? I really don't want those penguins to steal my sanity!

Unwind Time

The first phase of the holidays are over and it went over wonderfully! The Santa Clara invasion went over quite smoothly, everyone getting along and feeling much fuller after all the food, desserts, snacks and home-brewed beer that we offered. It was actually one of the best holidays that I've had in a long time spending so much time with my parents, grandparents and really getting to know my future in laws. Having a close knit family really reminded me of what giving thanks was all about.