Our Thailand and Cambodia Trip

I usually do not share personal things with you but I have had many requests to share our recent adventure to Thailand and Cambodia. We spent an amazing 2.5 weeks in Asia with our good friends Meg and Del. Meg is half Thai and still has most of her family there so we definitely got the VIP tour. The post is a bit longer then normal so I hope you just get lost in the beauty!

The long journey to Thailand was well worth it. The temple you see below was our first stop. We flew from Bangkok into Chiang Mai and went straight to the famous Hill Top Temple. The colors and vibrancy were so impressive!

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The little girl I fell in love with...

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Chiang Mai was for sure one of my favorite spot on earth. We pulled into this family owed secluded hideaway and immediately were in heaven. Jay said he felt like gnomes should be walking around because the scenery was so beautiful it felt like your were planted into a Disney movie. Meg's family friend owns the small resort and let us soak it up in style! We had to whole place to ourself and cooked and ate ALL from the land. The crops were not only organic and the freshest of fresh, but were laid out to be art piece or color surrounding the property.

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We were lucky to escape the tourists and have the hills of this particular part of Chiang Mai all to ourselves. We spent the day taking an elephant ride and a 3 hour trek! It felt like we were to only ones there!

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More incredible Chiang Mai temples! I just love all the color...

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My two favorite Thai dishes that I ate over and over!

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From Chiang Mai we flew down to Phuket where we met up with the newly married Maelani and Shamus. Phuket was an adventure filled with many activities. We took a boat ride through the mountain escape of Phuket's islands, kayaked under the caves, toured James Bond Island and even spent the day on Meg's families private island!

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From Phuket we took a day trip to the Similan Islands! We all agreed that the Similan's are by far in our top 3 best islands list! The contrast of the sand, water and lush landscape made these islands truly unique! The best part is about them is the fact that they are still untouched! Tourism has not taken over these beautiful islands!!!

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Jay and I separated from the group and were off to Koh Lanta! We took a fairy ride through the Phi Phi Islands to get to Koh Lanta. I was so happy to see the famous Phi Phi's but happy to not being staying there, as the New Years holiday brought in the masses.

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Oh Koh Lanta, how we love you. This is just a glimpse of the stunning Koh Lanta. It was too hard to narrow down the pictures so I kept it short and sweet.

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After 4 relaxing days in Koh Lanta, we were off to Cambodia! A place I had been dying to see for years! Cambodia did not fail me, and only superseded my expectations. We spent 3 days touring the land. Starting with a long bike ride through the miles of ancient ruins, including the famous Angkor Wat.

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The local monkey's I could not stop staring at...

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Each part of each temple has the most intricate detail woven into it. The walls are covered with murals from the ancient stories that took place. You really feel like you are walking through a lost civilization. We were in awe as we cycled and walked through the miles of land that incorporates "Angkor Wat".

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A hilltop look out for sunset! Love that even the monks still want to spend time in these places. They do not take it for granted!

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We woke up very early one morning to part take in a Angkor Wat sunrise. You walk through the grounds in the pitch black, find your spot and wait for the magic to take place. We found our spot and I never wanted to leave...

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Other parts on the Angkor Wat grounds...

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This did not exactly go as planned but looking back I am so glad it happened the way it did. We had asked our motodup driver to take us to the "floating forest", a photographers dream. There are hundreds of trees that look as though they are floating from the high waters that surround them. The sunlight pours in from the tips of the trees, making it a must see. Instead we were taken to the "floating village". The exact opposite feel to the forest. But I know God had a plan because those few hours forever changed me. The floating village is the poorest part of Cambodia. The floating real estate is the cheapest option. I have never been more overwhelmed by poverty in my life. I think the part that got me the most was these people have no place to walk. It is hard to tell in the photos but they only have their small boat to walk around on. They swim, bath, drink, and fish from the murky waters that surround their village.

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I dont think I realized the amount of emotion that was boiling inside of me as we floated along through the community. After spending some time at the local orphanage and giving them food and school supplies, it all came crashing down. I completely lost it and was in tears for hours! I felt lost and burdened with the feeling of wanting to fix and help this community and being completely unable to. The task was too great. How would anyone be able to rebuild this village? Jay was able to slowly calm me down and because of his time with Invisible Children he was also able to explain the right way to rebuild a community. We are actively looking into an honest organization that will be restoring and building up this community. They are hard to find, so if any of you have knowledge of one please share. I will be sure to let you know when we find the right cause to give to. The good news is even though they have nothing the Cambodian people are loving and enjoying their life! They look to us for help and money, but we also look to them as they have the joy we all need!

I hope this was not too long. We had a great adventure and are so happy to be able to share it with all of you. Now go book a trip! Travel is a big part in making you who you are!

Cheers,

~ Michele





Two Birds

I just love Two Birds! They have such a great concept here for the standard bridesmaid dress! Everyone has different body shapes and sizes and therefore a Two Birds dress is your best solution. The best part about these dresses is they can be used again. The material is so multi- functional, you can dress it up for an elegant wedding or even sport it at the beach as a cover up.

They offer so many options: different styles, lengths and gorgeous color swatches!

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Check them out: Two Birds. They also have great ties for the men and accessories for us ladies!

Cheers,

~ Michele

Cynthia and Jason’s Wedding

The two Orange County locals could not resist a San Diego wedding, after seeing the gorgeous Structure Court Café in Balboa Park! Immediately we booked the location and the romantic December wedding was on it’s way! It was a busy time for both bride and groom, as Jason was in law school and Cynthia was working full time for a State Senator, and was in her first year of her Masters Program. Needless to say they needed a bit of a helping hand, and I was the lucky one to come along side my friend and help her create her dream wedding! I had a blast working with the sweet Cynthia, as her style and taste were impeccable. She also let me run with the decisions, which is always extra fun!


From the minute I first saw Cynthia with Jason I knew it was game over. They are so head over heels for each other and that intensity lasted all the way up until the wedding day. There was not a dry eye in the ceremony after their heartfelt vows! The ceremony took place in the Museum of Art, which is right next door to the Structure Court Café. At 5:00 pm the Museum closes and turns into a fairtale location for ceremony and reception! Guests sat in a circle around the marble fountain and stared up the grand staircase where the wedding party lined up on each side. It is such a unique experience to be able to look up to the bride and groom, and actually see them for the whole ceremony!


From there guests walked through the Museum to check out the world class art and made their way to the cocktail hour, where an 8 piece Jazz band was already rocking out. The cocktail garden is scattered with huge pieces of art and the stunning Balboa landmark for a backdrop! The night was already off to an incredible start!


The reception was the icing on the cake! The night flowed so well, as the dinner, toasts, laughs, slide show, dancing and delicious treats were well on their way! A big thank you to Paula from The Flower Shop, for taking our vision and bringing it to life. The floral work was just incredible and really tied in the modern/elegant look Cynthia and Jason were envisioning. With Jason and Cynthia both coming from Korean families, we made an effort to tie in a bit of that heritage. You can see the Korean detail in the stunning Escort Table Box, with the symbol of “Double Happiness” (which is not only a Chinese symbol but a Korean one) and the chopsticks angled just right on the napkins. Meg from Worboys Design again demonstrated her insane skills with all the stunning print work. Everything from the invitations to the table numbers were created by Worboys Design.


Dinner was delicious, and the service was 5 star. TK&A Catering you never fail. We all know everyone needs a bit of something sweet after a savory steak, so thank you Sweet Cheeks Desserts for satisfying all the sweet tooth’s out there.


Take a look at the gorgeous day. Thank you so much to the amazing Sean Walker Photography, as he did such a great job of capturing all the fun details that went into the special day. Oh and please note this was done on a budget! Getting creative and finding ways to save really pays off!

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Venue: Structure Court Cafe in Balboa Park

Ceremony: Museum of Art in Balboa Park

Photography: Sean Walker Photography

Videography: Eric Bishop

Catering: TK&A

Bar Service: Giuseppe Fine Catering and Beverage

Print Work: Meg Worboys from Worboys Design

Dessert: Sweet Cheeks

Floral: The Flower Shop

Jazz Band: Sublime Jazz

Rentals: Classic Party Rental

Valet: Preferred Valet Parking

Make Up: Krysta Demetris

Hair: Sharon Weston

DJ: Bobby Arellano

Cheers,

~Michele

Kelsey and Jordan's Wedding

What a treat it was to work with Kelsey and Jordan. The two teachers and sports lovers (a few sports lines were even dropped into their vows) are a “match” made in heaven. It often goes hand in hand, a teacher being crafty but Kelsey took it to another level. Just about everything you see below was hand made. The wedding was so personal and full of love! Guests viewed the intimate ceremony at The North Chapel in Point Loma and then headed over to the quaint Thursday Club to let the celebration begin! Sean Sand kicked off the mood right away, and got us all rocking to some of the couples favorite jams.

The Floral Lab did an incredible job translating Kelsey desires into real life. The flowers fit right into the Anthro, Simple and Organic feel. Sean, from Sean Walker Photography, brightened the day with his constant smile and energy. He never misses a shot! Luckily Sean Lloyd, Lloyd Films was right behind him! The day was captured, which is #1 because I know Kelsey and Jordan will love to reminisce on this special day!

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Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your special day!

Ceremony Location: The North Chapel in Point Loma

Reception Location: Thursday Club in Point Loma

Florist: Floral Lab

Photographer: Sean Walker

Videographer: Lloyd Films

DJ: Sean Sand

Pies: Marie Callendar's

Catering: Personal Touch Dining

Transportation: Simply Elegant Limo

~ Michele

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