Facebook 25 Things About Me : # 6

It's Monday, and I've been BAD. I'm a week late posting my Facebook List of 25 Things- thing, as I skipped posting last Monday. Things have been CRAZY the last couple of weeks, but it's been mostly work-related crazy, so that is always a good thing :) !

I just planned a wedding for 215 guests in about 5 days, and I'll be sure to tell you more about that later this week. But for now, let's move on to MOI-MONDAY, the day of the week I always share some small, random tidbit about myself.

#6
My parents let me go to Europe ALONE when I was barely 16- to meet pen pals in several countries. This included a boy named Bart who lived in a bakery and smelled really bad and wanted to marry me. He had the most messed up teeth I have ever seen.

I also got well acquainted with pints of cider that summer, while hanging with my new found cockney friends in Woolwich and other parts of East-End London. What the hell were my parents thinking? Seriously!

Cool thing is I am still friends with my very first pen pal, Sara. We started writing to each other when we were 11 years old--- That was almost 30 years ago.... Wow... !!! Our 5th grade classes wrote to each other...

She finally came to America for the first time in October of 2007. Yes we had a big earthquake. Yes, the entire state of California was a burning inferno. Some people would pay good money for extras like that!

Love,
The Soup Maven

Facebook 25 Things About Me : #5.5

Monday is here again. Time to share some strange facts about me. Some of these things you may not WANT to know. But I am sticking to my crazy plan: Share my Original Facebook 25 List with my readers here on The Soup!

I was always a very creative child, and loved to play dress up. We had a big basket filled with all kinds of fabulous clothes, scarves, wigs, hats, broken jewelry, and odds and ends form around the house. It was all very dramatic, these days spent pretending to be someone else, or in some other country, of an era long ago.

But alot of things kids do just don't make any sense. Like the following story, for instance:

#5.5
When I was 11, my friend Lisa and I morphed ME into a character known around town as HOT LIZZY. I had a red face, a bright red wig, and sported the coolest red moo moo. We made fliers with the PEACE sign and distributed them up and down 40th Street in San Bernardino. Put them on all the cars at the Alpha Beta grocery store.

The posters displayed our mantra PEACE: HOT LIZZY, REMEMBER THE NAME. This is what we chanted as we walked up and down the busiest street in town, waving at cars driving by. Of course, Lisa just went as Lisa. No costume. No wig. No RED FACE. What the heck was this about? To this day, I have not the foggiest clue! But, thanks Lisa, for toying with me like that. I am such a sucker.

For the life of me, I still have no idea why we did this! But it went on for at least a month or two. I started to become a bit of a "Town Character". And now, whenever we get together as adults, we laugh so hard tears start to roll.

Ah, good times, good times.


So, to all of you out there: What is one of the strangest things YOU did in your youth?

Love,
The Soup Maven

Facebook 25 Things About Me : #5

Facebook 25 Things About Me : #5.

Is it already Monday? Wow, I can't believe how fast time flies. I just finished up a huge fund raiser yesterday that I've been working diligently on for about the past nine months. I am glad it is over, so now I can breathe and think about other things again!

Last week, I did not even get to post at all, so I am also looking forward to getting back to blogging!

Fund Raisers and nonprofit events, in general, are SO much work! But, I am kind of a glutton for punishment, so I like to do them. It's a rather sick addiction of mine! I also believe in karma... what goes around comes around, and all that. Giving back to the community I am a part of has always been very important to me.

I adore planning events of all kinds. Like The Mad Tea Party I just finished for Las Madres Neighborhood Playgroups. It was a HUGE success- Be sure to check back soon for all the juicy details!



Onto my Facebook List of 25 Things, which I post one item from every Monday.

#5 I believe it's more important to love your job, but not make much money, than to make a ton of money and hate your job. Though I won't complain when I am finally rich!

Seriously, all I really want is to be able to provide a good education for my kids. Unfortunately, in CA, we have to pay out of our own pockets, on top of tax money to get that. IE: Private School. Or buy a million dollar house in a decent school district...

I love my job as a wedding planner! But California's cost of living is just ridiculous, especially in the bay area. My husband and I love it here, though, so I doubt we'll ever leave. We will just have to get creative on ways to get our kids the best possible education. Whether it is getting into a charter school, or moonlighting a second job, to get them into an affordable private school, I believe in the power of the Law of Attraction. And I believe we all have the choice to achieve what we set our mind to. I am setting my mind NOW that my kids will have a good education, right here in San Jose, CA. We will make it happen, some how, some way.

By staying positive, and envisioning what it is that I want in my life, I have always attracted really amazingly wonderful things and people, and I have been lucky in both love and life.

Do you also believe in The Secret and the Law of Attraction, too???


Love,
The Soup Maven

Facebook 25 Things About Me : #4

Facebook 25 Things About Me : #4



It's Monday. You know what that means. Another little factoid about me. But I'm not sure this is even about ME, unless I say, "I married a Rock Star"!

# 4 My husband Bill was the lead singer in a band called The Inciters for ten years, and toured Europe several times. I tagged along as his groupie. Those were fun times. My husband, the rock star. How sexy is that?



The Inciters played together for at least ten years, and had quite a following locally, where they played a regular gig at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco every Thursday. They were an eleven piece band, heavy on the horns, that played awesome Soul Music, featuring three female singers, and one male lead (my husband).



I've always had a thing for musicians, and I have to say, it was pretty cool to be in the audience and watch him perform. Their music always got the dance floor packed, and I had fun being a groupie! They opened for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, adn toured with The Toasters, two really great bands I had fun meeting backstage. (My closest brush with fame, I guess, as weak as it may be!)



The band broke up after all the members started getting married and having children. However, there are talks of a reunion tour soon. I'll let you know so you can come see them play!

Love,
The Soup Maven

Facebook 25 Things About Me : #3

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was rainy here off and on, so we watched movies, baked cookies, and stayed inside most of the time. I even snuck in a twenty minute nap! That was pure luxury!

We had lunch yesterday at Di Maggio's in San Jose, an old landmark that serves the BEST stromboli in the West. It is Heaven! (Think I may have some for breakfast today). How yummy would that be, washed down with a cold Diet Pepsi?

I have started to call Mondays "Moi Mondays", and it's the one day of the week that I share a small tidbit of info about myself. I just embellish my Facebook list of 25 Things About Me. And today, I talk about my immense love for my son, Liam.

Mom and baby at Children's Discovery Museum, San Jose.

# 3 I want my baby boy to stay a baby forever. And I am so in love with him it's scary. Who knew I'd love any boy more than my husband or my father?

He just turned one in December, and I have no idea what happened to the first twelve months of his life. They were gone in a flash, and now he is walking and feeding himself. Next thing I know he'll be changing his own diapers. (Wait, that's just a fantasy... wouldn't that be cool, though?!)

Anyhow, I love him more than anything. He is the sweetest, most easy going little guy. He brings me happiness and balance, and reminds me to slow down, take some deep breaths, and ENJOY life. He is a huge blessing in my life.Liam enjoying his first birthday cake.

Love,
The Soup Maven

Facebook 25 Things About Me : #2

I've nicknamed Mondays "Moi Mondays", as it's the time of week I'll share little tidbits about myself, typically unrelated to event planning or weddings. This is an embellishment of my Facebook 25 Things About Me. Here's #2:



2. My kids are named Stella and Liam, apparently the same as Tori Spelling's children, but in the opposite order. So it was not intentional. Just weird. I'm quite sure my kids are cuter...



See for yourself!


These two are my real pride and joy! Though life can get very hectic, and not a day goes by without the drama only a three year old can create, I would not want it any other way! Sometimes, they make me feel like I am losing my mind- Raising kids is definitely HARDER than planning events and weddings!

Not ever having a strong desire to be a mother, I never imagined the immense love that kids can bring into this life. Lazy Sundays spent with my family are the best day of the week, and I always look forward to our precious time together. We go to the beaches in Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, hang out at the San Francisco zoo, and take day trips to Monterey, where we visit the fabulous aquarium. (all great spots to be married, too!) I love my kids more than I ever knew was possible, and they make me beam with pride.

What do YOU love more than anything else in the world?

Love,
The Soup Maven

Facebook 25 Things About Me - #1

The Facebook List of 25 Things

If you are on Facebook at all, chances are good that you have seen random lists floating around which feature 25 Things about someone. Recently, I have been tagged a few times, so I finally broke down, and constructed my list. At first, I thought it might be hard to think of 25 things about me, but it wasn't. In fact, no sooner had I finished my list, I began thinking of even more things to share. The NEXT 25!!!

It has been equally fun learning things about other people I know in the wedding industry, as well as other friends and family.

As you know, I love to write, and most of what I write is quite lengthy. My List of 25 Things About Me was no exception.

So rather than bombard you with it all at once, I'll be posting one thing each week, every Monday.

Here is the first, taken directly from my Facebook Page:

1. I'm addicted to Facebook, Twitter, Email, and now my new i Phone, where I can do all those things while driving my car. Which is totally legal in California, right?


Come back every Monday morning, to finish reading my list of 25 Things!

Love,
The Soup Maven

"X" is for eXcellent Wedding Seminar

Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley Presents First Annual
The Wedding University – An Afternoon of Elegance and Education

Tips from Local Experts Provide Peninsula Brides with Essentials for that Special Day

Jubilee Lau Events and Jean Marks Weddings are teaming up with The Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto to present the first ever Wedding University.

The Wedding Univeristy is an educational seminar that provides brides with the tools and resources they need to plan their ideal wedding. It's an all day affair taking place on Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In its first year, this event promises to be a useful resource and festive gathering for brides-to-be amid the elegant and vibrant ambience of Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley.

Brides will enjoy the sounds of a harpist while wine tasting and menu sampling from the culinary team at Four Seasons and roaming models will provide a preview of the current season’s wedding gown trends. They will also have the opportunity to attend a variety of presentations from top wedding planners, acclaimed designers and celebrated photographers who will share their secrets for planning a successful and memorable event.

Attendees of The Wedding University at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley will be able to select from a variety of presentation topics and educational seminars, including the following:

• Secrets of designing a beautiful and personalized wedding
• The impact of music at a wedding and first dance instruction
• What to consider with photography and videography
• How to select the perfect wedding gown and accessories
• Learning to manage a wedding budget and event flow
• Keys to designing a delectable wedding menu

Brides-to-be will have access to the region’s most celebrated wedding professionals, who will be available to answer questions and provide helpful tips to ease the planning process. Guests of The Wedding University will also be entered into a contest with the chance to win a honeymoon stay at a luxurious Four Seasons Hotel and they will depart Four Seasons with a goody bag assortment of items from top wedding vendors.

Valet Parking will be available at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at a discounted rate for guests. Tickets for the event are $25.00 for one guest and $40.00 for two guests. To purchase tickets, please visit this link
or call Cassie Conching at (650) 470 – 2894, for more information.


The First Bride and Groom to POST a COMMENT will receive TWO COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS to this exciting educational experience!!!



Love,
The Soup Maven

Sorry For The Delay...

I have been busy in the kitchen working on The Soup...

In an effort to be one of the Bay Area's tastiest wedding blogs, I understand the importance of presentation, as well as the use of only the finest ingredients.

That's why this blog is now officially "under construction".
I found a very talented Blog Designer, who is in the process of cooking up my visions for The Soup, while providing our readers with a much more user-friendly interface.

At this point, I feel pretty lucky, as far as content is concerned. Some of our most talented local vendors have helped this blog succeed, by offering to participate in the first round of the Alphabet Soup Game.

After mixing in all sorts of new ingredients, The Soup is almost ready for your taste test.

Make your reservations now, for The Soup's Grand Re-Opening.

COMING SOON!!!