Get thee to Barcelona

Due to a rare cosmic alignment, the Nation was able to score super affordable tickets to the Mediterranean playground of Barcelona for Memorial Day holiday.  In less than 2 days, Nation and Baby Bro will embark on a little academic reconnaissance mission. 

Checkout the view from our uber lux hotel

Gran Hotel La Florida

Planning to take breakfast La Boqueria

Kisoko Universal

Perhaps watch a little match, you may know it as the UEFA Championship League Final!

Take in the sites and sounds of the city

Segrada Familia

Full report upon my return!

Peace, Nation

I think a saw a ghost...chair!

As future-hubs and I prepare for our new home, I must admit, I struggle with what to furnish our new home with.  If future-hubs had his way, our home would be clad in wood paneling and dark leather.  And the home wouldn't be complete without the classic smoking cigar indian statue in the corner.  But since that's not happening anytime soon (he can design his future man cave any way he sees fit), I continue to struggle with the style of our home-to-be. 

I am a traditionalist at heart and love the Louis 16th era for it's simple elegance and grandeur but I do not like applying one era of style as it makes for a dated look.  With the plethora of design inspiration on the web, I eventually found the look that worked for me ... care of Lynne Scalo Design.  I love the marriage of French elegance and modern whimsy, particularly the clean and fresh color palette, modern crystal chandelier, acrylic coffee table... ah heck, I love this entire room!  Did I mentioned my obsession with tufted anything?

What I take away from this room is that you can achieve the perfect balance between traditional and modern by blending modern materials and textures with classic shapes and lines.  It's a look I hope to bring into my new home. 

And in my quest for design zen, I am happy to share my new find: the acrylic ghost chair in the style of Louis XVI.  Is that a fun or what?

Stay well Nation!


 

Somewhere over a rainbow and beyond a monsoon

Hi Nation - Last I wrote, I had a week to go before the party ... and what a week it was!

Between the last minute shopping runs, the late hours at work, and the million other things I like to fill my days with, I managed to pull myself together for a very fun (if I do say so myself) engagement party... just about a year and a half after the proposal, but who is keeping track :)

Saturday came and my nerves, surprisingly, were steady.  Bit of an emotional morning remembering those who could not share this special day, but other than that, I took care of everything I could think of, catered lunch for the girls getting ready, thank you cards for the special people playing during or capturing the evening, music, hair, and makeup-I had it all under control.  

Claudine doing her magic

I'd say they're enjoying their meals

What I couldn't control, however, was the monsoon that hit in the afternoon.  I keep telling myself it's good luck (everyone kept reassuring me of that all day) but I've never seen rain like it!  It was mean rain, it was intent on ruining the day.  And it almost succeeded, but it was no match for the Nation - we had a show to put on :)

 

Getting my prep on

The chaos of getting 20 girls to the venue was soon forgotten the minute the music started playing.  You couldn't tell what was going on outside.  We were tucked away in a bubble of pure joy, music, dance, food and good times.

I'd like to report that the chandeliers were well worth the effort and the end result was beautiful (the pictures do not do them justice).  

Check out the chandeliers :)

Sad to report that the mercury glass did not fare so well.  Nation, please note that you should seal your paint if you will be using water.  Needless to say, the paint chipped off and you couldn't tell what the original vase looked like by the time the night started.  

Yanal's entrance was hilarious...he thought his friends were by his side, but slowly they let him take lead and he found himself walking alone to the front of the room...I kept telling him he was just that excited to see me.

Running ahead

He put the ring on my finger we exchanged hugs (keeping it PG) and then the party was off! 

Here's your ring - again

Dance, dance, and more dance....we covered all genres and traditions.  The Adiga dance practice paid off and the joug was a hit!

By the time we left the venue, the sky was clearing up and the monsoon was long gone.  More fun times at Portabello's and then a big sleep over to conclude the night.  

The next day was sunny and warm.  Perfect lazy sunday for recapping the festivus and refueling our bodies.

Fantastic breakfast next day

Still feeling the love from that night.  I want to thank my family, friends, and Yanal for making it possible :)

xo

Nation

Less than a week to go!

Hi Nation!  It's been a hot minute.  I apologize for keeping away this long but 2011 has taken me for a ride.

With less than a week to go till the party, I am trying to keep the nerves steady and wrap up everything.  

Dress, shoes, accessories, flowers, decor, music - check


Here's a sneak peek at the festivus:  

I wish I could share this event with the entire Nation, but then what will we do at the wedding :)

I just want to thank my friends and family for their amazing support.  Late night invitation assembly, runs to Michaels, spray paint city, scouring the stores for the perfect everything...couldn't have done it without you guys <3

The Snow is Falling...

and I can't weather the storm.

Oh Mother Nature how you taunt me...another one of your bounteous storms and I am inside unable to strap into my board to ride your white chariot.  Winter is a little blue this year.

Curse you back injury!

See how happy I am on the mountain!

Le sigh

Nothing Retrograde with this Mercury

Hi Lovies.  It's Wedding Wednesday and in honor, I am sharing my latest find: mercury glass votive holders!

A visual feast or what?  

Hoping to snag me a couple of different designs for added flare for my reception decor.  

Do you love as much as I do?

A Sunday Funday Unlike Any other!

Greetings Nation!

On this great Sunday of MLK weekend, we celebrated my bestie Justin's 31st birthday.  

We met up at the new Standard Hotel (not to be confused by the NEW STANDARD on Canal street) in the Meatpacking district.  

The Top of the Standard was a swanky (and I mean swanky) place with floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline. Shiny wood paneling, a baby grand piano, finely appointed suede seating, a beautiful bar and supermodel servers added to the swank factor.  I had the 'I kissed a girl' martini (grappa, honey syrup, lime) and was immediately transported back to some F. Scott Fitzgerald novel setting.  Opulence was an understatement here.

Even the bathrooms were a treat!  Each personal bathroom (which I love) was fitted in all black details.  At 18 floors above ground, I found no problem baring it all infront of New York.  I mean we do have an intimate relationship, why not take it to the next level?  Check out this view...

After the rest of our party joined, we trotted along to The Spotted Pig, a Mario Batali joint in the West Village.  Note to readers: as they don't take reservations and the place is small, don't go with a large group.  This place is suitable for 2-3 diners at most.  

We waited for an hour and half and still no sign of seating.  A few delish appies later (the shredded fries were amazing), we decided to head toward a roomier, more accommodating joint.  Mother Nature led us to Paris Commune, a surprisingly lovely establishment just a few blocks away on Banks st.  Service was a bit slow considering there were 3 tables taken...but after an hour an half wait, who can complain.

Ostrich balls, a glass of pinot noir, a filet mignon and a creme brulee later, we called it a night and bid our party adieu.

Great stories were shared, many laughs were had and I look forward to many more birthday celebrations with my besties <3

Looking forward to visiting the Standard's Biergarten in the warmer months :)

Peace Nation!

And we're off!

2011 is moving pretty fast Nation! I've locked in a photographer, a videographer, about to decide on a florist and I'm updating my registry daily (too many pretty things out there!).  

And speaking of registry, I've just stumbled upon this new Lenox line that is just darling!

Marchesa by Lenox

Isn't just a dream? Feminine, elegant, with a touch of whimsy...a perfect mix if you ask me.

In a Nutshell

The year 2010 came with the promise of a Tour de Force but fell short early on.  While I am always thankful for the life I am able to lead, the people I've been blessed with, and the general goodness around me, I will say that 2010 was not as positive as it could have.  My hope is what we faced this year was the great test and we passed splendidly and a handsome reward awaits us in 2011.  

I close 2010 with eagerness.  Looking to put this year to bed and so looking forward to 2011...I get to plan a wedding (and an engagement party)...take on more responsibility at work...give back to my community ...and best of all start what will be a beautiful life with my love....It's going to be a busy year but I will always remember to stop and smell the roses :)

Happy New Year Nation!

Checking off the List

One more item crossed of my to-do's: stationary!

I had the pleasure of meeting Margot and Steve Hallac of Atelier Isabey at their Manhattan location a few weeks ago.  I stumbled upon them through the many wedding blogs I subscribe to; I believe it was Style Me Pretty.  

Having perused what seemed to be the net in its entirety, I knew I wanted to work with them to develop our invitations.  They captured the style, elegance, and creativity I was looking for in wedding stationary.  Not to mention, they are the sweetest couple with the utmost sense of professionalism.

Originally, I thought why add the expense of letterpress to our costs?  But after careful consideration (and price comparisons), I found that for not much more, I could have beautiful letterpress invites at a fraction of the cost because we opted with a semi-custom option.  And since I only plan on getting married once, I figured, let's introduce guests to us and our wedding in style.

The Natalie and Jake wedding suite is my inspiration.  I was lucky enough to find a suite with our desired color scheme and theme.  We will be adapting to our needs but it's a great jumping off point :)

It's that time of year......

...a time of reflection and self awareness for the Nation. 

To say 2010 was a great year, well, that would be an overstatement.  But, despite the wrenches life threw at us this year, I am nevertheless thankful.  And in the spirit of gratitude, I'd like to list the top five things I'm thankful for this year:

1. Mammograms for picking up the micro calcification in Mom's breast in time for quick treatment. 
2. Lucy (and her kidney) for giving me and Yanal a chance at a life together
3. The time spent in Syria with my grandmother because after losing her this year, I have 2 years of beautiful memories to look back on when I'm missing her.
4. Nutella crepes. Because nothing takes me back to Paris faster than that first bite into the gooey goodness that is Nutella
5. Yanal.  For being the ying to my yang and teaching me so much about me and us and what great things we will be.

Who would have thought...

With less than one year to go till wedding date, I have been setting up appointments left and right trying to nail down the details of this mega event.  Well yesterday, at Park Avenue Bridal, I stumbled upon the DRESS of my dreams.  Totally unexpected but I couldn't be happier.

Actually, I purchased the complete opposite of what I thought I wanted for the wedding. I imagined romantic, lacy, soft and demure to be the route, but nope, I purchased, satin, and blingy.  Go figure.   

I did keep to the shape I love best, mermaid.  However it has a higher and fuller skirt than a traditional mermaid.  The details and embellishments are very intricate and regal.  Apparently, I 'carry' the dress well.  

Whatever it is, I love it, it's signed for and the dress will arrive some time in July.  

On to photography, videography, invites, and flowers.

Someone did the work for me

Wedding Antiques by tigstdamte


The perfect little inspiration board capturing my colors and vintage theme that I hope to have at our wedding.  

Pretty Little Things...Part Deux

Thank you Stumbler for making surfing the web just oh so much fun!

Came across this lovely headpieces by Twigs and Honey

How sweet!  Beautiful labels for FREE.  Templates available for download at World Label

Something to ground you when the frenzy of wedding planning takes you for a ride..... what's it all about?  Read the story and figure it out. 

Cake of my dreams! 

Pretty Little Things

Greetings! I've been spending a LOT of time online lately searching for ideas and inspirations.  I stumbled upon the below and had to share.  I'm putting together an inspiration board for my wedding and might include some of the stuff you see here.

I think I've narrowed down my wedding theme to a late English Garden wedding.  Think garden roses, moss, vines, old rustic garden gates, and pewter and copper elements.  

Colors will be primarily blush pink and sepia tones, speckled with shades of dusty rose and peach accents.  To add a little glam, elements of gold and champagne will be incorporated.  

Dress is yet to be decided on but I have plenty of visits scheduled the next coming weekends.  Can't wait to share my finds!

A Little Advice Never Hurt

With a wedding on the horizon, I have been trying to get back into the gym routine-even joined CKO Kickboxing to maximize the calorie burn!  

I stumbled on this and I think I should heed some of the advice because I do tend to beat myself up if I miss a day, don't break a sweat, and start on an 'off' day.




1. Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the week. Along those lines …

2. If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. As the day wears on, you’ll find more excuses to skip exercising. Get it checked off your list, first thing.

3. Never skip exercising two days in a row. You can skip a day, but the next day, you must exercise, no matter how inconvenient.

4. Give yourself credit for the smallest effort. My father always said that all he had to do was put on his running shoes and close the door behind him. Many times, by promising myself I could quit ten minutes after I’d started, I got myself to start—and then found that I didn’t want to quit, after all.

5. Think about context. I thought I disliked weight training, but in fact, I dislike the guys who hang out in the weight-training area. Are you distressed about the grubby showers in your gym? Do you try to run in the mornings, but recoil from going out in the cold? Examine the factors that might be discouraging you from exercising.

6. Exercise several times a week. If your idea of exercise is to join games of pick-up basketball, you should be playing practically every day. Twice a month isn’t enough. 

7. If you don’t have time to both exercise and take a shower, find a way to exercise that doesn’t require you to shower afterward. Twice a week, I have a very challenging weight-training session, but the format I follow doesn’t make me sweat. (Some of you are saying, “It can’t be challenging if you don’t sweat!” Oh yes, believe me, it is.)

8. Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. Could you upgrade to a nicer or more convenient gym? Buy yourself a new iPod? Work with a trainer? Get a pedometer to keep track of your walking distances? Exercise is a high life priority, so this a worthwhile place to spend some money if that helps.

9. Think of exercise as part of your essential preparation for times you want to be in especially fine form—whether in performance (to be sharp for an important presentation) or appearance (to look good for a wedding) or mood (to deal with a stressful situation). Studies show that exercise does help.

10. Remember one of my favorite Secrets of Adulthood, courtesy of Voltaire: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Don’t decide it’s only worth exercising if you can run five miles or if you can bike for an hour. I have a friend who scorns exercise unless she’s training for a marathon—so she never exercises. Even going for a ten-minute walk is worthwhile. Do what you can.

11. Don’t kid yourself. Belonging to a gym doesn’t mean you go to the gym. Having been in shape in high school or college doesn’t mean you’re in shape now. Saying that you don’t have time to exercise doesn’t make it true.

 Courtesy of  Divine Caroline

376 Days to Go!

Perhaps it's a bit premature to start the countdown to our wedding but I've been reading so many blogs lately that I'm just brimming with inspiration.  

With a little over a year to go, we have our work cut out for us.  I'd like to report that the date is set for both our engagement party (Apr 16, 2011) and wedding (Oct 28, 2011).  Now, on to the million details we have to cover!

Also, I'd like to thank the following sites for keeping me preoccupied and less focused on my work ;)

www.stylemepretty.com

www.snippetandink.com

www.theneotraditionalist.com

www.100layercake.com/blog/

But seriously, I love the details shared, the personal stories, and of course all the vendor recommendations.  Keep it coming Ladies!

Going to do my best to keep our wedding planning documented.   

For now, I'll start with us <3

xo

Nation

End of an Era

On June 25th, my grandmother passed away...it was an unexpected death.  Up until her hospitalization, she was of sound mind and body still preparing her famous dishes and telling us stories of her childhood.  Since her death, my mind's been replaying every memory like a film reel stuck on auto.  Seeing every smile, every life lesson, every hug and kiss over and over again.  How do you get over nearly 30 years of wonderful memories and the new memories you planned to make?  

She raised me and infused my being with her amazing spirit.  Though she won't see me get married like she had wanted, I know she'll be there watching over us and smiling.  


I love you Nin.  Until we meet again <3

What is the Nation?

The Nation: n. a collection of folks who love Rasha, love to Rashinate with Rasha, and/or Rasha herself....

Rashinate: v. The act of having an awesome good time, letting go of all worries and enjoying all that is good in life....one often rashinates in the company of Rasha....Rasha rashinates in the company of good friends and good tunes...rashinating is simple and easy to do...

Welcome and enjoy the ride!

Am I really doing this?

I promise to put forth some good reading for your enjoyment....

May the force be with you!