Re-post of Valentine's Day blog!

hey everyone, kinda lagged posting this up, but I posted this on Daydreamer Events tumbler & my personal tumblr, but i haven't posted up on here! so here a re-post/delayed Valentine's Day blog. hope you enjoy! (:

-sv

Valentine's Day in LA

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! For all those love birds out there, this is your proposal day! Planning this perfect day can be quite a challenge, especially when you’re only thinking on how to pop the question. If you’re looking to impress the one you love, we definitely have some romantic, fun and unique ideas for you! Ladies, you can totally drop some hints to your man on where you want to go for Valentine’s Day, even if it’s not a proposal (which you shouldn’t know anyway)! PLUS these locations are LA based, so don’t worry about having to drive so far to find a romantic day-getaway.

These ideas can either be for planning a proposal, or just going out on a romantic date for the holiday! Make it special and memorable.

1. Venice Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt


Love the beach and want some adventure? Skip the usual Valentine’s Day dinner and do something fun and exciting. Venice beach is having it’s fourth Annual Valentine’s Day Scavenger hunt February 13th and 14th. This is such a great way to spend quality time with your partner. Ride through Venice on your bikes and enjoy what Venice has to offer while discovering the beach’s secrets! So check out the website for times and prices for this event! http://losangeles.going.com/event-711165;Venice_Valentines_Scavenger_Hunt

2. Horseback Riding in the Santa Monica Mountains


This is definitely an exciting way to spend some quality time with your Valentine. Located at the top ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains, the Los Angeles Horseback Riding ranch gives you the ultimate horseback riding experience. It was voted the most beautiful place to trail ride in Los Angeles, you will be able to see 80 miles out fro the top of the trails with breathtaking views in every direction! The ranch has custom rides such as moonlight rides, sunset/sunrise rides, and on the beach rides. So don’t miss out on this opportunity with your Valentine this holiday! Here’s the website: http://www.losangeleshorsebackriding.com/go/index.php

3. A Romantic Sweetheart Cruise


Yes, you and your Valentine can enjoy a wonderful cruise this Valentine’s Day. Hornblower Cruises & Events in Long Beach, CA offer those sweethearts out there a special cruise for the upcoming holiday. And don’t worry, these cruises aren’t one week long! You can choose that special cruise that best fits in with your plans for your Valentine:

- Cupids Champagne Brunch is a 2hr. cruise which includes a private table, brunch buffet, champagne, and much more.

- Valentine’s Dinner Cruise is a 3hr. cruise, giving you a Red Carpet treatment, 4-course dinner, private candlelit table, champagne, DJ entertainment, and much more! (RSVP for either February 13 or February 14)

Prices starting at $54.95 per person. More details on website. Make your reservations now for this romantic opportunity for you and your Valentine!

http://www.hornblower.com/hce/port/category/lb+valentines

4. A Gondola Getaway


No need to travel to Italy to enjoy the ultimate gondola experience! The Gondola Getaway is located near the resort area of Belmont Shores in Long Beach, CA. Bringing old world charm, these authentic Venetian gondolas gently cruise the enchanting canals and waterways of Naples Island. Each cruise is approximately one hour. They also offer a special package just for Valentine’s Day this year. It includes roses, chocolate covered strawberries, and a framed photography of your gondola experience! Prices start at $100 per couple! So take advantage of this offer and make reservations ASAP! Experience relaxing on a romantic cruise around the canals just like in Italy with your Valentine this year!

http://www.gondolagetawayinc.com/valentines.asp

5. Hot Air Balloon Over Temecula’s Wine Vineyards


This is the ULTIMATE experiences of a lifetime, and the perfect opportunity to pop that question(; Enjoy looking down at some of Southern California’s most beautiful vineyards and rolling hills from a hot air balloon! Flights begin at 6 in the morning and takes about 3 hours. Depending on the occasion (such as proposing), the expert crew will help you with anything! From banners, to roses and champagne! They’ve got it all! Rides per person start at about $150 if for Valentine’s Day. And after 3 hours of flying, your balloon ride will take you to a private vineyard where you’ll enjoy a gourmet pastry breakfast, champagne, tea, coffee, and of course wine! You’ll be in a private Rose Garden with a very unique pristine setting while enjoying breakfast with your Valentine. This is definitely something you want on your Bucket List and a perfect way to spend Valentine’s day, and maybe a start to a new life(; There are two different websites that I came across that will help you choose which rides suits you.

Call more and ask for details, and visit their website!

http://www.californiadreamin.com/balloon_rides/index.html

http://www.hotairadventures.com/

Hope these few suggestions will help you make your Valentine’s Day a little more special and creative this year(:

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day everyone!

- Sarah Valentin

And just to advertise myself out there...

I'm with Daydreamer Events, a lifestyle planning company, which has been in the industry for almost six years. Working with the talented entrepreneur, Carissa Solomon, who started the company, has been amazing ever since I started.

So here's a photo of my business card. Let me know of any upcoming events and/or weddings in the process...your wedding, of course! (: I'd be happy to work with you! I would love to make your day as special as you imagined it to be and more.

with a lot of love,
-sv

Engagement Season!

It's 2011, and a lot of people are starting to actually "make things happen" not just having a new set of resolutions, but are actually doing something about it. People are actually chasing their goals, their careers, their diet habits. Some want a whole new lifestyle, and in this engagement season, most want to tie the knot already. Ever since the holidays proposals have been flying around one after the other! And Valentine's Day is the day where it ends (usually).

Yesterday I was able to attend the 2nd Annual design challenge, Snap. Crackle. Pop by Utterly Engaged magazine at the AVIA Hotel in Long Beach, and this new year party was absolutely amazing! A bunch of wedding vendors collaborated and brought their creativity to the table. With a budget in mind, nine tables were designed and created to perfection. I cannot begin to tell you how intricate every detail was in each table, and the amount of creativity shown. I've never been so inspired to design and create. These masterpieces were then judged by the guests and an elite panel of judges. Everything at this event was amazing, from the DJ to the dessert bars. All in all, this is an event I recommend for brides, couples, photographers, planners, and designers. Anyone who has an interest in design, this really is such a great opportunity for inspiration and to meet others in the industry. Btw, I promise I'll post pics up of this event when I have the chance because you definitely need to see the work that was put into it!

So throughout the week I'll try to keep posting up pictures and ideas for inspiration for the upcoming love-filled holiday.(: Hopefully I won't get too busy with school [starting spring semester next week!] With that being said, let the proposals keep coming and the planning start happening! (:

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

-sv

Below is the Vendor list from the event. Check some of them out! They were amazing! (:

LINKS:
http://www.utterlyengaged.com/

VENDOR HIGHLIGHTS FROM SNAP.CRACKLE.POP.

Event Planner & Coordinator | GRAND ENGAGEMENTS

Photographer | SAMUEL LIPPKE

DJ | PLAYTIME ATTRACTIONS

Videographer | SHADE TREE FILMS

Photobooth | PHOTOCUBE

Pillow fight props for Photobooth| JESI HAACK WEDDINGS

Lighting | INVISIBLE TOUCH EVENTS

Organic Ice Cream | SWEET LUCIE’S

Dessert Bar | HONEY BEE SWEETERIE

Mini Donut Bar | DOUGH A DEER

Floral Designer | FLORAL ELEMENTS

Linens | LA TAVOLA LINEN

Chairs for Design Challenge and Cabana | CLASSIC PARTY RENTALS

Make up and Hair Stylist | KELLY ZHANG

My life in Him. My life resolution.

It is a new year. For most, a new year means a new start, a change in lifestyle. For days now, ever since Christmas, I've been thinking what to write about, knowing that this is the best time for me to blog. But I couldn't just set my mind on one topic...there was so much to write about! A new year's resolution list would have been suitable, but there was so much more I wanted to share. So here goes...

For weeks now, my heart has been heavy. Ever since I went on winter break I got so distracted...distracted with the wrong things. Made too many plans to go out with friends, spend little time at home, and pick up as many hours I can at work to earn more money. Christmas shopping got to me, not only because I had a lot of presents to get, but there were many things I wanted to get for myself. I can honestly say that my selfishness has never been on full display until this winter break. The one season that is suppose to be about giving and about my Savior's birth is the time I showed the true amount of selfishness that was in me. I kept being reminded that I couldn't get everything I wanted...materially, physically, and emotionally. Nor did I deserve anything I thought I did. But through all the trials, heartaches, and sorrow, I was rebuked, taught, and humbled. And only through simple steps like these, my faith can grow.

Romans 12:3 "For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."

Because I thought I deserved more, deserved to be treated right and receive as much I gave, I got upset when it didn't happen. I wasn't thankful. And that is not a true mark of Christian. As Christians we are called to give, and give selflessly, expecting nothing in return. And realizing that always brings me back to what Christ did for me on the cross. Giving His life to those who rejected Him.

I was also told many times that people who get easily irritated and upset is because they are selfish. They cannot practice humbleness. Christians are called to love. And in the famous passage about love, the first word that describes love is patience. 1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love is patient" It is the very first word, and is the hardest to practice. If we can first realize this truth...that we need to practice patience in order to practice unconditional love, then it's the first steps to becoming selfless.

I know I have hurt dear ones that I loved the most with my pride, but above all, I've hurt my Lord, the one who died on the cross for my sins. I focused on myself, made others priority over Him, and that is why I could not display love and joy in my life. If my life is not filled with Christ, my life cannot show Christ in me.

So now, it's a new year again. 2011. My resolutions shouldn't just be for this year. My resolutions for next year shouldn't be different. My life resolution should be the same. My life is with Christ, therefore my life is in Christ, my life is for Christ. Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." I cannot commit to any other relationship in my life if my relationship with Christ isn't fully and constantly committed.

My first priority stays with God, and my life commitment stays in Him. After that, the rest will follow. My life will become a better testimony, showing who God is in my life, and who I need to be to others. I cannot continue on, I cannot accomplish anything without Him.

It is amazing grace that saved a wretch like me, being lost, then found. Therefore, all I can do is live my life in Him, fully and completely.

-sv

Bitter&Sweets: Car Fiasco

I admit it. It's hard...hard to be consistent at blogging. Even once every week or so. Not just because I don't have the time, but whenever there's something that goes on in my week that I want to share, I'm not sure if it deserves a whole entire blog entry. I might as well just post it up on twitter. So, I've come up with a "Bitter&Sweet" kinda thing, giving pretty much a list of the ups and downs, highs and lows, of my week. And also to keep everyone updated here and there(: And it keeps me accountable to blog at least once a week...at least I hope it will. Oh! and I get to post the cool picture I made for Bitter&Sweet (which took me...shamefully, about an hour to make)

Well, this past week...wow. It's been a long week, lemme just say. Shamefully [again], after getting all upset that DMV hasn't sent in the stickers for my registration renewal, I called them up and found out that my car isn't even registered. BIG fail. So of course, like any system in this struggling country, there's a penalty fee, which adds to the transfer fee, tax fee, etc. Calculated...a few hundreds right there. In order for me to get my car registered, I need a smog check certification. Okay, that's easy. not quite. In order for me to past the Smog Check, I can't have my "Check Engine" light on...and evidently, it was on. -_- another BIG fail. Now, I have to get my "Check Engine" lite...checked. Yah, that ain't free. (Maybe some of you already know where this is heading).

Alright, let's drive down to Pepboys to get this "checked" and fixed right away. Just to have them look into it, the waiting time was 4+ hrs. If it wasn't for my knight in shining armor, I would have been the most miserable girl. Amazing boyfriend saves his girlfriend again(: Alright, so engine is checked.

.............

Let me just stop babbling right now. So pretty much what's goin down is, I gotta fix my car to get that engine light off, in order for me to pass the smog check, in order for me to turn it into the DMV for registration, in order for me to get 2011 stickers.

So what did I learn from this? A lot. But most of all I was reminded of the Lord's sovereignty over and over again in this situation and throughout this whole week. My patience has been tested countless times this past week, and many times I failed. I need to keep reminding myself that I have a God that is in control. In control of every situation in my life, and has His own plan for everything. Trials will always come, no matter what. What matters is the way we handle these trials and how we learn from them. The Lord has really tested me this week - finals & late night study sessions, my car issues, work, and even in my relationships with others. Though I failed to always respond rightly, I've been humbled in many ways. Because I know the weight of God's sovereignty, I should not act in an unacceptable manner - showing impatience, ungratefulness, and selfishness. Every day is given to us out of grace, and every blessing is given to us out of love. Unfailing love. And that is what many of us need to realize. I'm thankful for the trials and hardships the Lord puts me through, especially this last week. My eyes wouldn't have been opened to the amount of sin in my life, in which I need to let go, and the amount of humbleness I need to have.

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

FINALLY the Bitter&Sweets:

Bitter:
-car registration fiasco.
-having to do a whole day of finals (8am-10pm) running on 2 hrs of sleep
-gettin murdered by my microecon finals

Sweets:
-finished yet again another semester of school. and I couldn't have done it without the Lord's guidance, strength, and wisdom
-celebrated finishing finals with my boyfriend, who took me to watch Tangled! (finally!) & dinner *btw, Tangled, is definitely a good movie
-Smog Check is passed! Onto DMV & registration
- being reminded of how great the Lord is, and how much I need Him in my life constantly.


That's all for now! More Bitter&Sweets to come(:

-sv

A Winter Wonderland Wedding

It's that most wonderful time of the year....and the most wonderful event in a couple's life is their wedding day! So why not combine the two? I think winter weddings are absolutely gorgeous! So I've put together a few collages for winter wedding inspirations. Hope you like them! (:






-sarahhnicole
always keeping it classy

No need to prove

I've come to realize that one of the worst feelings ever happens when you try to prove something. Prove yourself to someone, or everyone. Prove that you're good enough...prove that you're better. Prove that you're something...prove that you're worth it. We start thinking too much about the problem, that we strain ourselves day and night, wondering how to prove that we're something. This feeling eats us up inside, and tears up our emotions...and this is when we become ever more vulnerable. Just when we try, we get disheartened, shoved off, and thrown away. We begin to lose hope that we can't prove anything, which leads us to thinking... maybe there is nothing in us that we can prove.

But, no. That's not true. "You're original, cannot be replaced." We were all created differently, and we are individuals who are unique, and one of a kind. It is not that we have nothing in us to prove to the world, but it is that there is no need for us to prove something to the world. 1 Samuel 16:7 "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Pleasing the world does nothing because human beings can never be satisfied.

"There is no need to prove to the world because just by being yourself proves everything already."
- sarahhnicole