My DIY Meditation Garden

This post is for brides and everyone else. Have you ever meditated? I used to years ago. Meditation is the practice of clearing ones mind of all thoughts which helps greatly for relaxing and in relieving stress as it slows your metabolism. For many it's simply a way to decompress that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with religion and has more to do with becoming self aware.

I was not raised Buddhist but one day I saw a tv show about some Tibetan monks who performed a deep meditative/relaxation practice called Tumo. In a freezing cold winter cave in the Himalayas a group of monks who were barely clothed had their bare shoulders and upper torsos covered with thin wet cloths. By regulating their breathing and body temperature through thought only, they raised their body temperatures by as much as 50 degrees so when they should have become hypothermic something amazing happened instead. The wet cloths begin steaming dry in the frigid cave. It showed me the incredible things our minds are capable of if we only know how to use and direct our energy.

Phase 1: I cleared out the space beneath these trees to create my meditation area.

I don't aspire to practice Tumo but do enjoy the benefits of simple meditation as a wonderful method to release the type of tension we all face in our day to day lives. So where to begin. I wanted to create an outdoor area to mediate in. A small sacred space of my very own.

Phase 2: Adding additional plants.

Since moving in with my hubby we had done next to no work on the backyard so the bushes and trees were completely overgrown. I began my efforts back in August. I started making some time early in the mornings to go out and work on my new meditation garden.

I chose plants that don't need full sun since this part of the yard only receives morning light. When I do mediate I love doing so in the morning facing east since that's where the energy for the new day comes from.

Phase 3: I added a cool metal chair I found years ago at a salvage yard.

I also added two small lanterns that I can use to burn incense in. Some of the plants are herbs like lavender, rosemary and thyme so they also scent the air in a pleasing way.

Phase 4: I created a padded and covered seat for the salvaged chair.

So the chair I found years ago at the Omega Salvage yard up in Berkley. It cost $5.00 so it was a good deal. The legs were two arcs. I buried the bottom legs into the dirt so it looks like the chair is balancing on rails like a rocking horse.

I asked hubby to use his power saw to cut the wooden seat base after I outlined the shape I wanted in pencil on a piece of plywood we had in the garage.

Then I went to an upholstery shop for cotton batting to pad with (3 layers) and found this scrap of Sunbrella fabric for $2. Sunbrella is the fabric used for patio furniture so that was a great find!

I didn't do this all that professionally. Just used a staple gun to staple the fabric down. But it worked and it's comfortable. The seat isn't attached to the chair due to the sprinklers hitting that area each morning so I just carry it out with me and place it on the chair frame. It works great!

And an extra bonus. While clearing the area I found three of these little Japanese Maples that had popped up. I repotted all of them and am giving two to friends and keeping one to train into a bonsai.

So basically whether you're stressed out planning a wedding, by your job, family, friends, or state of the world, meditation can bring you some relief. Feeling happy and content will help create more positive (flirty) energy around you and that will attract more positive energy to you.

I'll post the occasional update on how the garden continues to shape up :)

You've Tweeted Me for the Last Time Mark Stagi!

Why unfollow someone on Twitter behind their back? I found the best way to do it is right in front of them, clean and quick like when you rip off a band aid.

Yeah, I did it. I unfollowed photographer Mark Stagi... That's him clutching his heart from the pain of it all the other morning when we met up for a little web 2.0 get together with DJ Rich Amooi.

Well I only did it because he wanted to test out this new website he found called www.Twitterless.com. Gone are the days of wondering who decided to unfollow you on Twitter because this website will tell you exactly who found you unworthy. Or maybe just a little annoying.

With Twitterless and several other programs you can see exactly who abandoned you and, with a little sleuthing, you may even be able to figure out why they did. Was it because you didn't tweet for a month and thought posting 30 tweets in an hour would be a good way to make up for it? Or did you lose 47 followers the day you posted that thing, you know what I mean, about that controversial topic that you knew you probably shouldn't post about?

That morning we were 3 Mac fans just hanging out and talking about Twitter, RSS feeds and blogging. I've found grouping up with colleagues who have similar interests is beneficial to all.

And yes, I will follow Mark once again as soon as he lets me know that his Twitterless is working. I'm hoping that's any day now because even though we're friends on Facebook I kind of miss reading his tweets.

Wedding Showcase at the Ainsley House - Downtown Campbell, CA.

May I introduce you to the three amazing women who had the vision and talent to organize the first ever Ainsley House Bridal Showcase to benefit the Campbell Museum Foundation in Downtown Campbell, CA. From left to right: Ainsley House Foundation Vice President Linda Kane Neufeld, Campbell Historical Museum Director Karen Lange, and Wedding Consultant & Event Designer Nicole Lisanne whose office is located just 2 blocks away from the Ainsley House right in downtown Campbell.

In front was the elevated runway for the fashion show, a dance floor and large tent with booths.

The side patio contained all of the food stations for the many restaurants and catering companies that provided all kinds of yummy bites for the guests to enjoy. Sadly I didn't get any photos or the opportunity to sample any of the food or cake because I forgot to have someone come assist me so that I could leave my booth :( As Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman: Big mistake. Huge.

In the backyard of the house, beneath a pergola of draping wisteria vine, was a beautiful set up for an intimate wedding ceremony.

All of the gowns featured in the fashion show were provided by Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier. While all of the guests enjoyed the show I took a quick run around the entire showcase to grab some images for you to enjoy.

No longer do South Bay brides have to travel an hour or more to find couture gowns and impeccable customer service. Now they can just head over to Downtown Campbell! Gabrielle's was a much needed breath of fresh air to help San Jose equal the quality of bridal gowns offered on the Peninsula and in San Francisco.

Gabrielle's Bridal carries the following designers:

Anna Maier/Ulla Maija

Anne Barge

Carmela Sutera

Cymbeline of Paris

Ines Di Santo

Jenny Packham

Junko Yoshioka

La Sposa

Martina Liana

Melissa Sweet

Paloma Blanca

Romona Keveza

Renella De Fina

Rosa Clará

Vera Wang

Vineyard

Both traditional and modern table tops graced the front lawn for guests to enjoy. The table tops were designed by Nicole Lisanne, flowers were by Kellye Clifford of Precious and Blooming and all of the furnishings were provided by Hartmann Studios.

Don't you just LOVE these bubblegum pink chairs? I did! They're called "Deco Chair White with Fuchsia Patent Leather" on the Hartmann Studio Rentals website.

And out front in the big tent was Claudia Akers Photography.

The booth for The Flirty Guide was located in the backyard behind the Ainsley House so a quick hello to Claudia and I had to get back to work.

This is Natti Pierce-Thomson of North American Theatre Technology. Her company specializes in event lighting for both theatre and special events like weddings. Here Natti is pointing in the general direction of the paper lanterns her team hung that morning.

LOL and here's a creatively composed close up. Ok, so maybe we were only cracking ourselves up but this shot was inspired by the Canadian tv show Kids in the Hall that had a sketch where a guy would use the same forced perspective and say "I'm crushing your head" as he flattened the heads of random business and trendy people passing by.

For extra fun, wedding photographer Dennis Menedez was there with his Light Sky Photo Booth. This is a great new alternative to hard sided booths. Dennis uses adjustable framework and elegant curtains to create photo booths that can fit anywhere from the traditional 2-4 people to larger groups of 10 or more inside of them. His booths also have a wonderful elegance if your wedding is in an upscale classic venue like the Kohl Mansion or a modern one like The Four Seasons.

Also in the white tent was Amy Frugoli of Twitterpated Weddings. Despite the fact that it was a little windy I thought the temperature that day was perfect. It was comfortable because it wasn't too hot, though a little more blue sky would have been nicer for my photos.

The turnout was phenomenal. My guess is that at least 300 people (After creating this post I found out it was 600 people) stopped by to peruse the booths, sample a lot of great food and catch the bridal fashion show.

The event itself was a fundraiser to benefit the Campbell Historical Museum's programs and scholarships which this year will benefit more than 4,000 Silicon Valley students who frequent the museum for annual field trips and a traveling trunk show that teaches them about their local history.

For the ceremony site in the backyard North American Theatre Technology hung paper lanterns and also created the draping swags and covered columns of the pergola.

A fresh rose petal runner for the bride...

And inside the pergola a close up of the paper lanterns and daisy blossoms peeking out from the vines. The large alter arrangement was created by De Young Flowers of Campbell, CA.

And here was my booth located on the back porch of the house. I had so much fun that day. In 3 hours I chatted with at least 200 guests!

And some other wedding professionals dropped by. Here wedding videographer David Ethridge, owner of A Video Reflection, stopped by for a quick hello.

More flowers by De Young Flowers. Their table was swamped with guests the entire afternoon so I had to wait until the show was over to get some close ups of their work.

And my neighbors who I shared the back porch with were (above) Dr. Kimberly Cockerham, MD who is a neuro-ophthalmologist. She also specializes in facial aesthetics, lasars and reconstructive surgery.

And (lower) the San Tomas Dental Group with Dr. Barton L. Machado, DDS. His office provides the "Zoom" teeth whitening process for brides and grooms who want to improve their smiles for their wedding photos. The process takes 3, 15 minute sessions that can be completed in one office visit with additional home care maintenance after the treatment. Dr. Machado recommends completing teeth whitening procedures at least 3 weeks before your wedding date as some patients experience tooth sensitivity following the initial treatment. Planning ahead will give you time to allow sensitivity to diminish by your wedding day.

If you're looking for a beautiful South Bay, outdoor location, to host an intimate wedding, The Ainsley House may just be the perfect place for you.

Wildflower Linen's Lilibelle Chair Cover

These are some shots of the beautiful Lilybelle chair covers at Wildflower Linen in San Francisco.

As soon as I saw them they reminded me of sea anemones with their circular shape and vertical striations created by the fabric itself.

Here in the Bay Area it is possible to rent the Monterey Bay Aquarium to hold your wedding at. Wouldn't these chair covers be gorgeous there for the bride and grooms chairs at the reception?

I took the picture of the anemones above at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. If you've never been there you should go. Amongst the fish in the ginormous and mesmerizing Kelp Forest tank are featured exhibits with sea otters, penguins and currently I just read in the news that The Secret Life of Sea Horses exhibit is now open.

Of course they could be used at any beach or ocean themed wedding in general. I'd love to pair them up with my beaded wire shrimp I make and create a fish and starfish design element to go along with them.

Or at a beach front wedding I could easily picture these covers gracing chair backs.

Hmmmmm now my creative juices are flowing and I think I might have to contact Lily to see if they would allow me to create some accessories to shoot a small tablescape in their showroom featuring these chair covers just for fun.

Visit the Wildflower Linen Website by Clicking Here

My Dog Kitai is a Phetched.com Photo Contest Finalist!

No registration is needed to drop a vote for him.

Kitai is one of 4 finalists in the "Bad Hair Day" doggie photo contest featured on www.Phetched.com sponsored by Pet Head.

In truth I don't think it's possible for Kitai to ever have a good hair day. This is what he looks like after being brushed to go on his walk. I mean really, Kitai suffers from a case of chronic "Bed Body" instead of the more common "Bed Head" type of bad hair day.

This is the contest on www.Phetched.com. It's a cool new dog product review and all things doggish blog whose tagline is "Where Fido Meets Function." They have lots of fun contests so if you have a pooch or two, or three, or four, you should stay tuned to Phetched and try to win some super cool Phetched prizes.

And if it sounds familiar, Pet Head is the pet care line of dog shampoos by Bed Head, its human counterpart.

SF Bay Area Vietnamese Marrow Donor Drive Today

It only takes a short registration form and 4 cotton swabs to join the National Marrow Donor Registry. If you are a match for Anh or another patient in need 70% of donations are now given through a blood harvesting method and not from marrow extracted from the hip bone. The harvesting process has improved dramatically over the years but few people know this.

Host: Team Anh - Save Anh's Life
Date: Sunday, September 6, 2009
Time: 9:30am - 4:00pm
Location: Compassion Meditation Center
Street: 17327 Meekland Ave
City/Town: Hayward, CA
View Map

This drive is to try to find a match for Dr. Anh Nguyen and the many other Vietnamese Americans (like our friend Matthew) all searching for a matching marrow donor.

Anh has the same disease my cousin Tami had, Myelodysplasia. She has had a few scares since her diagnosis but has been working hard with the help of her brothers to locate a match by holding numerous donor drives some small and others large. At the Marian Days Festival they signed up over 2000 new potential donors!

If live in the Bay area and are of Vietnamese descent or know people who are that live here, please let them know about this drive. This is an all day donor registration event. I'll even be there for a few hours helping out. I hope some of you read this and come by to join the registry. If you do make sure to find me and say hello.

Silicon Valley NACE at the Corinthian Room

Recently I attended a Silicon Valley NACE event in downtown San Jose.

There were plenty of friendly faces on hand to network and chat with.

I hadn't ever been to the Corinthian Room before. It was really beautiful with very high ceilings.

The first course was a delicious salad. And then I dropped the ball. I forgot to take a picture of the main course! LOL I was a little distracted though because one of my colleagues and I were conducting a switch-a-roo at dinner. The main course was two courses, a small piece of chicken and fish. Amy can't eat fish so I offered to trade her my piece of chicken for her salmon. Then we didn't get to sit next to each other so you can see how my mind might have wandered off of documenting my meal and became more focused on how to get my chicken to her. Right? LOL

I did get a photo of the cheese platter before dinner. I hope that makes up for forgetting the main course.

There were some fun table top designs on display as well. Click on the image to see the enlargements with more details.

And our guest speaker was advanced etiquette expert, author, tranier and public speaker Syndi Seid. I must confess I was not familiar with her work but after that evening am now a big fan. The big treat for me was that I was seated beside her at dinner so we got to chat about etiquette even before her presentation started.

I think all in all we would like to assume that we all practice good etiquette. But that evening Syndi pointed out not the right and wrong way to do things but defined what etiquette is to begin with. I found her discussion to be enlightening and very lively. It was a great evening.

To top things off DJ Rich Amooi won several of the raffle prizes that evening including one of the centerpieces provided by Citti's florists. He gave me the centerpiece as a gift and I in turn gave it to a friend who needed some cheering up dropping it by her house on my way home. It was a beautiful gift that kept on giving :)