Sunshine Wishes and Honeymoon Dreams

Summer in Santa Cruz is in full force. For those of you who've never visited California's central coast, there's a reason why local souvenir shops sell lots of fleece jackets. Instead of sunshine, blue skies, and warm beach days, we get what Mr. Hot Tea affectionately refers to as the fog monster. Here's a recent photo to reinforce the chill of a 60-degree summer:

{ The wool cap is a necessity, not just a fashion accessory }

The Teacup family vacation is regularly scheduled for late May or early June in hopes to avoid the fog monster for a little while. Unfortunately, W-Day planning and budgeting necessarily took priority over our annual summer sojourn. 

Dudes, we are suffering from cabin fever. First world problems, I know. We live in a place where millions of people visit annually, courtesy of the Beach Boardwalk.

{ Our evening view during a winter sunset }

Just as it is at any other destination, living here isn't the same as coming for a vacation getaway. We have been itching to book our honeymoon, and it's finally crossed off the wedding 'to-do' list!

Mr. Hot Tea and I agreed to a few parameters when deciding where to spend our first married adventure together. As with any vacation, HT needs good surf and I require relaxation on a sunny beach. We briefly discussed the possibility of a dream destination - Maldives.

{ paradise perfected } / Image via Maldives Tourism

A fleeting thought, Maldives will remain on our bucket list for now. Maybe for an anniversary trip, a new destination of this magnitude would send my analytical brain into immediate overload. I'd want to research, plan, re-plan, and do even more research to make sure we made every moment count. I have no extra energy to DIY my diet, let alone coordinate the details required for such an extravagant trip. We will get there, just not this year.

So what did we decide? Simplicity and familiarity won out in the end. We are going to . . . CABO!

{ Look, Mom! It's the Arch } / personal photo

Now, you may be thinking what I did the first time HT took me to there. One photo will say it all.

{ Spring Break, Cabo style } / Image via Destination 360

Not exactly the fit for a mellow 30-something and a laid-back 40-something, right? I agree. And that's why we stay closer to the sleepy town of San Jose del Cabo and away from the livelier nightlife of Cabo San Lucas.

Online tourist map via Playa Grande Resort

It's the first time we're using our vacation club points (read timeshare), which was a pure exercise in logistics coordination. In the end, we will spend 7 nights at the luxurious all-inclusive Dreams Los Cabos Golf Resort and Spa. Ahhhh, doesn't that sound relaxing?

We can't wait for W-Day because it means we are that much closer to the honeymoon. Warm water, sunshine, and waves all day. Cabo will be the perfect escape from the dreaded fog monster. I have to say, that was easy!

Image via Staples

Where to you plan to spend your honeymoon? Will it be a new adventure or somewhere comfortably familiar for you and your beloved? And any tips for Cabo, our resort, or nearby day trips?

p.s. Anyone else want to admit to owning an 'easy' button?!

Bridal Breakdown # ?? - I've lost count.

Hello dear Hive, happy Monday! I hope your weekend was full of fun and happiness. Mine certainly was, although it didn't start out that way...

Remember last week I was all insightful and inspired? Well, it only took a mysteriously missing bridesmaid's dress to derail the zen-like approach to wedding planning in one quick instant. My FB status update says it all.

{FB vent!}

WTH is right, Miss Rachel. Here's a preview of that super fun day with my Sweet Tea girls 3 months ago. 

{party in the minivan rental!}

For now, suffice it to say that I ordered and paid for all the dresses at that same time in one transaction, or so I thought. The dresses finally came in - YAY! - and I picked them up last Friday before rushing off to the airport to visit Maid of Honor Sweet Tea in SoCal. Imagine my surprise turned frustration when the consultant said "she hasn't ordered it yet" after I asked about the one that didn't come in. 

Seriously?! We followed their advice and ordered them during the height of prom season (hence the oversight) with 5 months until W-Day to allow for plenty of time for the dresses to come in and get altered. Now there's only 3 months to go and that's how long it takes a new order to get to the store. The consultant casually assured me that I had plenty of time for this straggler. Yeah, that's what they said three months ago. I pulled out my credit card and placed the order, AAARRRRUGH!

Cue meltdown in 3 . . .  2 . . .  1 . . .

I now fully understand why couples elope, and those who don't wish they had. Here's a glimpse of our dream wedding heaven if I could have only let go of my want to get married in the Catholic church. Ahhhhh, Cabo.

{surf spot at La Roca}

But I digress. After a mildly tearful meltdown alone in the car and a quick call to Mama Teacup to tell her how much I hated wedding planning, I managed to laugh at myself for instantly thinking that "nothing is ever easy" in that moment. 

Thankfully, I was on my way to visit my dear MOH Sweet Tea. If anyone could make this process fun again, it would be her. 

{early morning at Coronado Beach}

{carefree & happy Lily dog}

{cruising around Coronado island}

{real cheese curds flown in for a party}

{zen happy place restored, complete with sushi! note the hot green tea...}

We even managed to squeeze in some computer time devoted to wedding planning - logistics and details that had previously stalled my momentum. As a dutiful MOH she humored me and played dress up - dress, cardigan and jewelry - and I loved her look. 

She came through in a big way and I'm back from the brink of another bridal breakdown...thanks, friend!

Now you know how I regain sanity when the going gets rough...I jet off to somewhere fun with friends! Who keeps you grounded on this roller-coaster journey to matrimony? What are your favorite escapes or de-stressing tips? I could definitely use them for a rainy day!

** all personal photos **

Could it be now? A Man-gagement Proposal

A few weeks after choosing my e-ring [backstory here], Mr. Hot Tea and I vacationed in Cabo. My bestie speculated that a proposal might be in the works, but I knew it was probably too soon.

Nevertheless, we had the best vacation ever! Surfing, sunning, and relaxing were the only activities on the agenda...

Land's End at El Arco

Reading my Kindle at Zippers beach

and I get to practice my surf photography!

yet there's still plenty of time to 'get wet'

Mission accomplished. I'll admit only ONE mistake than thankfully ended happily. Suckered into a timeshare presentation, we spent precious surfing time at non-existent hotel property so we could get the freebies - a jet ski excursion, glass bottom boat ride...you know the drill.

Seriously, hard hats required!

This was the first and only time I think Mr. HT wanted to shake sense into my head, haha! Four hours later we cried "never again!" and with vouchers in hand made haste to the nearest beach.

One coupon claimed $100 credit at Diamonds International jewelry store. If you're a skeptic like me, you'll appreciate the need to adventure in to see what you can buy for a benjamin. And just as I suspected, there was nothing. But....

As luck would have it, Mr. HT fell in LOVE with a watch in the case. I lapped all the displays twice as he OOHHed and AAHHed over this timepiece. It had all the features he wanted and was unlike any in his collection. He couldn't take it off and wouldn't stop gazing at its beauty. Alas, he sighed that he couldn't buy it because he was saving for my ring.

Image via perpetualanticipation.blogspot.com

Aha! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Exactly. I offered to buy the watch for Mr. HT with the condition that he could wear it once we were properly engaged. If I get to wear a sparkly ring, what's to say that Mr. HT can't sport an engagement watch?! In fact, the more I thought about it, it only seemed fair that he should have some bling to show off as well. Plus, the devil on my shoulder couldn't help but think it could be incentive. A little bribery never hurt, right?

Apparently and unbeknownst to me, man-gagement presents are all the rage. There's a post from Mrs. Nachos about the man-gagement watch she gifted her DH here. And, Mrs. Hot Cocoa raises the bar with a man-gagement ring. Very cool.

So we left Cabo with sun-kissed skin, lots of rest, and a gorgeous watch that Mr. HT would have to wait four months to wear. Which really only meant that I had to continue to wait (sometimes not so patiently) for my Tiffany treasure.

Doesn't he look happy and handsome?

What do you think about gifting your beloved to commemorate the engagement? What did or would you choose to present?

Meet the Teacups

Hello again Hive, I’d first like to introduce you to my amazing fiancé. A self-proclaimed surf junkie, Mr. Hot Tea feels most at home in the water. While on vacay, locals and tourists alike are impressed with his surf-ability. Check him out at one of his favorite spots in Cabo:

* personal photo *

He’s been surfing for almost 25 years and has at least 50 more in him! That would put him over 90 years old, and I know he'll get there because longevity runs in his family.  When he’s not on a surfboard or planning his next warm water trip, Mr. Hot Tea loves Cowboys football, poker with the boys and a good round of golf. Hot Tea Fun facts: 1) he’s never made the surfing pilgrimage to Hawaii and 2) although he’s never owned a dog, he has a strange affinity for all things beagle.  He says it’s because Uno the Beagle won ‘Best in Show’ in the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and I say it's a little weird. We all have our quirks, I guess.

This one’s for Mr. Hot Tea:

Image via www.whynotad.com

The next member of our family is our fuzzy feline friend Ollie the Cat. He loves to sleep, eat breakfast at 6am, and snuggle. We have thousands of photos of this looker, and it goes without saying that he is VERY spoiled. He is also very terrible at hiding...

* personal photo collage *

Last but not least, there’s me, Miss Teacup. I’m learning to embrace my true spirit as girly girl after previous careers in the Navy and consulting for the federal government. 

* personal photo *

My favorite hobby is sleep, which makes me an obvious choice as Ollie’s snuggle buddy, but less so for making his breakfast. An introvert in extrovert clothing, I’m questing to undo 34 years of Type A conditioning.

I’m also over-analytical, which is great for researching and compiling information (google search - heeyy!) but less so for decision making -- hence the reason wedding planning is such an overwhelming task for me. Thank goodness for Mr. Hot Tea! He makes decisions when I cannot and takes wedding tasks off my list with a cheerful heart. I’m a lucky girl! He also has the patience of a saint...teaching me to surf is no picnic, but at least I look the part:

* personal photo *

My vision for our wedding would be Tiffany and Kate Spade meet Martha Stewart for a beachy fun day in Santa Cruz. When I asked Mr. Hot Tea to describe our wedding in 5 words, he came back with ‘I love my Teacup forever.’ Do you see why I'm marrying this man?! He also wants our wedding to be fun-filled festivities with family and friends.

Mr. Hot Tea is a cradle Catholic and I am a recently baptized convert. Though our spiritual experience vastly differs, we support and encourage each other's faith and attend Mass together regularly. Our ceremony will take place in the church where his parents were married, his father and grandfather are buried, and we have joined as parishioners. The church rests in the valley of the Santa Cruz mountains, and its charismatic and joyful priest solidified our choice to get married there.

Our full Catholic mass wedding will include the Filipino veil, cord, and coin ceremonies. We also plan to give our parents Hawaiian flower leis as a symbol of honor and respect.

The historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk serves as our reception site and I can’t wait to take photos on the roller coaster! I’ll also dance a wedding hula choreographed especially for my groom.

I'm constantly processing the details of our upcoming nuptials and invite you to peek into this late blooming bride & groom's roller-coaster ride to the altar. Giant Dipper required!

Image via www.mercurynews.com / 

Photo credit Santa Cruz County CVC - Mark Barnes

Whew, that's a lot of info to digest! Not to worry, we'll slow things down over a cup or two going forward.

How about you? I'm excited to get to know you all better! What common ground do you share with us?