I laughed so hard because Ella (who is only 5 years old) perfectly drew each character. From left to right: Spongebob, Patrick, Mr. Crabs, Squidward, Sandy and Pearl. When I asked her what the cone things were on their heads, she answered, “Party hats”. When I asked where Plankton was and why he wasn’t in the picture she said, “He’s evil”.

blog credits:

http://www.stylishbase.com/product/Night-Moves-2011-Modest-Prom-Dress-6321M.html

http://www.jenmagazine.com/modest-prom/2006/01/ideas-and-examples.asp

http://www.tjformaldresses.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

http://postinor.co.cc/2008-modest-prom-dresses.html

http://in-wedding.onsugar.com/date/2010/12/3

http://www.perfectboutiques.com/blog/what-is-expensive-prom-dress/

http://cncutie.en.made-in-china.com/product/QbJmLNxVvhkW/China-2011-New-Modest-Evening-Dress-Prom-Gown-50256.html

http://mormonlife.com/story/63641-lifestyle-vogue-and-virtue-modest-prom-dresses

http://www.prom-dresses2009.com/modest-prom-formal-bridesmaid-gowns/

http://www.mydress4less.com/home.php?cat=514

http://prom.about.com/od/formalfashionforgirls/ig/Modest-Prom-Dresses/Fluttery-Sleeve-Dress.htm

http://www.poshgirlvintage.com/

http://www.unique-vintage.com/prom-dresses-authentic-vintage-prom-dresses-c-225_329.html

http://www.vintagedressesoutlet.com/

However, trying to find a modest wedding dress is quite a challenge. Since all my daughters are a bit obsessed with finding the perfect wedding dress (I wonder where they got that from), the frequent comment I hear is, ‘That’s really pretty, but it’s not modest’. Sigh.

One night during a bout of insomnia, I decided to browse for wedding gowns that would be acceptable for my girls to wear. Yes, my oldest is not yet a teenager, but hey…it never hurts to prepare for the future, right? Just as long as it is in the distant future.

Interestingly enough, some really pretty and modern designs popped up during my search. And lots of them my girls really liked. So I figured I would share them here and let you know that the quest for the stylishly modern, yet vintage inspired, fashion forward, maybe a bit avant garde, modest but still a smidge sexy (eeek! I cringe hearing that word associated with my children!) wedding dress has begun. Please let it continue for at least the next 15 years or so before I have to buy one!!!

websites I liked:

http://www.abigailwrightdesigns.com/
http://www.ianstuart-bride.com/
http://www.allurebridals.com/allure-modest-gallery.html
http://www.latterdaybride.com/modest-wedding-dresses.php
http://www.altamodabridal.com/temple-ready

the first two dresses shown were my favorites…

blog credits:

http://www.weddingdressgown.org/wedding-dress/wedding-dress-with-sleeves.html

http://the-weddingvendors.com/modest-wedding-gowns/

http://fashionsaccess.blogspot.com/2010/08/modest-wedding-gowns.html

http://blog.topons.com/index.php/tag/wedding-dresses-2/

http://dressupforwedding.com/wedding-dresses-with-sleeves/modest-wedding-dresses-with-sleeves

hopefully I got them all!

We first stayed in Playa del Carmen at a backpackers hotel a block away from the beach…it was also right next to the best tasting quesadillas and horchata….mmmm yummm! A 5 minute walk to us to a smoothie shack where we had our breakfast every morning. We then moved to a condo in Cancun where we stayed on the 17th floor…just a bit too high for my taste :) But it did provide a great view!!! Both Gerardo and I prefer Playa del Carmen though. Its like comparing shopping at a thrift store to Louis Vuitton and 9 times out of 10 you will find me at the thrift store…

We worked most of the time, so there was only one afternoon where we actually got to relax and act like tourists…going back is definitely on our to do list!

below is what my living room looks like in my dreams…, built in book shelves that cannot hold all the novels i own, big windows…HUGE windows, old, rustic furniture…the only thing i would change is the couches…i love leather, soft and worn and perfect to snuggle in :) but other than that, pretty much right on the money!

~angela

some other images that jumped out at me are below…the textures and lines of the lofts are super appealing to both gerardo and i…and i LOVE that bookcase in the stairwell!!!! if i could have my way, my house would be FULL of built in bookshelves!

actually i totally fell in love with the room below…maybe its ’cause i have four girls and would love to be able to fit them ALL into one room :)

~angela

Below are some of my favorite gowns they are currently offering…too bad I don’t have millions of extra cash floating around as well as a size 20 waist…I could buy the whole website out! Some of these gowns are just to die for…

I LOVE the gown below! Its completely avant garde and has its own flair that seems absolutely timeless. I feel like you could wear this today and no one would know that it came from nearly a century ago…

I love both of the gowns below…the black Sophia Gimbel is so beautiful with all of that lace and tulle.

The white one looks like a wedding dress that I could find in a bridal magazine today…I couldn’t believe that it was really from the 1940′s!

How could you ever go wrong with an Oleg Cassini gown? Iconic Jaqueline Kennedy style with both of these dresses…

I am really drawn to the dress on the left because it reminds me so much of the current Claire Pettibone gowns…all of that gorgeous lace and that beautiful big flower…

The dress on the right was interesting to me because its design was something I hadn’t seen before. I love the strips of satin and lace hanging from the neckline…and the strip hanging from the waist makes it perfectly balanced to me. And, of course, I love the ruffled hemline :)

The dress on the left is stunning!!! Pink flowers draping from shoulder to waist?! How freakin’ awesome!

I really love the simplicity of the gown on the left…clean lines, not a lot of detail, but beautiful in a sort of ethereal way.

I just loved both of these dresses…the one on the left reminds me of a gown the lead actress in the ‘Rocketeer’ wore…I loved that movie as a kid and I remember wanting a dress just like that!

The Victorian Era seriously had some of the most beautiful clothing styles…I would never have wanted to wear a corset, but it almost makes it worth it if you get to wear one of the dresses like the ones below. The one on the right is so beautiful! All of that rich lace and intricate beading…and the one on the the left has a cool waistband that I fell in love with…I like how it cinches the waist and then drapes to the side.

The Flapper Era was super awesome! Satin, beading and lace rocked the house…seriously, how cool is that beaded butterfly?

Mmmmmm…love these dresses! That yellow one is oh so oo-la-la!!!

I adore the red lace on the gown below! And though I am not really a fan of halter tops, on this dress it really doesn’t bug me.

The yellow one is AH-MAZING! Seriously! Look at all of that satin! It looks just like Belle’s dress from ‘Beauty and the Beast!’ What girl wouldn’t want to wear that?!

These two dresses are so similar, and yet so different. I am automatically drawn to the one on the right since I prefer the neckline and the color…but I really love the waistline of the pink gown on the left…nice and linear :)

The last six gowns are all about TULLE! How fun are these?! Tulle is the epitome of girly (at least for me). I love it cause it always seems to make things softer and more feminine, yet playful and fun at the same time.

I love all of these gowns…the two white wedding gowns are both beautiful…

The pink and purple party dresses are too much fun…reminds me of ‘Back to the Future’…I always wanted one of those dresses :)

Hey Fer! THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to come up here and teach me!!! I learned so much that my head is still swimming… THANK YOU!!! What can I say? You are so awesome! You were so open with all of your knowledge and information, something that is truly rare in this business. I loved watching you in action…something that I wish I could watch more of! When I shot Marcie and Isaac on Tuesday, I really tried to think out of the box and shoot creatively. I kept trying to looking for the unobvious, adjusting my perscepctive of what I could actually see. The shooting techniques you showed me really were phenomenal!! I kept thinking of all your phrases: put them in the corner, look for the unobvious, get rid of the unwanted elements, get lower…get higher…everything was so helpful! I also learned so much about how to see light…the light metering technique you showed me was awesome! I used it to see light in a whole different way. I never used to look for light patterns before and now I try to see the way light falls on a wall or through a window and how I can use it to my advantage. I am still a portrait shooter, and probably will be forever, but you helped me see that there are different angles that can help make an image more than just a pretty picture, it can become a work of art.

More importantly, you gave me a renewal of creativity…I have long admired your work and have been a fan for ages. Just being around you for a couple of days reminded me that this job is supposed to be fun! You exude a vitality and passion for your work…one of the most memorable things you said to me was that your wife never says to Maya that you are going to work…she says ‘Daddy is going to do what he loves.’ When you talked about planting that seed early on in our children, it really impacted me. I get all teary-eyed emotional just thinking about that. I am always trying to balance work and family and always have my children foremost in my mind with every business choice I make. So, even though that wasn’t one of my goals, I actually learned a lot from you on how to truly enjoy and love what I do.

Wth all of my heart, THANK YOU! And thank you to your sweet wife and daughter for sharing you with the world. I know that you have many demands on your time and that you travel lots…hearing about your wife and the way she supports and encourages you really inspired me! I can’t wait to meet this incredible woman that you were lucky enough to marry :) And I have to say that my kids all loved you as well! Abby still thinks its funny the way you sing all the time, and the first thing Ella said on Tuesday morning was ‘Where is the funny guy?’ Hehehe!!! And I know Gerardo loves hanging out with you too!

I wish you lots of success and many blessings in your future… for sure you will always have a friend in the Garmendia family! See you at Boda F in the fall :)

Thanks!

Angela G.

so when eddie and marissa pulled up to this gorgeous field of lavender flowers, i shrieked with absolute joy and started clapping my hands like a four year old!!! love, love, love it!!!

these came straight out of the camera with no additional work in photoshop.