Bridal Shower

Unexpected showers of rain, countless handmade decorations, fresh baked pastries, a whirlwind of vendors....what could go wrong?  Well, absolutely nothing.  My wonderful bridesmaids ensured that I would have the most perfect bridal shower, and they delivered!  I'm the luckiest bride-to-be because these creative women fulfilled my every requests and wishes (no matter how crazy it sounded).  Josie, the maid-of-honor, even

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Bridal Shower Etsy Gift Registry

I have been notified by my Maid of Honor that the bridal shower invitations will be mailed shortly this week.  For those asking about the gift registry, please go to the below link or search on Etsy for the registery "Cat Tran and Rich Lenke": http://www.etsy.com/registry/MjM3Nzk2MXwxMDU1NDIxMA/ Thank you in advance for your attendance and gifts!

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A Howling Birthday

Not only did I spend my 27th birthday with friends playing arcade games like kids at a bar and enjoyed the best yakitori dinner with family, I got to live out my dream of dancing with wolves!  Rich took me to the Wolf Mountain Sanctuary in Lucerne Valley on Sunday to feed, pet, and frolic with these majestic creatures.  To

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Trains and Adventure

Notte Sento is a romantic Italian story that is brief yet so sweet.  The short film was created by Daniel Napolitano with more than 4500 still photographs on his Canon EOS 30D.  Like our engagement photos, some of the film was shot in a train station.  There is something so enchanting about the train station to me.  Perhaps it is

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Rex Yu Photography

Our friend and photographer, Rex Yu, has his website up and running so if you are interested in having a professional photographer for a special occasion like we did for our engagement....he is a must!  We have received so many compliments for the photos and we have him to thank for it.  Check out his website at http://www.rexyuphotography.com/

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Bridal Brunch

Two days ago, I gathered my dearest girlfriends and cousin for brunch to pop them the question...."Will you be my bridesmaid?" and lucky for me, they all said "Oui oui!" Macaron trinket boxes with "oui oui" wire rings  We even video chatted with Jenny all the way from South Carolina! It may have taken me months to gather these twelve

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Cooking with Rich and Cat: Fresh Ravioli

Though fresh pasta is better than any dry pasta, the work to obtain the thin sheets can be quite exhausting on Rich who has to use the squeaky hand crank of the pasta machine.  To remedy this issue, Rich purchased the Kitchenaid Pasta Attachment to make our lives easier.  Not only did it save his hands from injury, it also

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My Favorite French Movies

As promised, here is a list of my top ten favorite french movies.  I know many are weary of foreign films as it means having to to read subtitles but I recommend all of you to embrace the French culture and expose yourself to the French language if you're coming to France with us :] 1. Amélie (and anything with

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Cooking with Rich and Cat: Viet Edition

As much as I enjoy cooking a variety of dishes from different cultures, it always comes back to my roots.  Vietnamese cuisine is my favorite because it encompasses savory flavors from meats/seafood and freshness of herbs.  Though it is not the easiest to prepare because of the abundance of ingredients required (which usually mean long drives to Orange County for

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Engagement Photos

We had a great time running around Union Station taking photos with Rex, Destiny, and John.  This was our first professional photo shoot, and I had no idea how difficult looking natural could be!  My day started with getting to Sara Gasparotto’s house at 6am to get my hair and makeup done.  I couldn’t be happier with how the look

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