I Love Miami - Part Four

Dolphin Mall.

That's right, I said it. I love Dolphin Mall. 

I know many Miamians dislike this mall for various reasons...but I love it. 

It has all my favorite stores: Forever 21, Aldo, Charlotte Russe, Guess, W Shoes, Banana Republic, Express, Journey's, PacSun, Tilly's, BCBG...and many other great stores. My favorite part is that most of these stores are outlets. Yay! I love clothes and I love a good bargain. Therefore, this is the perfect mall for me. 

Another great addition to this mall is the Cinebistro. I was able to experience this posh new theater last week along with my husband and friends. I have to say that I was impressed. It's definitely the best way to watch a movie. Large comfy seats, yummy food, and no one under the age of 21! 

Yes, I will sing praises to the wonders of Dolphin Mall forever more...we'll see what kind of shopping North Carolina has to offer...

[Part One]

[Part Two]

[Part Three]

wordle

I discovered this website through a friend's blog...

I thought it was kinda neat. Basically it takes a bunch of text and makes some kind of huge word collage with it. You can either manually enter a bunch of text or submit a URL from a blog and it'll generate it for you. 

So THIS is what it made when I entered the URL for my blog...hoorah. 

wordle.net

our first home

I finally received an e-mail today from Southeastern Seminary regarding our housing assignment! 

I was beyond ecstatic to receive all the information and relieved that we officially have a place to live. *whew*

Now I've been reading all these great blogs on decorating and whatnot. Even though Alex and I have restrictions we have to work with [since, after all, we are renting from the seminary], we are trying to come up with some creative ways to make our apartment a reflection of our style. Some great resources are decor8 and apartment therapy. I love all the different designs featured on these sites and I appreciate that they are trying to be eco-friendly. Not that I know much about "being green" but I'm learning. 

And of course, ETSY, has a bunch of great finds. 

Just 23 more days until Alex and I begin our first great adventure as a married couple.

Polka Dot Bride

I was checking my "google analytics," which lets me know how many people are visiting my blog as well as some other interesting little facts.

Well, under the "Referring Sites" section, the number one site was polkadotbride.com

I found this to be odd since I have never even heard of this website. Apparently it is a blog run by a woman in Australia who loves weddings. So I was checking around the website but couldn't see a link for my blog anywhere. I decided to search my name and lo and behold, there I was!

Apparently she made a small blurb about my polka dot wedding dress! It's cool to know that someone on the other side of the world saw my dress and even posted about it. 

The internet certainly makes the world a very small place. 

pain

I'm not much of a wuss when it comes to medical procedures.

When nurses bring out the needles to take my blood or vaccinate me, I barely bat an eye. 

When I've had to endure anesthesia shots for various dental procedures, I did it without complaint and without wriggling in my chair. When I had lasik surgery, I was overjoyed, not scared. And when I fractured my wrist in tenth grade, I honestly don't remember crying. 

Again, I am not much of a wuss when it comes to medical procedures. Mostly because I like being called a "good patient." And because I know that the pain is fleeting. 

But THIS is different. I don't think I've ever had to endure anything quite like this. 

As you know, I scraped my right foot and knee pretty bad when I was in Greece. I didn't think it was a big deal. I've had my fair share of scrapes. One only needs to take a look at my left knee to see the nice-sized scar I have there. And I survived.

But apparently the abrasion is very deep and it's more like a "second-degree burn," according to the doctor. This means I am NOT allowed to grow a scab there...especially if it is white or yellow in color. I was not aware of this tidbit of information. And when I saw that I was finally beginning to form a scab, I was overjoyed! Until I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and she said that we couldn't have that. She had to scrub away all the scab and leave my wounds red and bleeding. It's literally the worst pain I've ever had to endure. And I am really thankful Alex was there to hold me and let me cry like a baby on his shoulder. 

The worst part is now she expects ME to do this to myself everyday...twice a day. Scrub away at my open wound until it is bloody and raw. Something about how it has to heal from the outside, in...yadda yadda yadda. This morning was my first attempt and I ended up not being about to take away all the white junk away from my knee because it was just stuck real good in there and I couldn't bring myself to pull at it anymore. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's just not natural for human beings to hurt themselves on purpose. Not natural. 

So I don't know what I'm going to do. I really can't do this to myself. Just thinking about it makes a knot form in my throat and tears well up in my eyes.

Now I have to make a follow up appointment at the Wound Care Center in South Miami Hospital...but I believe they're in the habit of NOT picking up their phone...it's quite irritating. 

Again, prayers would be really really appreciated. Even if you think I'm just being a wuss, pray that I won't be. 

I Love Miami - Part Three

It's been a while since I continued my series on all the different reasons I love Miami...but now that the craziness of the wedding and honeymoon is over, I can now focus on my blogging once again. Hoorah!

Probably the biggest reason I love Miami is because this is where my grandma is.

My abuelita [as I affectionately call her] has lived with my family since I was in elementary school. And for the past five years it's been just me and her in this big house. She's been spoiling me for years! Cooking all my favorite foods, sweeping up my room when I would forget, cooking all my favorite foods, helping me run errands, cooking all my favorite foods!

She truly has a servant's heart. I don't know anyone who will do so much for so little in return. She never complains either. She just goes through her day, making everyone around her comfortable, always keeping busy. She amazes me. I wish I were even half the woman she is.

Needless to say, I am going to miss her when we move to North Carolina. 

[Part One]

[Part Two]

The Honeymooners

We're back!

And it was fantastic. I honestly didn't want it to end. Going on a 12 day cruise in Europe is definitely the best way to become spoiled. There is delicious food 24/7, friendly and hilarious staff, beautiful cities to visit, tons of activities to participate in... I've been bitten by the cruise bug. I already told Alex that for our first anniversary I want to go on a cruise! 

We took over 2000 photos and will post the best ones on our website soon enough. We're still trying to get organized since we didn't receive our luggage until yesterday! [reasons why I hate checking luggage]

And since many of you are wondering why I'm in crutches I will now tell you.

The short story is: we had a minor motorscooter accident in Greece. I went flying off and got scraped up real good. It wasn't so bad at first...but then it got infected and swollen. So as soon as we landed in Miami I went straight to urgent care where they cleaned me up and wrapped up my leg...with instructions not to walk on it. They gave me a couple shots and put me on some meds. Unfortunately it seems I had a not so great reaction to the antibiotics and I now have a nasty rash on my face...believe me, it's gross. I pretty much hate it and want to crawl in a dark cave and never come out.

Not that I'm being overdramatic or anything. 

So forgive me if I don't feel much like hanging out in the next couple days. Hopefully this will all clear up soon and everything will be back to normal. Until then, prayer would be much appreciated!

And keep checking alexandkristel.com for any updates. :-)

a honeymooning we will go...

Today is the day!!!

We are finally leaving on our honeymoon! 

In a few hours we will be on our way to the airport, getting ready to board a plane to Madrid and then another to Rome, and then we'll ride in a shuttle to the port where we will reach our final destination! The Carnival Freedom. 

Here is our itinerary:

Day 1  Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy
Day 2  Naples, Italy
Day 3  At Sea
Day 4  Marmaris, Turkey
Day 5  Izmir, Turkey
Day 6  Istanbul, Turkey
Day 7  At Sea
Day 8  Piraeus, Athens, Greece
Day 9  Katakolon, Olympia, Greece.
Day 10  At Sea
Day 11  Livorno, Florence, and Pisa, Italy
Day 12  Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy
Day 13  Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy

We have a few excursions planned for some of the ports. I'm just really excited to experience all these new places with my new husband. 

On the way home we will make a stop in Madrid, Spain for a night to visit with my Tia Lani and her family. I hear my cousin will be playing a concert that night with his band; hopefully we'll be able to catch it.

We'll be home on Saturday the 28th [which is Alex's birthday, by the way]. So we will see you all then. We love you...and yes, we will bring back MANY pictures. 

checkers champ

Last weekend Brigitte and Thomas had their engagement party. It was a lot of fun. The food was great and we learned how to Greek dance! [since Thomas and his family are Greek]

But by far the highlight of the party was the game of Checkers.
Now, I'm no checkers whiz. I don't think I've ever won a game of checkers in my life. My brain just doesn't function in that way. However, the sun was smiling on me that day and I prevailed as Checkers Champ!

My first opponent was Anne Marie...and I'll admit it, she went easy on me...but that's not my fault! She chose her own moves. Alex stepped up next and I shut him down. Finally, David, the final authority on checkers, decided he was going to take me on. I was nervous, it's true, but in the end we had to call a tie. Which means I didn't lose! And so...I retire as champion. Never again will I play another game of checkers so that I may retain my title forevermore.

kristel acevedo

I'm slowly beginning the process of changing my last name. All I know is, there's a LOT of red tape involved...and I never did like red tape. 

To give me inspiration I now have a new e-mail address! Along with a new DotMac account. Yay! kristelacevedo@mac.com

So if you wish to communicate with me via e-mail, that would be your best shot.

Also, I have an appointment at the DMV to get my new license. 

We leave for our honeymoon on Saturday, so my little project will have to be put on hold. But when I get back I'll start the tedious process of getting a new passport, social security card, etc. 

Bleh. ;-)

spare time

I've never really been one to utilize my spare time wisely. 

I've wasted many summers away by watching tv, reaching the end of the internet, and just plain farting around. 

So I've really been praying to God to help me spend my time in a useful way. And so I've made myself a "to do" list...so far I've accomplished a great deal of things on it. I've still got a lot to go though. There are many things to get done before Alex and I leave for our honeymoon on Saturday; and since he's working it's up to me to make sure it all gets done. 

Another great blessing is that Alex's mom has given me an assignment to work on for her job. So even though I don't have an official job this summer, I have been provided a way to make some extra money. Good thing, because I have my eye on one of those new iPhones!

[ahem...if anyone is interested in purchasing my current iPhone, just holler at me...I'll give you a sweet deal]

Also I have been immensely inspired to create some beautiful things. I won't tell you exactly what I am going to create, but I will tell you that it involves buttons, wire, felt, paint, and wood. It's going to be fantastic. 

So hopefully by the time summer is over I will look back on it with fond memories and not with thoughts of, "how many effing Seinfeld episodes did I watch?!?!"

alexandkristel.com

It's here!

Alex and I have revamped our website. It's not much now; there's still a bit of work to be done. But we hope that it will be a link to our friends and family as we continue in our life together. We want to stay connected with everyone, but let's face it, not everyone is going to sign up for a facebook account.

So that's what this website is for...we will blog about the latest events, post pictures of all the new things we encounter, and maybe even share a few videos (perhaps an Mtv Cribs style video of our apartment in North Carolina?).

Bookmark alexandkristel.com and check back often for the update on the life of Alex and Kristel.

Our Musical Wedding Favors

There were so many little details about the wedding that I *love*.

It was all the little details that really made it special, I think. The his & hers Converse sneakers with the date on the back, Alex's "music note" cuff links, the record player groom's cake, the daisies, the polka dots, the pearls...the music!

One of my favorite things was our wedding favors. You have no idea how much we agonized over the wedding favors. At first I couldn't think of anything that truly represented us that we could give away. When I went searching through the internet, I found nothing. All the favors seemed so cheesy. Everything I came across seemed like something that NO ONE would appreciate. Finally, I decided to forget it. I wasn't about to waste money on cheesy favors that no one was going to want anyway.

Then...it hit me! (or really, I came across the idea on a web site)

We should make a CD filled with all our favorite (non-cheesy) love songs. We love music and we love sharing music with everybody, so this would be the perfect favor.

Alex found these cool vintage looking CDs.

Patty found these covers. [we chose the green ones to match our colors]

Steph designed the neat converse sneakers logo which we printed on stickers to keep the covers shut.

And we spent hours and hours copying and packaging the CDs. It was so worth it. :-)

I hope everyone was able to take one home. Here is the playlist if you want to know...

1. "And I Love Her" by the Beatles

2. "Something" by the Beatles

3. "Always Together" by Alex Acevedo

4. "All You Need is Love" by the Beatles

5. "You're My Best Friend" by Queen

6. "How Sweet It Is" by James Taylor

7. "Till There Was You" by Rod Stewart

8. "Love Song For You" by Mike Coia

9. "Digital Love" by Daft Punk

10. "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips

11. "All of You" by Ella Fitzgerald

12. "Such Great Heights" by Iron & Wine

13. "I Never" by Rilo Kiley

14. "Brighter Than Sunshine" by Aqualung

15. "To Be Alone With You" by Sufjan Stevens

16. "Ghostwriter Remix" by RJD2

17. "Noticed" by MuteMath

18. "I'm the Man who loves You" by Wilco

19. "Wrapped Up In You" by Garth Brooks

20. "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

It makes me really happy [and humbled] that so many people have expressed a love for the CD. Apparently people are ACTUALLY listening to it...more than once. And that gives me so much joy. It's good to know that something you worked so hard on is appreciated.

Oh and if you haven't seen the photo slideshow, I don't know what you're waiting for!

Maloman Wedding Photos!

Our photographer, Stephan Maloman, posted up some photos from the wedding!!!

They are gorgeous! I couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. He is extremely talented...I can't say enough about how amazing his talent is. 

So I'll just let the pictures to the talking. 

Ch-Click.

And here's the slideshow. 

The Perfect Wedding

We're married!!!

I can hardly believe it. I have a husband. Alex has a wife. What is this world coming to???

Seriously, so far, married life is GREAT. Sure, it's only been two days...but it's been an amazing two days. 

It has to be said that Alex and I had the perfect wedding. Everything went according to plan, thank God. 

It all started with the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. Everyone was on time at the church and the rehearsal went smoothly. Then the dinner at La Locanda was delicious and heart warming. I hope to post pictures up on the website very soon! 

Saturday came and I was cool as a cucumber. I really thought I would be a nervous wreck...but I wasn't. Why would I be? I was going to marry the love of my life. I was able to sleep late and take my time getting ready.

(Also, Alex sent over the greatest wedding present with his mom...a Yashica Mat EM TLR...I love it! I sent him a microkorg.)

Once the show got started it was all very exciting. From where I was waiting to walk down the aisle I could hear the strings and organ playing "And I Love Her" by the Beatles. It sounded beautiful! After our moms and the girls walked in...it was my turn. They began playing, "Something" by the Beatles and my dad and I made our way down the aisle. 

Pastor Dave did such a great job officiating the ceremony. He was hilarious and sweet and he said all the right things. Our grandmothers read the most beautiful scriptures out of Genesis and Colossians. When Alex played the song he wrote for me, I almost cried. Almost. I had to hold back, didn't wanna ruin my make up. ;-) 

The song was perfect. The perfect reflection of our relationship. Thank you for that wonderful gift, my love. 

The ceremony went on...Alex read his vows off his iPhone, while I kept it old school (pulling the small piece of paper out of my bra). We exchanged rings, lit the unity candle, and before you knew it Pastor Dave uttered those magical words, "You may now kiss the bride."

And in came the strings and organ with "All You Need is Love" by the Beatles. Beautiful moment. 

And I'm happy to say that the webcasting went flawlessly. We were able to read the chat later on and it was funny to see what you all were chatting about as the ceremony went on. 

The rest of the night was a whirlwind! We shot photos with the BEST photographer in South Florida. We danced to great music. We ate delicious food. We enjoyed two amazing cakes. We laughed. 

In case you're wondering, here are the special songs of the night...

Bridal Party Introduction: "Flathead" by The Fratellis

Husband/Wife Introduction: "You're My Best Friend" by Queen

Father/Daughter Dance: "Till There Was You" by Rod Stewart

Mother/Son Dance: "How Sweet It Is" by James Taylor

First Dance: "Love Song for You" by Mike Coia

Cake Cutting: "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard 

Bouquet Toss: "Love Is A Battlefield" by Pat Benatar

Garter Removal: "I Belong To You" by Lenny Kravtiz

Garter Toss: "Nothing But A Good Time" by Poison

Putting the Garter on: "Do You Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart

Last Song: "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

(By the way, I know I'm not the only one who thought it was FANTASTIC when Francisco caught the garter...way to go Sisco!)

The band (Toolbox...Alex's former band from the Lighthouse) was amazing! Everyone loved them. They really got the party started. I was so happy they played for us. There really is nothing like live music...especially when they're as talented as this bunch. 

The DJ played for the rest of the night...and I was thankful that there was no cheesiness! Just good music. I danced all night. That rarely happens...but hey, you only get married once...so you've gotta live it up. 

We had the best wedding. It was great. Everything was perfect.

Thanks to everyone who came...everyone who helped...everyone who worked...everyone who danced...everyone who cried (I know who you are)...everyone that had a great time. 

Thank you!

Alex's mom has posted some photos here.

My sister has posted some here and here.

And soon Maloman will post some here. [he already has two teaser photos!]

Anyone else have photos? Let me know!

Webcasting Our Wedding

It's officially official. Alex and I will be broadcasting our wedding over the internet live!

This is really exciting news because there are many people who will not be able to make it to the ceremony. Now these people won't be left out and they can still participate in our special day. 

If you ever find yourself in need of broadcasting something over the internet...all you need is a camera, wifi, and stickam. It's really very easy. 

If you are unable to attend our wedding ceremony but would still like to see us tie the knot, all you have to do is get yourself in front of a computer with internet on Saturday at 4PM (eastern time) and click on over to our website. Everything is all ready for you. All you have to do is show up. 

We hope you are able to share this amazing day with us. 

...almost there...

I've been neglecting the wonderful world of blogger because I've just been too busy with all the wedding details. I really didn't realize there would be so much to do at the last minute. However...we are ALMOST there! Just five more days and the big day will be upon us. 

Everyone has been so wonderful. My sister and friends threw me a great bachelorette party last Friday. Alex had a blast at his bachelor party. My mom is in town and has been running errands and making flower arrangements, etc. Alex is working hard on designing things and trying to set up a camera to broadcast the wedding over the internet (we'll see if we can make it happen). 

Basically everyone is doing their part to make this wedding happen!

Forgive me if you don't hear from me for the rest of the week. Hope you all are doing great...and when you think of us, send up a little prayer that we keep our sanity!

Twenty-Three

In the midst of all this wedding craziness I almost forgot about my birthday...almost.

In six days I'll be 23 years old! I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. 

After all, I think getting married is pretty much the best birthday present ever. But a friend reminded me that I shouldn't let this occasion go by with a little celebration. So I'm having a small gathering of friends at Samurai on Friday...my favorite restaurant! I love the hibachi steak, the fried rice, the amazing shrimp sauce! I can't wait. 

And on Sunday Alex is taking me to Joe's Stone Crab. I've never eaten there before...but I hear good things! My sister and her new husband will be joining us. I'm really looking forward to it. 

By the way, if you're feeling generous, I really *love* Urban Outfitters gift cards. ;-)

Or just plain Hallmark cards. Those are great. 

mini vacation!

I'm off this weekend to Lake Placid!

Between work and last minute wedding preparations I'm ready to pull my hair out!

So thankfully, Anne Marie has invited a group of us to her family home in Lake Placid for a great weekend of relaxation, friends, and food!

:-) I welcome the serenity that awaits me there.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend...and happy mother's day! (for those who qualify)

spray painted hearts

For a little less than a year now I've been noticing these hearts all around Miami. I see them everywhere...spray painted in various parts of the city. Kendall, South Miami, the Gables...everywhere! 

I'm convinced that there's some hopeless romantic delinquent running around Miami at the wee hours of the morning spray painting hearts to show their affections for their one and only. Picture it...it's great. 

Has anyone else seen these? Take a look around, they're everywhere. 

Let me know any interesting theories you might have on where these things come from...