Crushing on these...

Maybe for one of our anniversaries? We can renew our vows...because I died when I saw these!

(Source: Andrew English Jewelry via Oh, Hello Friend)
How amazing are these fingerprint wedding bands? SERIOUSLY?! I'm in love. So unique and tailored to you because they'll have YOUR fingerprints!

Thirty Days of Me - Day 30

Day 30: My favorite song

It's Day 30! Hooray!! I made it! Phew!

So my favorite song. I have a lot of favorite songs. But the one that sticks out in my mind right now is this one: "Honestly" by Ekolu. The hubby and I are huge fans of Hawaiian music and Ekolu is one of my favorite groups. "Honestly" is the song we danced to at our wedding. It's very near and dear to us.

I've enjoyed sharing little bits of me. It's helped me blog better and more frequent. I hope to keep it up. Hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as I have! Thanks for sticking with me. =)

Thirty Days of Me - Day 29

Day 29: What I've learned this past month

(source)

What I learned in September...

- how to sew better
- my husband, family and friends are pretty much amazing... but that, I already knew.
- I may just finish this blog challenge!
- God is always on time. =)

Thirty Days of Me - Day 28

Day 28: A picture of me last year and now. What's changed?

Then: My 30th birthday at Walt Disney World. Now: (ish) Our first anniversary dinner.
Not much has really changed from last year and now. My hair is a bit longer and I'm a year older, but I still wear those glasses, I still make goofy faces, and I'm still as happy and blessed as can be. =)

Thirty Days of Me - Day 27

Day 27: Why I'm doing this 30-day Challenge 

(source)

I began this as a challenge to myself, to see if I could really go through with it. Seeing as though I start things with the best of intentions and never seem to finish them. I was doing well for most of this, even with a couple of skipped days along the way. And here I am in the home stretch! I'm almost there. So I'm pretty stoked that I'm actually going to get through and finish something! I also started this as a way to interact with readers of this blog. There have been a few of you that have commented, and I thank you for that! I hope that we continue to correspond and I hope that I've kept you entertained in some way. Thanks for sticking with me! I really do appreciate it!

Thirty Days of Me - Day 26

Day 26: What you think about your friends

I think...

...I have the greatest friends anyone could ask for! They're important pieces in the puzzle of my life. I love them all to bits and I thank God for placing them in my life. I'm truly blessed. ♥

Thirty Days of Me - Day 25

Day 25: What you would find in my bag

(Yes, I have a huge bag... I'm one of "those" girls)
Here's the skinny:
- Bag from Tar-jay. Xhiliration, maybe? I forget...
- moleskine journal
- Shapie Pens (my FAVE! I have one in my pocketbook, too)
- bobby pins (you can't tell, but they're on top of the journal)
- Dakine pocketbook
- C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint from Bath & Body Works
- Chapstick Fresh Effects
- PINK with a Splash: Fresh & Clean body spray
- CleanWell Hand Sanitizer spray
- sunglasses case
- Fuji Instax Mini
- extra Instax Film
- small notepad (I heart lists)
- small flashlight
- Sony Cybershot (used to take this pic)

Whew! This was actually a good excuse for me to clean out my bag... It was also littered with various receipts! What's in you bag?

Thirty Days of Me - Day 24

Day 24: A letter to your parents
To my wonderful parents,
I really can't thank you both enough for instilling in me a faith that keeps me strong. You 've provided me with everything and more. Your unconditional love is amazing to say the least. Dad, I miss you more than life. And mom, I love you more each day. Thank you both for loving me.
♥ ~h

Thirty Days of Me - Day 23

Day 23: Something you crave for a lot

Goodness me. I crave this SO much. This food masterpiece, ladies and gents, is the Mexican Bubble Roll from my favorite sushi place, Nagoya Sushi. It's UH-mazing. (For all of you Orlando locals, if you love sushi--there's no better sushi place in Orlando than Nagoya. Trust me.) This delicious roll has shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese, spicy mayo, and tempura crunchies... it's to die for! Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard...

Thirty Days of Me - Day 22

Day 22: What makes you different from everyone else?

I'm pretty speshul. What makes me different? Let's see...I can hyperextend both my elbows. Funny pictures come naturally. I'm speshul. I married an equally speshul man. I love celebrating differences, because normal gets boring! Celebrate your differences! =)

Thirty Days of Me - Day 21

Day 21: A picture of something that makes you happy

(All images from We Heart It: here, here, here, and here)
Chocolate. Need I say more? What makes you happy?

Thirty Days of Me - Day 20

Day 20: Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

(From our engagement session. Photography by the insanely talented Jana Morgan)
No brainer here! I'm already married to the one I see my future with! He's the funniest, kindest, most loving person. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to call my husband. I'm truly blessed and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

Thirty Days of Me - Day 19

Day 19: Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Let's see... Nicknames. I have a ton. I don't even know where to begin!

Tok Neneng: This is what I grew up being called, from my childhood days in the Philippines. "Neneng" is another word for little girl in Tagalog. And I'm not exactly sure where "Tok" came from, because that's not a word at all. As I grew older, Tok Neneng just got shortened to Tok. My dad was the only one that really called me that, so it's pretty dear to me.

Hazzle Razzle Dazzle: This came out of nowhere. I think I was in high school. A friend of mine came up with it. Didn't really catch on after high school until...

HAH-zul: What my adorable sister-in-law calls me. She's so precious. She can't pronounce "Hazel" normally, so she says it "HAH-zul." And I'm always greeted with: "Oh, hi, HAH-zul!" I love it. It's stuck. And my mother-in-law sometimes shortens it and calls me "Hahz."

Hay-sel: Just because it's the way my name sounds when my mom says it, in her Filipino accent. hee hee!

Do you have any nicknames? I'd love to hear 'em, so please feel free to share! =)

Thirty Days of Me - Day 18

Day 18: Plans/dreams/goals you have
This post is a couple of days late. Sigh...

(source)

My Plans:

- Finish my Thirty Days of me, sidetracks and all!
- FINALLY fold and put away my daunting pile of clean laundry!
- Clean my house to get it ready for my guests that are coming in a few weeks.
- Keep up with going to the gym again.

My Dreams:

- Living it up in Hawaii with the hubby and raising our ohana.
- Be a successful freelancer so I can provide for said ohana.
- Have a successful Etsy shop.
- Be healthier.

My Goals:

- Save money.
- Lose some weight.
- Again, just be healthier, so I can enjoy life more.

What are your plans/dreams/goals?

The lovliest surprise

I got the best surprise in the mail today from my best friend in Savannah. It was certainly the loveliest and most thoughtful surprise I've ever gotten. (Sorry for the poor quality of my phone photo. The bracelet reads: "in God's time.")

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  ~Jeremiah 29:11

I am so grateful for you and I thank the Lord for placing you in my life. I love you so much! I am truly blessed.

Thirty Days of Me - Day 17

Day 17: Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

(Source)
This was a tough one. I couldn't come up with an answer right away. I think I'd like to switch lives with Steve Jobs, If only for the free Apple products. But only on the condition that I get to keep said free Apple products when my switch day was over...and that my wardrobe consist of more than jeans and black turtlenecks! ahahahaha

Who would you switch lives with for a day?

Thirty Days of Me - Day 16

Day 16: Another picture of yourself

This was me, circa 1983, I think... This picture just makes me laugh, mainly because I looked like a little boy in practically all of my baby pictures! =D

Thirty Days of Me - Day 15

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

(Source)
In this case, I put my iTunes on shuffle... Here's what I got.
1. You Found Me - Kelly Clarkson
2. The Little Things - Colbie Caillat
3. So High - John Legend
4. These Hard Times - Matchbox 20
5. So What - P!nk
6. Morning Ride - Fiji
7. One Heart, One Sound - Kawao
8. Dirty Diana - Michael Jackson
9. Something (Beatles Remake) - Barefoot Natives
10. Hold Me Tight - Evan Rachel Wood (from the Across the Universe Soundtrack)

What's your shuffle mix?

Thirty Days of Me - Day 14

Day 14: A picture of you and your family

My wonderful family. This photo isn't just your normal everyday photo of my family. It's special to me for so many reasons.

This picture was taken right after my dad graduated from nursing school. It was a special nursing program specifically designed for foreigners with medical degrees in their respective countries, given by Florida International University. My dad was once a doctor in the Philippines, a cardiologist to be exact. But he left that life behind in order to move his family here to the US. He never returned to practice medicine, but we always knew he missed it. When this opportunity from FIU opened up, we all thought it was his chance to get back into medicine, even if it wasn't to be a doctor.

My dad quit his job as a heart monitor technician at Orlando Health and both my parents moved to Clearwater so that my dad could be a full-time student in this program. It left my mother to be my family's sole income provider. So we as a family sacrificed for almost two years for all of that to culminate to this day, the day this picture was taken. We were all so proud of him! He was one of the oldest in his class, but at 58, he did it!

We had no idea that this picture would be the last family picture we would ever take all together. Sadly, almost two months later, my father passed away unexpectedly. I never got the chance to say a last goodbye, let alone tell him how much I loved (and still love) him. And although it's been almost two years, a part of me is still shattered by this loss. (Oh my. I just got done saying that I like to keep things light on this blog! It's just hard not to get choked up and serious when I talk about my dad.)

But I--no, WE--carry on. My mom, my brothers and I, and all who knew and love him carry his memory in our hearts. We get through the days, months and years knowing that he was a wonderful, caring and humble man, whose faith in his Lord and Savior never wavered. I am the daughter and wife that I am today because of him.

I love you, Daddy! I'll always be your little girl.

Thirty Days of Me - Day 13

Day 13: A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
I haven't had anyone hurt me recently. In fact, I think it would be too personal for me to write any letter to any person that has hurt me. I like to keep things as light as possible here... So instead, I'm writing a letter of appreciation to....

YOU! Yes, you! =)

Dearest Two Weas in a Pod blog reader,

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time out to read this and my ramblings. I truly appreciate it more than you will ever know. We may or may not know each other outside of the blogosphere, but I'm still grateful for you just the same. If there is anything else you would like to know about me, other than what I've relayed already, please feel free to drop me an email {mhmc79 [at] gmail}. I hope I've kept you entertained and I hope you'll continue to stop by. =)

Your friend,
HazelWea

Thirty Days of Me - Day 12

Day 12: How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Bloggity, blog, Blogger... I found out about Blogger through one of my besties. She started her personal blog shortly after she got married. And I followed suit a few months later.

I started this blog as a way to keep family and friends in the loop as to what's going on in our "Wea" little world. It's slowly evolved into little spurts of inspiration here and there mixed in with news from our little frontier.

Tell me about you! Why did you start your blog? =)

Thirty Days of Me - Day 11

Day 11: Another picture of you and your friends

This picture was taken at Universal CityWalk's Rising Star Karaoke. I love it simply because it reflects how kooky my friends and I are. We're a fun bunch of crazies.

Remembrance.

(Source)
I remember where I was nine years ago today. Like all of us, I was in disbelief and absolutely glued to the television. I didn't see the first plane hit the first tower, but I watched in horror as the second plane flew into the second tower. I cried. I wasn't home, but I immediately called home to let my dad know that I was safe. And to say how sorry I was for having let our relationship get strained.

I was so proud of how we as Americans stood together as a country. I cried for the men and women who lost their lives and for their families. I was so proud of the brave firefighters and police officers who didn't hesitate to go and help others and lost their lives in the process. As the wife of a firefighter, I'm grateful for their courage more than ever--because I know that selflessness firsthand.

Take the time out today to let your family know you love them, because life is precious and fleeting. And cherish the freedom that we have. Take comfort in knowing that the events of September 11, 2001 did not shatter us. Rather, we are all stronger for it.

I love Pugly Pixel

If you haven't checked out Pugly Pixel yet, you're missing out! It's a wonderful blog, chock full of creative inspiration! Katrina Tan is the lovely mind behind Pugly Pixel and she is always kind enough to share freebies and tutorials to all of us out there in the blog world. She's amazing. I'm pretty stoked about her upcoming Blog e-course.

(Source: Pugly Pixel)
Today, she's sharing these awesome Photoshop overlays. Aren't they pretty? And they're easy to use... see?

Hop on over to Pugly Pixel and have a look around. You're sure to fall in love with her blog and style just like I did!