Operation: Wedding Dress

Posted by Liana at 8:52 PM

My friend Jen had what she referred to as "Operation: Green Dress" earlier this year. It was her way of quantifying and making a goal for toning up and slimming down and dropping those last few pesky pounds. In the end, it was a huge success and she felt great in her green bridesmaid dress.

Today after church, Kimberly and I headed over to a bridal boutique in Buckhead (which will remain nameless for Mike's benefit of having NO hints about the dress, as per his request). My dress should be arriving in January, however I needed to order my accessories so they'll also arrive in plenty of time. My dress fit better today than it did four months ago which is a great sign I'm headed in the right direction... BUT it's time to kick it up a notch.




Any ideas on tips and tricks for "Operation: Wedding Dress"??? So far I have:

1. Eat more protein and veggies, less sugar!! (my weakness!!)
2. Go to gym 3 days a week for weight training
3. 30 Minutes of cardio 4 days a week
4. Detox THIS week starting tomorrow!
5. Go to 15 dance classes in December 2008 at Dance 101 - fun!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Posted by Liana at 11:48 PM

...it's been raining cats and dogs for the past few days... so much so that it's turned me and Mikey into certified couch-potatoes. I MUST admit I'm enjoying it. Thanksgiving was the first time we went to the movies together since we got engaged in July!

We got our Bond fix in the theaters


...then devoured Once (won an Oscar for it's AWESOME soundtrack!!)....


...then tonight we vegged out again in between some wedding-planning and work... to Tropic Thunder which I think was my least favorite of the three, but still pretty intriguing to watch to see all the parodies and how Robert Downey JR transformed in the end.



I think if this rain doesn't let up soon I may be having a movie-marathon!!

Black Friday Sale on DVDs!

Posted by Liana at 11:35 AM

Hi Liana,
You are a huge part of my growth as a fiscally responsible person. I gave myself your DVDs for Christmas last year, devoured them during down time, and am now enjoying a 60% growth in my business. Thanks for the inspiration.

***CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS***

Just Watch

Posted by Liana at 1:29 AM

Three-minute stop-motion love story by Carlos Lascano. A couple of pencil-outlined birds escape from a little girl´s drawing, leading us through the life she dreams of.

A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION from Carlos Lascano on Vimeo.

Nature Boy

Posted by Liana at 8:41 PM

My mom went to visit my grandma this week and brought back a bunch of their music... so we are cooking dinner with the fire crackling, listening to some great tunes, including "Nature Boy" by Natalie Cole. Love it!


There was a boy...
A very strange enchanted boy

They say he wondered very far, very far
Over land and sea

A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he

And then one day
One magic day, passed my way

And as we spoke of many things,
Fools and kings,
This he said to me

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
is just to love and be loved in return"

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
is just to love and be loved in return"

The first time I heard this song it was via the movie "Moulin Rouge" which reminds me Baz Luhrmann has a new movie out today!

Gergana and Kevin's Engagement

Posted by Liana at 11:56 PM

This evening I met up with Gergana and Kevin for their engagement session and we had some GORGEOUS light despite the quickly-dropping temperatures!

Gergana loves the camera (and I must say it loves her back) and Kevin had tons of great suggestions for locations and backdrops so they made quite the team for a great shoot!

Here are a few of my favorites:











***CLICK HERE TO VIEW THEIR ENGAGEMENT SIGNATURE GUEST BOOK***

Turkey Week!

Posted by Liana at 3:31 PM

I'm so excited it's Thanksgiving week!! Among many other things, this means Turkey, Turkey, Turkey!! Can you tell I'm just a little bit thrilled it's time for turkey dinner?? It MAY just be my all-time favorite meal. I may have to hit up Boston Market in the meantime I'm craving it so bad!

Must. Get. Work. Done.... so I can go pick up the ingredients I need for later this week. It's my first time hosting a family holiday at my house, ever!!



I think I'm going to be daring and try a new sweet potato recipe. Anyone have a good one??

KImberly B is now Kimberly D!

Posted by Liana at 10:02 PM

Can you believe I actually DID NOT photograph a wedding I was at/in?? I realized about half-way through the reception that I'd failed to go back to the main house where the gals had gotten ready to grab my camera... and MISSED my chance to get some more shots of Kimberly and Jason's wedding! Ugg!

Well, I DID grab just a few in the getting ready room... here's one of Kimberly putting on her veil and then taking a look for the first time in the mirror all done up. It was quite the emotional moment!



Everything turned out beautifully and I can't wait to link up some of their official pics when they are up! Sara and Brandy did a great job I'm sure!

Best Friends Wedding Today!

Posted by Liana at 9:45 AM

We are up in Bethlehem, GA today for Kimberly and Jason's wedding... just starting to get ready!

Low Country Boil Rehearsal Dinner

Posted by Liana at 9:33 AM

Last night, Kimberly's Aunt and Uncle hosted their rehearsal dinner up here in Bethlehem, GA which turned out to be a blast. They did a low country boil which I've never experienced before and the spices are yummy!

The gals stayed in their in-law suite over night and this AM I found an internet signal so here are a few quick pics from last night:

Their house is HUGE and gorgeous. Her uncle is a commercial contractor and built the house himself! It even has a movie theater in the basement!


The groomsmen looking on while her Uncle said a few words..


Kim's daddy and niece Lily who is the flower girl


Low-country boil in cooking-action


Dinner!


Kimberly's Aunt serving up some crab-leg


After dinner her cousins played some tunes outside around the fire


Yummy Pies!!

At the Church Rehersal

Posted by Liana at 7:15 PM

That's where I'll be tomorrow (next to Kim)

Kimberly and Jason are Getting Married this Weekend!

Posted by Liana at 11:50 PM

Today the gals pulled together for a crazy, fun, whirlwind DIY day. We did cake-stuff, flower-stuff, and talked time-line a bit for the big day. My mom is down helping out and she's taking over a lot of the floral stuff and standing in as day-of coordinator so Kimberly and Jason can sit back and enjoy their big day :) We both burned our right thumbs today on the glue-gun... ouch! Ah the side-effects of our oh-so-creative projects!

Tomorrow I meet up with Kimberly, Jason, and company to pack up our cars and head up to the wedding location early for the rehearsal. I'm so excited their time is finally here!



Okay, so much more to blog, but so little time... gotta go get packed...

Introducting: Ugly Carrot Cakes!!

Posted by Liana at 12:08 PM

This is the business that is a LIFETIME in the making. It's about a secret family recipe that my mother and I have been tweaking over the years into absolute perfection. These are FINALLY available to others, as today marks our official "beta-launch." While we get this business up and running at full speed, we're opening our e-store doors for limited shipments for the next few months!!! Hurry and get yours on order for Thanksgiving!!



Once upon a time, a little girl helped her mom come up with the perfect carrot cake recipe. They baked their secret family recipe for every birthday and special occasion, and sometimes because the cravings were just THAT BAD. When the little girl grew to the bright young age of 14, she started baking them to be sold in a restaurant in a small town in northern Ohio. Now the girl is all grown up and she and her mom still bake these splendid cakes. For the first time in history these delicious but oh-so-ugly homemade globs of heaven-on-earth are available to the lucky folks across America who click their order-buttons first.

They are UGLY. They are homemade. The cream cheese frosting is full of REAL butter and REAL cream-cheese. Ingredients are natural and YES we hand-peel and wash each precious carrot that goes into your cake! Super-rich and super-moist is the name. Adding nuts, raisins, coconut, and other toppings to cover up the PURE goodness is NOT our game!

We believe that taste trumps appearance, and it's what's inside that counts! Therefore, each and every 7-inch cake is made with loving care, sliced in half so you have two layers, protected, and frozen for flavor-preservation. The cream-cheese icing comes separate and YOU get to "give it a makeover" or blob it on and keep it REAL ugly! Squeeze on the icing and serve up right away, or keep the cake and icing in your freezer for up to two months and save it for later!

Cakes are available mail-order only and you must ship overnight or second-day air to guarantee freshness, unless you live close to Atlanta and ground shipping will get it to you in two days or less via UPS! Therefore, we currently only ship cakes on Mondays and Tuesdays each week. Need it on a certain date? It's better for you to order it early and keep it frozen until you're ready for it! Sorry, we currently do not ship outside the USA lower 48.

Have a friend who is a carrot-cake feign, want to give the gift that is less ordinary, wow a group at a holiday party, or surprise a loved one with a birthday cake that trumps them all? Ugly Carrot Cakes to the rescue -- remember it's what's inside that counts!

www.UglyCakes.net

Jessica and John are Engaged!!

Posted by Liana at 9:41 PM

One of my good friends Jessica recently got engaged! We've been having fun trading tips and ideas for our weddings (theirs is Summer 09) and this weekend we're going on a double-date photo safari downtown for Part II of their engagement session. Fun stuff.

Here's a sneak peak, I'll be posting much more after both sessions are complete.

ATTN: Personal Assistant Needed!

Posted by Liana at 12:02 AM

Yes, I'm overdue for my Betty (Ugly Betty), Pepper Potts (Ironman), Louise (Sex in the City Movie), and dare I say a little bit of Andrea (Devil Wears Prada).



What this means:
- Personal Assistant position available
- Starting IMMEDIATELY or ASAP
- Greater Atlanta Area (Smyrna, GA for most of it)
- Seasonal/part-time basis to start
- With proven performance, may be asked to stay on for 2009 and beyond
- I would not ask this person to do anything I wouldn't do myself. I simply do not have time to do it all myself!


My future personal assistant should be able to:
- Assist with about anything necessary (nothing illegal, immoral, too-cleaning-oriented... I have cleaners that do an amazing job on the toilets/floors already!)
- Run errands
- Anticipate needs and learn on the run
- Quick learner
- Not have to be instructed on things every step of the way
- Assist with projects both business and personal in nature
- Computer-savvy is a PLUS PLUS PLUS!!
- Marketing, PR, and Digital Media skills a SUPER PLUS! This part could lead to you taking on a larger role in one of our companies!
- Previous personal assistant experience not necessary, but other relevant experience desired
- Must provide their own transportation and have a vehicle that they can use for the job, expenses will be reimbursed
- Scheduling, organization, and phone skills a MUST!
- You get to pick the official job title and help shape what it is!! I want this work to be rewarding so we can both say at the end of this day "all in a good day's work!"

I will in turn promise to do my best to be more like Carrie B than Miranda P... and anyone who understands what I'm talking about is already ten steps closer to being a good fit for this position ;)

THANK YOU for forwarding this on to anyone who would be great for this position. Please direct resumes and any other more-creative job application materials to liana at lianalehman.com :) We will be taking phone and in-person interviews this week.

Launching TWO new businesses this week!

Posted by Liana at 10:42 PM

Yes, I said it: not ONE but TWO businesses will be launched this week!

- One has to do with photography, one is COMPLETELY unrelated.
- Both have been in the works for YEARS.
- I have made income from both before (as early as when I was 14 years old) but now they will be OFFICIAL!
- One will be mainly operated by me, with employees
- The other I will be handing off to someone else to run
- One will be a limited/beta-launch, with limited supply for the next few months
- The other business has been running behind-the-scenes for a while now
- Both are "boutique" businesses meaning they are more highly-specialized and we have a limited supply

Last but not least,
- BOTH make AMAZING gifts to give for the holidays!!

No, I'm not clinically insane launching two at the same time... it's just that demand is quite literally knocking down the door and we cannot wait any longer to take these businesses public. Stay tuned!!

How FINE is your China??

Posted by Liana at 9:25 AM

When Mikey and I went to register at Macy's months ago for our wedding registry, I baulked at the thought of having to pick out all the "necessities" on their list of what we SHOULD register for.

I finally conceded and used the fun beeping gun to mark off a beautiful Monique Lhuillier pattern, thinking "oh, no one will buy this anyways, and we'll probably never use it." I suppose in the days of all-casualness the thought of eating on something so invested-in seemed a bit crazy to me.



Last night I stopped by Linens and Things to grab a tablecloth long enough to cover the table we'd be setting up for Thanksgiving (yes we'll be hosting here!) and ran into their store-closing liquidation sale, and my future will-actually-eat-off-it china pattern by Mikasa. The lady kindly and bravely climbed the moveable stairs to report that yes there are two sets remaining up top and no she didn't know how much they were. A price check later and I knew the deal was too good to be true... a complete set for barely the price of one place setting at Macy's! Somehow Fine China all of a sudden became a lot more alluring!

#11 of 101 in 1001: Building a Wall to Sell Family's House

Posted by Liana at 4:14 PM

I suppose my #11 of 101 in 1001 is a BIT vague: Help my family sell their house and relocate. I'm not sure how much of this can be marked off yet because to be honest, their house is still not on the market as of yet... but it's very close!

Last month, Mike and I made the trip up to NC to help them get the house ready to sell, including our main purpose... to help them build a wall! They knocked down a wall upstairs to accommodate my little brother's rather large room / rec area but now it needs to go up to make the house more sale-worthy.

The room before we started:




We went to work by sorting through all of my brothers stuff, boxing, and storing it.


Here's the room, post-sort:


Next, it was time to get to work on the wall. I got to help tear out some pieces that needed to be removed on the edges, including the trim. I have NO idea what the technical term is for this!


While my dad and Mike got to work framing out the wall,



I went outside and helped my mom patch the lawn with some new seed


They managed to get the wall framed on Day 1...




...then Mike worked some electrician-magic inside their walls to get the new outlets hooked up correctly.


The next morning they got to work on the drywall (sorry dad and Mike that most of the pics here on out are of your bums!! LOL)






By mid-morning, the drywall was up, and ready to plaster/sand/paint/trim, which my dad's friend helped him with a week or so later:


Ta-da!!


Now all we need are prayers that this will sell once it hits the market!

Group Chocolate in PA

Posted by Liana at 11:29 AM

We're in the middle of photo-fun on day #3 of Boot Camp and we grabbed a few shots of the group on Jeremy's white backdrop.

Check it out! Of course we had to include the largest bar of chocolate I've ever seen! Yum.

"A Dollar Worth of Laughs"

Posted by Liana at 12:14 PM

Last week I was picking up some Wholesome Goodness Meow-Mix from PetSmart and spotted a halloween-costume sale at the checkout. $1 only for puppy outfits! The pretty princess hat looked PURFECT for Gracie, but if I got her an outfit, Charlie certainly needed one too! The pumpkin would go quite well with his orange fur I decided, and spent a grand $2 on my little "gifts" for my furry friends.

Turns out cats don't like outfits. Ha. Who would have guessed!??? Well, I felt it was cruel and unusual kitty-punishment to make them wear these for very long, but I DID get my "dollar worth of laughs" taking a few pics of them before the costumes came off.

Thanks Amanada for teaching me the "Dollar worth of laughs" phrase - love it! SOOOO worth the dollar too!

How CUTE is Charlie in his pumpkin outfit?


Gotta love the evil-eye Gracie gave me. I don't think she likes her Pretty Princess Kitty Hat.


I think Charlie needs a bigger outfit next time... this one was quite snug.


He kind-of gave up running around and would waddle a few steps then flop down. Awww.


Grace says "Charlie, u look stooopid!"


Charlie says "No, Grace, you look stuuupuud!"


Finally, the "I hate you mommy" look from Charlie


I wonder what they want to be next year?? ;)