Yes - I'm up to my old tricks again! 9 months, and once again... it's NOT what you think... I was just being typical Deb - distracted, ubber busy, with no time to blog. However, in my defense, You will soon understand why I allowed for so much time to pass before posting, and as I vowed publicly in previous posts, I will once again give you a quick synopsis of my year at a glance. Hopefully with the amount of pictures below, it will make up for the long drought.
"LET IT PLAY" EP NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES AND AMAZON
YOUNG & THE RESTLESS – Part Deux
The biggest shock of my life however, occurred when I realized I was singing harmonies with Pop sensation from the ‘80s, Tiffany. It took every ounce of me (and that’s a whole lotta ounces), to hold back from getting into my “Children Behaaaaave” fits, as I know she’s heard enough of the song. But I couldn’t help the temptation… it was my childhood DREAM to sing “I think we’re alone now” in harmony with Tiffany herself, one day. How I was not able to figure at first glance that this stunning woman with (apple red hair) and pipes so powerful, it could shatter glass - I will never know. It’s funny how life works out sometimes. I remember sitting in my little room that I shared with my silly big brother Neil, circa 1984?? – looking at the two-dimensional Teenbeat magazine spreads of Tiffany – wishing I’d meet her one day… not realizing 20+ years down the road, I would be having lunch with her at a TV network studio in the heart of Hollywood. Pinch me, I'm dreaming. Tiffany – if you’re reading this – I’m working on implementing Organic food into my life along with sleep and slippery elm. Yes – my dear friends, that is the secret to good skin and powerful cords :) xx Debbie
D&G GETAWAY, BUT NOT REALLY
After 10 years of having someone in such close proximity - you'd think you know them inside and out. But after attending the Mandatory Engaged Couples Weekend in a retreat house tucked away somewhere in the City of Industry, I soon realized that there were sides of George that I had no idea existed... and he learned so much about me as well. This whole weekend was about each other, and only each other. We were fortunate to be in the company of our friends Jimmy and Angel (now Married and crazy in love), and to have met some amazing couples who we also learned so much from. Although George went into this retreat at a very remote location kicking and screaming - he came out so incredibly moved and that much more certain of the steps we were about to take together. We both were. Much to George's chagrin, we were assigned separate quarters dividing men and women, and although George was stuck with Mr. Ground-shaking snorer in the cubical next to him, and I was across from the most interesting sleep-talker I've ever come across (And with such an eloquence, that made me want to stay up and listen) - we still enjoyed every minute of this experience. 4 enthusiastic thumbs up from this happy couple! xx Debbie
AND THE D&G DEBAUCHERY BEGINS!
As much as George and I were "fine" without some good ol fashioned bachelor/bachelorette weekend shinanigans - our cousins and close friends from Canada and LA were insistent on dedicating an entire weekend of pre-marital bliss... Gender-specific. A healthy handful of our cousins, childhood friends, and "sistas-from-anotha-motha" who made up most of our wedding party put their heads and hearts together to plan our weekends out. The girls surprised me with a little mud action at the Glen Ivy Springs, followed by massages and some hardcore pampering. I was in absolute girl heaven. All I needed was a martini and I was set. And what followed suit? Dinner and drinks at the rooftop of Standard where we danced the night away, leaving our cares behind. Many of my girls are moms, so I know that it was especially difficult to plan an entire weekend away from their toddlers - so Lils, Lar, Lisa, and Giselle - thank you for making such a sacrifice just to give me one of the most memorable weekends of my life... and definitely the best girls-night-only to date! It was a very very special treat to have my lifelong friend (from age 5, but I'd rather not specify just how MANY years "lifelong" entails) - Rolyn... who was well into the last couple days of her 2nd trimester of pregnancy at the time. It meant so very much to me that my girls planned this weekend around her pregnancy to ensure that I get some quality time with her, as she was scheduled to have her baby right about the time I was getting married. We'll get to that in a second. It's prettty amazing how it all turned out! Stand by.
Back to the weekend... my small group of girlfriends from across the globe (well... North America, anyway) also planned an intimate Shower where some of the most cherished ladies in my life attended, which left me in awe, in tears, and in-spired. A special thank you to Cat, Grace, Giselle, Lara, Lisa, and of course Rolyn for flying such a ways away to come to LA. A very special thank you to Lily and Jeni, my Maids of honor for planning the entire weekend flawlessly and integrating your most impeccable planning and organizational skills. I ended up with a whole lotta tears and not to mention, my most prized possession - an incredible book of memories from each of my bridesmaids. Not a dry eye in the room when I opened up the package that carried this book of memories. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Rowena, Joy, and Gigi - my sisters, and all of our cousins and friends from Canada who weren't able to join us - you were definitely missed... but you were there in spirit... and I definitely felt it.
For a more detailed and eloquent rendition of my Bridey-brideofferson weekend - here is a link to my Matron of Honor's blog, Lily. And while you're there... be sure to check out her other posts. So much going on in the House of Chan!
Meanwhile - back at the ranch, George was at home reminiscing about his bachelor weekend with his Bestman Darvin, which happened only a week prior. George flew to Toronto to catch the sights of the beautiful Niagra falls, and according to George... THAT'S ALL THAT HAPPENED... ahem ahem.. Whatever the case - there is VERY little evidence otherwise - but at the very least George was able to visit our 1st condo on Charles Street, and munch on some Old Dutch Ketchup chips, while spending some quality time with this boys from Windsor. xx Debbie
D&G PREP
Planning for the big day... NOT EASY. Being engaged to a Graphic Artist, I thought, this is going to be a piece of cake! As far as invites, programs, decor, anything that was remotely creative - I fooled myself into thinking... I AM SET! NOT! :( You see - unbeknownst to me... AND to George... this planning process needed much more than interesting ideas and creative angles. With every cool epiphany (ie: Making tutus for my Flowergirls, designing our own Invites/programs/rsvp cards etc FROM SCRATCH (that was a painful and long process), coming up with unique concepts that would make this day memorable for everyone (I'm notorious for actually caring about what people think!), and designing a very intricate website (that we're VERY proud of!) just to give our guests a little sneak-peek (ouch!) - we were faced with endless nights of actual production... and very little sleep. Thank GOODNESS we had our daily reality checks from our Wedding Planners, Carissa Solomon & Jeanelle Pineda of DE Planning, that our ideas were CRAZY but definitely doable. We welcomed their loving support and incredible assistance in realizing our outlandish ideas, along with our friends Lily, Jeni, Brian, and Lily's mommy, who licked, folded, punched, and tied like there was no tomorrow. I consider myself so lucky to have had my mom and dad come a couple weeks earlier to organize over 300 programs, putting together ceremony binders, accompanied me to final taste testings and site visits, and driving me from point A to point B to point C, as my mind was too clouded to drive myself anywhere without wanting to stop and sleep. I was an especially lucky bride as my Matron of Honor, Lily, insisted that she lift 50% of my over-ambitious projects by sewing 2 of my flowergirls' dresses, which matched my other two Flowergirls' Tutus FLAWLESSLY. To this day I am still in awe of Lily's speedy turnaround. Check out Lileeloo's unbelievable creations of "whimsical apparel and accessories".
The help was, by no means, limited to the boundaries of Los Angeles. We sought the heroic assistance of our cousins Cathy, Tess, Giselle and our friend Rowena who ran around their respective cities in the Great North buying materials (it was PERFECT Tess, thank you!), licking stamps, delivering the goods, accepting RSVPS... the slavery was endless! I had these ladies jumping hoops - just to satisfy my dream of having the perfect day. xx Debbie
D&G WED... AT LAST!
I finally did it! I became a Mrs!! Not just any Mrs. I became Mrs. Wedding planner, Mrs. Font-expert, Mrs. Oh-my-Gawd-I-Have-An Idea!, Mrs. Multitasker, Mrs. Teamplayer, Mrs. Run-on-3-hours-of-sleep. But the most exciting part of this whole intense time, was that I was able to experience first hand, the meaning of "having the most amazing day of my life". And I truly did. Being surrounded by the people I love the most, our parents, our brothers and their families, our cousins, our close friends, our colleagues, our co-workers all under one beautiful roof of the Cathedral of our Lady of The Angels, followed by an evening under the Hollywood stars in the backlot of CBS Studio at the bottom of the Jerry Seinfeld stoop. It was the most grand event of my life. And I may be a little biased in saying it was one of the best weddings I've ever attended. Not because of the bells and whistles, even though all of those details I imagined in my crazed mind, came out FLAWLESSLY - thanks to my inCREDible wedding planners Carissa and Jeanelle of DE Planning, and my amazing partner in crime, George - an out-of-this-world Artist in his own right, but also because I was able to spend it with people that I rarely get to see - all the way from Canada, New Jersey, New York, Northern California. And to be able to have people from all corners of the world come together to witness our vows is just TOO INTENSE TO DESCRIBE IN WORDS. Without boring you to peices, I'm just going to say - our wedding website is just about to be up, and you'll be the first to know... For now - here are some photos to enjoy that will give you a glimpse of what my day was like.
These are some of the details of the event that George and I, as a team, worked on night after night, later refined by our amazing wedding planners who brought our vision to fruition. After back and forth emails, 3 hour long conversations, meetings over dinner that turned into Midnight snacks, the four of us put our hearts and soul into this project, that soon became... D&G
Our wedding party consisted of beautiful people from all aspects of our lives. From who we grew up with, our cousins, and our best friends who have seen us through our relationship from beginning until this very day. They held our hands throughout this whole process.. So I wanted to make sure they felt beautiful, comfortable, and matched flawlessly. We wanted to highlight our family, sponsors and entourage, giving them as much of a special day as it naturally was to us. From catered meals, to a grand entrance on the big red bus, there was no messin' around with D&G.
For you paparazzi out there, our family and friends had an incredible time posing with some Hollywood VIPs. Definitely a perfect setting on the red carpet for some fancy familiar faces at the D&G summer event!
Once again, my beautiful Matron of Honor created an incredible synopsis of our day from her point of view. Here is a link to Lily's blog. And while you're there... be sure to check out her other posts. She has since become pregnant and is expecting a mini-me baby girl (WEEEE!), and her 1st born, my bible bearer Benjamin, has been growing into quite a handsome young man... :)
Lastly, I would like to give a special thank you to our Photographers, Ja and Bev Tecson who captured every MOMENT of our day from every shade of lipstick to George's first expression when he saw his wife-to-be walking down the aisle. Once again, our website will be up and running in a few short weeks, and you will get an idea of how amazing this duo is. And as I mentioned earlier - we would be drowning in our own creative shinanigans, had we not been supported (and anchored) by our very talented Wedding planners Carissa and Jeanelle, who, with their amazingly kind other halves, Charlie and Jan, brought our celebration to a level far beyond our expectations.
We were also incredibly privileged to have our Photographers and wedding planners alongside Loyd, AJ, and Mike from Red 5 Studios who put together the most heartwrenching, perfectly captured video of our day, within minutes following our ceremony so we could present it at our reception. As we picked up jaws off the floor, we realized just how perfect of a gift this really was. Not just for us - but for the people attending our wedding. I was blessed to have worked closely with Miguelli who produced this amazing tribute that we worked on together in dedication to George. After 10 years it felt right to finally put in words in the best way I know how - in song... exactly how I felt for this man, and this was the perfect way to surprise him.
Debbie & George | Same Day Edit | LA Cathedral + CBS Studios from Red 5 Studios on Vimeo.
Now on to the next chapter of our lives.... George, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. xx Debbie
WEDDING BELLS ASIDE FROM OURS...
Notoriously known for "loving love" - I simply couldn't resist paying tribute to my family and friends who have also taken the plunge to make it official this past year! My beautiful, lifelong friend of over 30 years - Rolyn Platon married the handsome Darcy Novak in a unique Thai ceremony in Phuket, led by Monks. Absolutely breathtaking. The stunning Lili Hakimi and Paul Daftarian celebrated their special day in true Persian-style, with food, music and laughter in abundance! My baby cousin Matthew married his ravishing bride, Carly in Calgary, Canada. A week before D&G Balino exchanged vows, another set of D&G - Dina Mastrangelo and Grant Garcia, also exchanged theirs in a beautiful organic setting overlooking the stunning views of Malibu. Back in Windsor, one of George's dearest cousins Lieutenant Mark Balino, affectionately known as Chico, married the lovely Teah. Hot couple status brought to the next level - family friends Shauna Holden and Justin Asuncion - made it official. Jimmy and Angel Charoon (and there are more letters, but I don't want to offend them by spelling it incorrectly) had a traditional 12-course Chinese Banquet in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, and I'm now drooling just talking about it. And only a few short weeks ago, my amazing Music Director and friend, Vicente Avella celebrated Portland-style with his stunning new wife, Christi Meador. Congratulations to my lovebird friends! Here's to a lifetime of bliss, romance, and whole lotta fighting over the remote control! :) xx Deb
It would be rather baffling if Debbie, otherwise known as "Auntie Poppins" - the woman who quite simply, lives and breathes kids - fail to make mention of the births of some of the most insanely adorable newborns of 2009. The precious Natasha Eva Hall - my cousin Nicole and Ken's beautiful daughter and sister of big brother, Kristopher. The Lewis twins, Delilah Dawn and Scarlett Lee - the angel-resembling twins of Brian and Melanie Lewis, and sisters of the exceptionally adorable Olivia. Our fab Videographer Loyd and his beautiful wife, Hazel welcomed into the world their little "ewok", Jude Cameron Calomay, who is going to follow in his daddy's footsteps as being one of the biggest Star Wars fans of the next Generation (alongside George's offspring of course). We welcome the gorgeous little Liya Rei Ibarra, daughter of our sweet friends from our days of late night desserts and full-weekend sleepovers, Nalie and Dennis Ibarra. Baby Benjamin McGovern, son of my MAC sista Nikki McGovern, as well as our other MAC sista, Ericka Brannon who gave birth to sweet Ryder. We had the privilege of meeting George's Cousins Jonathan and Laura Javier's precious baby boy, Cooper, who was just a teeny tiny newborn at our wedding. That was definitely a treat! And last but certainly not least - cousins Benjamin Benahmed, the handsome bouncing baby boy of Arnaud and Laurie - and Ty Philip Novak, the darling darling son of Rolyn and Darcy Novak and my precious Godson, were born merely weeks apart from each other. The two cousins bear an uncanny resemblance, so I am at the edge of my seat trying to figure out JUST how MUCH they will end up looking like one another.
Congratulations to all of these new families, and here's to an abundance of blessings in your family's future. xx Deb
FASHION & COMPASSION
One of my many jobs that keep my life exciting and unpredictable, is to work for MAC Cosmetics. There are so many fabulous perks that come with this job. Not only am I surrounded on a daily basis by undeniably beautiful people with impeccable faces and amazing talent, but I'm given so many opportunities to be a part of huge productions that are in the world of entertainment and fashion. Being a part of Artist Training and Development, I work with some of the most highly skilled Artists in the business. MAC as a brand was asked to be part of the Macy's passport HIV/AIDS Benefit and Fashion Show, and it was an unbelievable turnout.
There were very familiar faces, such as Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, and Latoya Jackson, to name a few. We began the evening with cocktails and Chocolate Treats, a couple shots on the red carpet, VIP seating, ending the night off taking home a fun goody bag. It was truly a night of glamour, Artistry, and flair - all in the name of Charity. xx Deb
EAST COAST, BABY!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm part of the St. Monica's Gospel Choir. They, to me, represent the aspect of my life that is completely and utterly rejuvenated in worship and in song. I had the privilege to go on a mini-tour to the East coast in and around Washington DC - Alexandria Virginia, singing in Revival events in Maryland and Washington. It was so much fun and it was the first time, I was given free reign to make as much noise as I possibly could, and boy did I ever. Good times.
Deb
