so glad to meet you angeles

We returned to Dallas at 2:15 AM this morning after a five day jaunt through southern California. Danny Ritter married Kellianne Coltrin on June 28 in the Los Angeles temple and we flew out to celebrate their wedding and spend time with friends.

We arrived to LA at 8 AM on Friday and our first stop was Magnolia's Bakery for the best banana pudding in the world. After Magnolia's I marveled at everything in the Marc by Marc store (the only store we don't have but should at Northpark) and we snapped some pics in their photobooth. After shopping on Melrose Ave. we went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This was a gorgeous museum, which we kind of zipped through because we were hoping to beat traffic on the way to Huntington Beach.

There was a great contemporary and modern art collection and I especially enjoyed Chris Burden's "Urban Light" outdoor sculpture (is this the sculpture in No Strings Attached when Ashton gives Natalie the carrot bouquet???). After LACMA we braved the infamous LA traffic to Huntington Beach to spend some time with friends and Danny before his big day.

Danny and Kellianne were sealed for time and all eternity in the Los Angeles temple the morning of June 28. It was a beautiful and heartwarming sealing. I met Danny after I started dating Preston and have always been a big fan. So big a fan that I tried to get all my close friends to date Danny, which didn't work out, but he did find a wonderful bride when he met Kellianne. Danny was a groomsman in our wedding and when we heard the news he was engaged, we were so excited to come to LA to attend his sealing and celebrate his marriage. Danny is a great example to Preston and me and is the quintessential guy you would want to take home to your parents. Preston and I are so lucky to call Danny one of our friends and when I met Kellianne very briefly in March, I was excited for both of them. They are both top notch individuals and will make each other so happy. Congrats Danny and Kellianne!!

After the sealing and luncheon we had some time to kill so we drove to the Getty Center, which was on the way to the reception. Preston was very excited about this spot because he used to want to be an architect, and the Getty is an architect's dream. It really is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen in my life and its views of the city are spectacular. Every corner of the Getty was a vision and I couldn't stop taking pictures and fawning over each structure. I can't help but fantasize about how gorgeous of a reception venue this place would make. I highly recommend this spot if you're in the area.

I'm obsessed with Yelp, treats and trying new restaurants. Yelp released a list of top 100 places to try in the United States and several of them were in California. The #5 spot was Porto's Bakery in Burbank which just so happened to be a few minutes away from the reception. We made a stop and I am still dreaming about the cheese rolls and mango turnovers we bought. Do yourself a favor and pay this Cuban bakery a visit. The prices are great and we got 8 sweet and savory pastries for under $7.

This concludes the first 2 days of our California adventure. I have sooo many pictures and so many things to say so I thought I'd break it up into manageable entries instead of one monster post that no one wants to read. Stay tuned for more pics and stories!

first anniversary

On Saturday Preston and I celebrated our first year of marriage! We got married on the first day of summer and Preston said I picked that day so I could have the longest wedding of the year and longest anniversaries for the rest of my life. Maybe, maybe not. All I know is June 21, 2013 was my favorite day of my life. The past year since that day has been filled with joy, treats, tears, giggles and fights, but we've managed to stay best buds, which I think is the key. Preston is my best friend and there is no one in the world I'd rather spend the rest of my life with.

We had a fun day biking to the lake and having a picnic in the morning and later in the evening we tried a new restaurant called Hg Sply Co. which I thought was a clothing store when I first saw it on the street. It was pretty hip and happening and we ate on the roof which was a perfect start to the summer.

Here's to 1 year with my sweetheart and a zillion more.

ynna's summer 2014 essentials

This Saturday is the official start of summer 2014, although it's felt like summer for a while now here in Dallas. I've never lived anywhere hotter than Dallas and sometimes I genuinely want to shed tears because it's so SO hot all day, every day. Here are some essentials I've gathered to prepare myself for another scorching summer. Click the numbered links at the bottom to view and buy :)

1. Dresses. Gone are the days when I could wear Daisy Dukes and a tshirt and call it a day. My goal when buying summer clothes is as little clothing as possible while still remaining modest and mostly cute. Dresses achieve this goal perfectly because you look put together but they're easy to throw on and the best part is one layer of clothing. My blue one is Madewell and my favorite dress I own.
2. Tshirts. Preston is the king of tshirts and is always telling me all you need is a good tshirt and good jeans. This PLAY by Commes des Garcon tee is simple with a touch of fun.
3. More dresses. I've been diagnosed with buy-any-dress-with-sleeves syndrome. It's so hard to find summer dresses that have sleeves so when I do it's mine within a week.
4. Lightweight drawstring pants. These are a wonderful discovery because they feel like pajamas but are cool and chic. Cool in the temperature and fashion sense. I'm obsessed with my J.Crew geo print ones and wear them constantly. They also make fabulous airport pants.
5. Leather tote. Favorite bag I've ever owned. I love it more than my Marc Jacobs and that's a big statement. This is the J.Crew Downing tote in English Saddle. It holds everything and I take it everywhere.
6. Leather sandals. I used to buy $10 sandals from H&M at the beginning of the summer and wear them to shreds and toss them by September. This summer I decided to spend a little a more and get a sturdy pair of leather sandals that go with everything.
7. Cute swimsuit. Because the only outdoor activity I'll be doing come July is laying by the pool.

1 // 2 // 3** // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 

**this dress isn't up on the website yet but it's available in J.Crew stores in navy/white and black :)

mr. & mrs. baker

On June 6 we had the privilege of attending the wedding of sweet Grady Baker and Molly Overmyer. They were sealed in the Nashville Tennessee Temple and had the most beautiful reception at Mint Springs Farm. It was fun to travel to Molly's hometown of Nashville and take in all its southern charm.
Grady and Molly started dating shortly after we got engaged. We were actually present on their first date, and I liked Molly instantly. I've known Grady since 2011, when we competed on BYU's Model UN team together. Since then we remained friends and eventually I started dating his roommate Preston. Grady was a groomsman in our wedding and last weekend Preston got to return the favor as a groomsman for his special day. The only sad part about Molly and Grady getting together was the timing. They really started officially dating in the middle of winter semester, so we only had a few months to be couple friends. It was sad leaving them in Provo and we wish we could have taken them to Dallas with us. We were thrilled when they got engaged during Thanksgiving and were anxiously counting down the days til their nuptials and our reunion. Weddings are way more fun once you move out of Provo because not only do you get to celebrate the wedding of your friends, but you get to see all of your friends and party together under the happiest circumstances. Above is the gorgeous wedding party in front of the Nashville Temple. We got to see some familiar faces and meet some new ones. It was also a treat to see the entire Baker family. A few Thanksgivings ago, they adopted Preston and me for the holiday and we had a very Baker Thanksgiving. Since then we've seen the Bakers many times during their visits to Utah and have always been invited to their family gatherings. They're the sweetest family and Molly is a lucky girl to marry into a such a welcoming and fun family. Molly had a beautiful ring ceremony at the reception venue and here's a picture of the little chapel it was held in after all the guests had cleared out. It was a lovely ceremony and I'm still not over chandeliers in barns. Me and my forever wedding date at Mint Springs Farm. I loved seeing Molly's southern belle-isms through the decorations and reception venue. First dance inside the pretty venue. It was a Tumblr dream in there folks.
We are so happy for Grady and Molly. Not only are they visually the most perfect American couple in the land, but they truly complete each other and make each other so happy. I love seeing them together and especially when Molly makes fun of Grady hehe. We can't wait to go on couple vacations with these pretty blondes and wish them all the happiness in the world. Congrats Grady and Molly, we love you!

monthly playlist: june

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13