Honeymoon at Cannon Beach

The weeks following our March wedding were hectic, and not just because of the usual wedding-related stress. We also said goodbye to the print Seattle P-I, and Chris started a new job with the online venture.

For our own sanity, we postponed our honeymoon until now. We spent a relaxing long weekend at Cannon Beach in a room with a spectacular view. From our balcony, looking to the left:

And to the right:

We went for long walks along the coast. In the distance is the famous Haystack Rock.

Pelicans fly north in tidy strings. Late for the 4 p.m. news meeting?

I could stay here forever.

Downtown Cannon Beach is the definition of picturesque. We wandered through the galleries and shops absorbing art and stopping occasionally for fuel, beginning with two pancakes and two eggs and ending with a maple bar and a mocha.

When I win the lottery, I'm going to lease this space: a gallery with skylights and a little kitchen area, nestled in a beautiful courtyard. I'll sell cookies and seashells. Or maybe cookies shaped like seashells. Anyway, you'll have to come by and visit.

Engagement postscript

Two more pictures from Sunday's engagement ceremony of Minh-An and James.

All the bridesmaids gathered in front of the house for a run-through of the ceremony. There's something about this picture that I really like. The girls all looked so pretty, and I think they were a little anxious too because they wanted to do a good job for Minh-An.


And anyone who knows Khoi, Minh-An's brother, can tell you this picture pretty much sums him up. Enthusiastic, cheerful and willing to do anything for his sister. He ran the logistics of the festivities, and took his responsibilities very seriously.

Minh-An and James' engagement ceremony

Minh-An and James formally celebrated their engagement Sunday with a gathering of both families at the Bothell home of Minh-An's parents. I made engagement pictures of the couple earlier this spring; this traditional Vietnamese ceremony made the engagement official for their families.


Minh-An's mom had been busy readying the house for festivities. She decorated the house with fresh blossoms from her garden.

Minh-An's mom also prepared an incredible spread. Wraps, spring rolls, rice, meats -- and cream puffs from scratch!

The two families and close friends celebrated the couple. Here, James gets a toss from his groomsmen.

Minh-An's father, left, and her uncle, who emceed the ceremony.

Minh-An tapped the skills of her talented bridesmaids, dear friends from high school and college. One baked her a two-layer cake with strawberries and cream.

Two friends assembled a bouquet and bouts for the men.

The girls got pretty, then helped Minh-An with her make-up.

Look how beautiful she is!

James' family assembled in a small park across the street. Here, James' sister reviews the detailed itinerary.

She also pinned a bout on James, made by Minh-An's friends.

The groomsmen prepared to line up bearing traditional gifts for Minh-An's family. One of the gifts was an entire roasted pig. The red fabric covering each container symbolize happiness.

The men lined up in front of the house facing the ladies, then handed the gifts to the ladies to carry into the house.

Minh-An and her dad.

NJC scholarship reception programs

This is my fourth straight year designing programs for the Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship reception. Each year, I try to come up with something eye-catching but inexpensive to produce. "Eye-catching" is the easy part; "inexpensive" translates into me spending many hours coaxing the laser printer and slaving over the roto trimmer.

Whining aside, I love this year's result. It's my favorite program yet!


For the cover, I wrapped a papercut chrysanthemum around 81 pound gold paper. (Hand model Chris Grygiel)


The inside of the program is copy stock. I wish I had the budget to buy nicer paper (to avoid show-through) but I don't think the average reader will notice. The type is all set in Franklin Gothic. Vanilla, I know, but one of my favorites.

Asian American Journalists Association is one of the four organizations behind the NJC scholarships. Although I'm no longer working as a journalist, I was glad to be able to help out again with this year's reception. AAJA gave me a scholarship to help me through grad school, and the networking through AAJA is how I landed a job at the P-I.

To the young scholarship recipients, best of luck!