I guess I can also let you all know how things are going at the Legrand household. I'm happy to say that after 6+ months of marriage, the honeymoon is still not over. So that's great. The fall has been basically getting our professional lives in good shape. Eric is doing great consulting at Wells Fargo in their Internet Services Division. It appears that banking is the place for him. And he's quite happy.
As for me, I've been crazed with the whole SmartsCo thing. With our new distribution, you should see our products all over the place this season: Borders, Barnes & Nobel, Sur la Table, Z Gallerie and lots of independents. We also had some fun promotional events, such as a trip to NYC where we did a book signing at Lord and Taylor and then filmed a piece for Better Homes ad Garden.tv (it aired on www.better.tv on Nov 28th on the "Better Today. It was pretty fun. Also, look for our product in December issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray. Photos from my trip to NYC are below. We were also featured in the Wall Street Journal on December 11th and they even got my new married name right!
Also, this fall the boys all went to Puerto Vallerta for the annual fishing trip. They didn't catch any tuna, but Michael reeled in a 300 lb marlin. If anyone wants some, our freezer is filled with the stuff. I had a much more pleasant weekend with Diana, Eric's mom, but much more work. We spent the entire weekend (18 hours each = 36 hours total) putting together my wedding album. Given the fact that our original photos were so bad, we had to be very creative and took a scrapbooking strategy. It's so cute.
I guess that's all the excitment in the Legrand household this fall. Wishing you all a very Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
E&J Holiday Update
Thanksgiving Festivities
Hi there - it's been a while since I've last posted. I guess we haven't had many super exciting events. But we made up for it on Thanksgiving. We all went up to Eric's brother Michael's in Sacramento and were joined by Eric's "godfamily" the Bafferts and his Aunt Judy and Uncle Jack. We had a delicious dinner and every pitched in. I'm so excited about being a Legrand as I get to do the pies (no one likes baking them, but it's one of my favorite things to cook). I also got to make my mom's coleslaw, which went over well, so traditions can continue.
On Friday, we all headed to Mo-town (Modesto) for a Nor Cal engagement party for Michael and Kate at her parents house. Except for Eric having a 24 hour bug (I tried to photo shop the pictures so he's less green), it was a fun party and great to meet her family.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Michael & Kate's Engagement
This weekend we flew down to Long Beach for Michael & Kate's engagement party. They had no idea it was happening. We said I was in DC and wouldn't be able to join them for a weekend with the family. Diana, Marsha and Andrea worked diligently putting together an amazing spread. We had lots of family members come in from all over Southern California, plus a few special surprise guest including Cori Muir who flew in from Wisconsin and Kate's parents - Roz and Steve - who drove down from Modesto (aka "Mo-town").
Wedding Photo Reshoot
So this is one of the funniest things I've ever done, but I'm glad I did it. As you know our photographer was horrific and forgot to take pictures of Eric and me together. In fact, he didn't really get many photos of us with our guest. His portfolio was good, but the rumor was he was the assistant on these shoots. Well, now that I'm officially a Legrand, I'm following in my brilliant mother-in-law's footsteps by reshooting family photos if I don't like the results. And I'm glad so I took her advice. Fortunately Eric now owns his own Ralph Lauren tux and no one spilled a glass of red wine on my dress (unlike many of my friend's who's dresses were ruined), and we called my friend Kip to do my hair and make-up and grabbed Wendy and a photographer friend and took these. Hope you enjoy.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Labor Day - Cold & Hot
Only in the SF Bay Area can you enjoy the most extreme temperatures all in a 24-hour period. While the Bay Bridge was closed this weekend, we undertook some adventures. The weekend started off heading to a BBQ / Camp Site hosted by our newly engaged (yippy!) friends Mira and Chris in the SF Presidio. Who knew there was a camp site in the Presidio. While we expected it to be chilly, we had no idea it would be so freezing out there (about 4 miles from our house). But we kept warm by the fire singing along with great guitar play (including a fantastic rendition of Britney Spears song). Another highlight of the evening included a banana that was cooked in the fire in tin foil and covered with peanut butter and chocolate. It was made by Heather, who was the coordinator at the Log Cabin for our wedding. Small world!
After the freezing weather, we headed out to Sacramento to congratulate Eric's brother, Michael on his new engagement and check out the bling he bought for his fiance, Kate. Michael played football at Davis when he was in college, so we attended the game with all his buddies from college. It was about 105 degrees. Most people didn't even last the first quarter due to the heat. Then we went to a nice post party at one of his friends house and went home relatively early at watched the Ali G Indahouse - I had no idea this movie existed. So crass and filled with disgusting sexual and potty humor but pretty darn funny.
We decided to come back early on Sunday due to the Bay Bridge closing. Traffic wasn't bad until we hit a snag in Vallejo on the 37. Eric was ready to kill me because he really wanted to spend the whole weekend at home, but after we passed a stalled car, it was smooth sailing all the way home.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Weekend in Napa
While we're normally spend our wine country visits West County of Sonoma, when my friends at Inertia Beverage Group throw a party at Copia, I could not miss it. Since Eric finally got employment (a contract gig at Wells Fargo - yippy), we figured it was okay to splurge for the first time since we've been together, and we booked a room at a lovely B&B, Churchill Manor. We began the day with a glass of bubbly at Domaine Carneros, followed by a late lunch at Bistro Jeanty (Bouchon was fully booked, but we were delighted with the meal at Jeanty). Then we checked into our lovely B&B - so relaxing and romantic. We were greeted by a very friendly hostess, and then checked into our room and took a quick nap. After that we enjoyed the Manor's wine and cheese tasting and then got ready for the IBG party. There was lots of wine flowing. The next morning we enjoyed a lovely breakfast and then headed for a complete change of scenery--Indy 300 at Infineon Raceway. The new plan is one weekend getaway per quarter as it was great to do something just on our own.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Welcome & Bon Voyage
We had a bittersweet weekend welcoming new friends into the world and wishing old ones a bon voyage on their journey from Albany, California to Albany, New York. My dear friend Jenny Regan packed up her house and sweet kids Jackson (age 5) and Katelyn (age 1.5) to move back east. I never realized how much of a handful and obstanant 18-month old can be, so didn't really realize what I was gettig myself into when I offered to help watch the kids as Jenny and her mom packed up the house. Despite a few small catastrophies, it was quite fun and they will be missed. We look forward to checking out up-state New York in the near future.
On a happier note, we were able to visit the newest member of our group of friends, Ms. Madeline Kathleen Glunt, who was born at 12:59am on 7/27/07. After a grueling 36 hours of labor mother and 9 lb 1 oz baby girl are both healthy and happy (but a bit tired - so no pics of Kristin). Fortunately Dan's a pretty good pappa, and is taking charge of diaper changes and swaddling.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Wedding Photos
So we finally got our wedding photos back. There are some great ones of our friends and family. So happy everyone could join us. Unfortunately with all the excitment and all the cute kids around, our photographer seemed to have forgotten to have taken and photos of just Eric and me. If anyone took some good ones, I'd love to see them. (We may end up actually getting redressed and do a reshoot - CRAZY I know - but maybe one of our friends can save the day!)
For those of you who want to browse through all the photos, here they all are. I uploaded the high res versions of all of them to the website, so you can order shots if you like (or just download them). There are lots of great pics of nearly everyone. The photos are broken into 6 different sets. Click on the photo below to get to each album.
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| Pre & Post-Cerem |
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| Ceremony |
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| Portraits |
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| reception cocktail hour |
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| Reception speeches |
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| Wedding - dancing |
Thursday, June 07, 2007
She will be missed!
We are sad to say that Eric's dear sister, Adrienne lost her battle with NF2 on Monday, May 28th (Memorial Day). We are so grateful that she was able to join us for the wedding - and she really enjoyed it. However, those tumors were too aggressive.
she was. For those of you who met her briefly, you were blessed. Adrienne was lively and healthy in her youth and here's a great picture that shows who she was when she was healthier. Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Honeymoon Report
A Southeast Asia Journey
Hi there. We're back from a fantastic honeymoon in Southeast Asia. We are so thrilled to have so many of our dearest friends and family join us for our wedding and we have a lot of people to thank for helping make it all happen. Our dream wedding worked out perfectly and we were so blessed that you all were able to join us, especially Adrienne.
We'll share wedding photos and special thanks once we get them. In the meantime, thanks to the joys of digital technology and YouTube, we have some slide shows to share with you on our honeymoon. Our slideshows are in 3 parts. Each one is about 5 - 7 minutes long. There's no audio, but there are captions on each.
(Note - we've heard the captions were difficult to read, so we've uploaded new ones which much clearer captions).
Part I: Journey to Malaysia & Kuala Lumpur
Part II: Tioman Island
Part III: Singapore
Hope you enjoy the shows.
E&J
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Eric & Julie Smarts
For those of you who missed the wedding, or were so busy chatting away that you didn't see the cards, we thought you'd enjoy the Eric & Julie Smarts cards we put together. Here are some sample cards, or you can view the entire pdf file by clicking on the link above.
Eric provided a great deal
of help, and it was designed by a former SmartsCo intern, Lindsey Hiefield, who not only is a fantastic designer, but also a good friend and she did a great job putting together her own "Smarts" deck (as well as many of the other cards you've received). Jen of course, was there to help keep it short and sweet.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Welcome to San Francisco!!!
We're looking forward to seeing everyone next week. I don't know about you, but I can tell you how many times I forget what's going on for a wedding weekend (lose my invite, emails, directions, etc.). Here's the short-version of all the things that will be helpful for you to know before you arrive in SF so you can you plan out your weekend.
Delaneys Tavern
We encourage everyone to meet up at a nearby pub to get to know everyone. Our rehearsal dinner should be over about
St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church,
This is a 3 block walk from the Cow Hollow Inn (see directions). If you are planning on driving, leave lots of time to park. Cabs are highly recommended if you’re coming from anywhere inside the city.
Log Cabin of the Presidio,
The reception is immediately following the ceremony. We have one shuttle bus that will take people over to the Log Cabin. If you don’t want to wait for the shuttle, a taxi should run you about $10. You are also welcome to drive, although the park can be a bit confusing – directions are attached, just keep your eyes peeled for signs to the Log Cabin. The good news is there is plenty of parking.
POST PARTY
11pm - ???
Final Final, 2290 Baker Street (just outside Lombard Gates)
Those of us who are still enjoying each other's company will then migrate over the to Final Final for more drinks (the shuttle will be dropping folks off there and you can stumble or cab back to the hotel after that). There's nothing more fun than hanging out in a dive bar clad in you best outfit.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
For those of you who are involved in some of the optional activities we sent emails out previously (i.e., golf, nails, hair, rehearsal, wine tasting, etc.), you should have all the information you need about these by now. After you’re done with all the official and unofficial activities, and have and more free time, attached is a sheet with our favorite things to do in the Bay Area and favorite places to eat and drink.
Hopefully, you have all the information you need for the weekend. If you still have questions here are the cell phones of key people in the know. We’ll be running around all weekend, but will do our best to get back with you.
Julie
Eric
Wendy Shay
Michael Legrand
Laura Wittenberg 925-788-0901 (Julie’s “bonus” mom)
Love,
Julie & Eric
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
It's Raining Ringgits
A lovely bridal shower
I am so honored that Eric's family threw a shower for me this past weekend in Orange County. Eric's god-sister, Andrea, and her mom, Marsha took point in planning an absolutely amazing shower, and they were given a great deal of assistance from Aunt Judy and Diana's friend, Rosann. So much fun. Several of Eric's extended family came out for this occasion as well as a couple of
my friends.
This was especially a happy occasion because Adrienne was home from the hospital after a pretty rough week. While she was rather tired from her big birthday bash the night before and couldn't join us in the courtyard, just having her at home made the day a huge success.
If anyone ever wants to have a shower or other fun party in the
future, I think they need to hire Andrea to plan it for them. From design and poetry to the invite, to wrapping the gift, with the help of her fantastic mom, she really pulled off a very creative and fun shower. The whole theme was based on our honeymoon in Malaysia and she came up with really creative and fun games to play around the theme. First off, everyone had to guess how much Malaysian money (aka "ringgits") was in a was in a bowl and had prizes for the people who guessed right. Then she used the money for prizes for me, when they quizzed me with EricSmarts cards (s
o cute!). I did pretty well, only got two questions wrong - and my prize were all the ringgits. The ladies also were given a quiz pulled from this blog, which was pretty fun. While Eric's great-aunt June doesn't even have a computer, she diligently read a print out we sent down and won the prize. So sweet.
Everyone enjoyed a most delicious and lovely high tea with an Singaporean flair. Lots of tasty tea sandwiches, an Asian cabbage salad, quiche, and a wonderful tea selection, not to mention a surprisingly strong punch (I should have
expected as much from a fellow-UCSB grad). After our tea, we adjourned to the living room to open up gifts - everyone brought me lovely gifts for our home, plus something for the honeymoon. Very sweet. I broke 2 ribbons, which is a perfect number if you ask me.
Finally, we enjoyed absolutely scrumptious cupcakes and petit fours that were served on a surprise piece of our china. While I've sworn off sweets for Lent, I felt as the guest of honor I had to make an exception for this day. So I'm going to extend the non-sweets promise until I get a bite of wedding cake. That sounds like a fair deal, right?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
T Minus 8 Weeks...
...and counting
Dress - check. Tux - check. Photographer - check. Caterer - check. Menu - check. Sound equipment - check. Rehearsal - check. Hotel - check. Honeymoon - check. Check ... check ... check!! Ahhh. With all my event planning experience, I really had anticipated planning a wedding to be a piece of cake (ha ha). But I realized a wedding a bit more than just a party. It's more like 5 or 6 events to plan. It's probably a good thing for a couple to go through the whole wedding planning, as it is a challenging thing that demonstrates how both people cope under stress and it's a great opportunity to work with family members as well. I'm happy to report that for we've been doing quite well in this area and we've agreed on pretty much all the details.
I have to say it's a good thing I'm self-employed, and my business partner is open to my extra curricular activities, as planning the details of this wedding has become a lot of work. Eric tells me the way he sees it, we've saved a ton of money on a wedding planner and getting lots of stuff at cost, so it's been worth it. I like his logic. The good news is, we have most of the major decisions made a many of the minor ones. Eric keeps thinking we're done, but I'm know there lots of little things will come up that I hadn't thought about. It's fun though.
I'm trying really hard not to be bridezilla and only talk about my wedding, but it seems like every spare moment we've had since we got engaged has been wedding-related, so there's not much else to talk about. Eric's taking a financial engineering class on Wednesday nights so we didn't get to have a very romantic Valentine's (I made him a cake - the cute cupcakes were from last year), but we were able to get up to Tahoe last weekend for one day of skiing which was a much-needed break. Thanks to Eric's coaching, I'm really getting much better.
Wedding preview
Anyone who's actually reading this blog will probably be interested in what we have planned. So for you, I thought I'd share one of the key elements of the wedding that you'll have to be an insider to appreciate. Since we both are passionate about music, one of the most delightful part of planning the wedding has been in the music selection arena. I figure no one other than Eric, myself, and perhaps one or two other people will notice any of the music selections we made, but trust me each and every piece of music you hear on April 21st has been lovingly selected by Eric (with my approval). We met with the music director at church last week and picked some very interesting selections for the processional and the recessional. Let's just say, don't expect to hear "Trumpet Voluntary". And be sure to warm up your pipes as we expect all our guests to sing their hearts out throughout the mass.
The reception should have some good tunes as well. Eric's going to be the DJ - or at least his iPod will - and he has spent hours and hours selecting great songs for each portion of the reception. Not only will you hear a leitmotif of sorts which will recur throughout the evening, but you'll also hear several other songs from Eric's jazz collection that are very meaningful to us. So when you hear songs (especially during cocktail hour), you'll know that it's there for a reason. And be sure to put on your dancing shoes because we're going through lots of iTunes gift cards Eric got for his birthday to make sure we have some great dancing tunes. If you have any requests, let us know as he has lots of credits left.
I guess there's still lots of time left - I'm getting very excited to see everyone. It will be really fun. Stay tuned for more.
Friday, January 26, 2007
SF Engagement Party
The party was held at the home of our friends Dan (photo on right) and Kristin Glunt. Dan has a special place in our heart as we met on the volleyball team Dan put together. Of course, he doesn't get credit for setting us up, but he is the reason we met. I met Dan years ago at a Democratic Fundraiser (for those of you who know Dan will recognize how ironic that statement is) and Eric has been friends with Dan through St. Mary's for years.
high school, Carrie Smith (not pictured - probably because she was chasing around her very cute 5-year-old daughter, Mikayla - a flower girl - all night). Our friend Darcy Wallace (left) was a huge help getting the house decked out. So fun! Michael Legrand, Eric's brother and best man, was also one of the hosts and did an excellent job with the beverages. Everyone was really impressed by his selection with the wine (he did go to Davis, so one The party was a sort of a "Meet the Falkers" moment as we were blessed by a quick visit by Eric's parents, Ron and Diana. They hadn't had a chance to meet my family yet, and several members of my biological and bonus family were able to join us for the festivities, including my brother, Jamie Tucker (o
n left), my "bonus mom", Laura Wittenberg, as well as Augie and Krissy (and Addie - another flower girl) Wittenberg who flew out from Colorado just for the party. Quite an honor. Monday, January 15, 2007
Blog Welcome
Hi all! Welcome to our little wedding blog. We are anticipating several folks who will be coming from out-of-town, so much of this site will be dedicated to providing you with all the information you need about the wedding logistics, lodging, and other activities you can do while in town.
Several of you may only know one of us, so if you're interested in learning more about our spouse-to-be, our families, friends, and more, we'll also be sharing lots of information here.
We'll also probably use this site as a place to chronicle the adventures we have throughout this fun period of our lives (this may be more for our own posterity sake, but if you can't find anything amusing on YouTube, enjoy these entries).
Please do post comments on the site with questions or suggestions you have you think we should include. You can always email Eric or Julie directly as well.
New Year's Party 2006
Hi All - For those of you who are regular readers, thought we'd share with you some pics from our first official soiree. We had a nice time seeing Eric's family down in Costa Mesa over Christmas, although it was bittersweet as Adrienne was still in the ICU due to complications from her most recent surgery, so much of our visit was up at the hospital in Hollywood. But I'm glad we could at least all be together. Hopefully she'll be released this week and we will be back down there this weekend and with luck we can have a nice celebration.
Our New Year's Eve was a bit more traditional. Eric and I prepared an 8-course meal for our friends. We ended up with 10 guests (plus one dog), and since Eric did most of the heavy-lifting in the kitchen and we were so well organized, it was fun and relaxing for both of us as well as our guests. Eric and I had a blast cooking together - another thing we have in common. Everything was homemade, from the ravioli to the sherbet and it all turned out pretty yummy if you ask me. What was even better is I was so exhausted the next day that Eric ended up doing all the dishes (I'm so lucky!)
wine pairing: various bubbly
wine pairing: White Burgundy (unoaked Chardonnay)
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce
Rack of Lamb with Spinach and Pignolas
Friday, January 12, 2007
Wedding FAQ's
Answers to the frequently asked questions we're getting
What to wear?
Eric is wearing a snazzy Ralph Lauren tux and I'm wearing a long white dress. It's an afternoon wedding, so other than the wedding party black tie is not necessarily (but if you have a tux, feel free to dust it off), but everything else is game as far as I'm concerned. I think general wedding attire should be fine: most of the ladies will wear sassy springtime cocktail dresses and men will have a jacket and tie. But if you want to pull out your old kilt or other sequin gown, or other entertaining outfit, by all means. Whatever makes you comfortable.
Are kids welcome to the ceremony?
One more thing about the sitter situation - someone asked me about having them at ceremony. I think it would be great to see them there (so I get to see them all). We will definitely have a couple the sitters on call at the church to play with them in case an hour long ceremony gets too long for their attention spans. Please contact Laura (info below) if you need help with sitters during the reception as soon as possible. Again, while I'd love to have them all, we're far over capacity for the hall, so there's just no space for them to sit.
Are kids welcome to the reception?
What type of ceremony are you having?
The whole 9-yards. It's a full mass with Eucharist. Catholics and Episcopalians will feel comfortable, but for those of you who aren't, this involves standing, sitting, kneeling, reading and lots of singing (and we expect everyone to sing). Father Jason says it should take about an hour. We'll also have some fun surprises that we hope will keep you entertained.
Where are you registered?
While your presence is gift enough for us, people keep asking where we're registered. Eric's the king of the kitchen so it's pretty fun shopping with him. All our registry items are at Bloomingdales and Target. For those of you who don't have a Bloomies near you sorry for the inconvenience - unfortunately Macy's didn't have the china pattern we wanted. Everything is available online these days. I always hate to pay retail, so here are some ways around paying full price
* I just got an email from Bloomies with a 10% off coupon for people you purchase registry items online. BWCFTAF.
* Our china pattern is Haviland Amaryllis, which is readily available a lots of online discounters such as upscale gallery , paris jeweler, and I'm sure several others. FYI, we didn't register for the full setting (we don't really need a dozen more tea cups and saucers), rather we selected separate items: dinner plate, dessert plate, and soup cup, and a few chargers (for smaller parties). Plus the pickle dish and a large platter.
What's for dinner? And who's the caterer?
Wendy, of course. If she can cater her own wedding, pulling off brides maid duty and preparing your meal, will be a piece of cake. And while Eric's no longer at Niman Ranch, we hopefully will get some yummy meat anyhow. Of course, we'll have a great wine selection.
Will there be cake?
Yes. Ron really wanted some - and we found a delicious one.
Where are you going on your honeymoon?
When we first started dating we both said we wanted to visit Southeast Asia and we decided top on that list was Malaysia and Singapore. We leave Monday afternoon and will take an 19 hour flight to Singapore and then to Kuala Lumpur (named the most affordable big city in the world) for 3 nights. Then we'll head over to the Tioman Island in the on the east coast of Malaysia, which apparently is where they filmed the Bali Hai portion of South Pacific. We'll be staying at the island's fanciest resort, Berjaya Tioman Beach Resort, which is still quite affordable. After 3 nights in paradise, we'll head back to civilization and spend 3 nights in Singapore with Eric's cousin, Jason and Misha.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Wedding Travel & Hotel Info
We're all set for April 21st, 2007 in San Francisco. We've finally picked a set of hotel options we think will satisfy everyone.
OFFICIALLY RECOMMENDED HOTELS
Cow Hollow Motor Inn
Doubles - $91 / night (parking included)
2190 Lombard Street (at Steiner)
415-921-5800
www.cowhollowmotorinn.com
This is a nice motor inn just 3 blocks from the Church. The rooms are quite large, and clean and nice, and the staff is very nice and professional. You are close to tons of shops and restaurants and it's a great option. There are also some Suites available for families who want to spread out. It's not super fancy, but it's definitely nice, and an awesome price and super convenient for weekend activities! (Shuttle buses will take you back here after the wedding).
NOTE: you will need to call to book these rooms, as the $91 rate is no longer available online
While there are plenty of rooms available, we've also reserved a block of rooms there under "Tucker-Legrand Wedding". The hotel has a 2-night minimum on weekends, but they're waiving that minimum for us. For those of you who are local, you might want to use these rooms. If you do have any problem booking the room, please email me and let me know (julie@smartsco.com).
Laurel Inn
$169 - 199 / night on group rate (parking $15 / night)
444 Presidio Ave (@ California)
800-552-8735 or 415-567-8467
www.thelaurelinn.com
For those of you who want more of a stylish weekend, the Laurel Inn is situated in the Laurel Heights district. It's a 5 - 10 minute drive or cabride from both the church and the reception site as well as near some luxurious boutiques and restaurants in Presidio / Laurel / Pac Heights district. The rooms are modern and clean and a cool bar "G-Bar" is there in the lobby.
Note: we will be blocking about 10 rooms for the group rate (which I believe is about $20 less than the regular rate) by Christmas. You should book these as soon as possible. They will released any that have not been booked about 6 weeks before the event.
HOUSE RENTALS
Families may want to consider this option. There's a great site with lots of great homes available to rent by the day or week. http://www.vrbo.com/
LUXURY OPTIONS- Nob Hill
For those of you who are looking to treat yourselves to high end vacation and have the true San Francisco experience, we highly recommend some of the historic hotels on Nob Hill.
- Huntington Hotel and Spa - Rooms start at $350. There's a really nice spa there and they offer varous spa and "romance" packages.
Tel: 415-474-5400 - Mark Hopkins - The "Top of the Mark" is where all the soldiers heading to the Pacific would meet their sweethearts. A historic and lovely Intercontinental hotel and they just had a renovation, so all the rooms should be pretty nice. Rooms start at $259.
Tel: 415 392 3434 - Fairmont. Another important piece of California history, the Fairmont was the first major building to finish after the 1906 earthquake. But don't worry, they also had a recent rennovation. Lots of restaurants the the full "luxury hotel" experience. If you don't want to splurge on staying there, it's always a fun place to grab a drink. I think the rates begin around $350.
Tel: 415-772-5000
Please let us know what type of activities you might be interested in us arranging for: VIP wine tastings in Sonoma, bay cruises, golf outings, restaurant suggestions.
There's lots of info at the SF Convention and Visitor's Bureau site.
Check back here for more details.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Holiday Greetings
Hello Friends & Family. We hope the 2006 holidays are treating you well. We have been very busy, so apologies for not getting a nice letter into our holiday cards. Not only did we move in November which was quite an adventure (but we're now happily settled in), but we've had several other big changes in our lives. First of all, Eric's job at Niman Ranch was eliminated with the new management. This was truly a blessing and he's quite excited about new opportunities where his skills and experience can be put to better use. While I'll certainly miss the employee discount on the yummy meat, it's probably good for our cholesteral levels not to be eating so much of it. (And don't worry, he left on good terms with everyone, so we should still be able to get a good deal on meat for the wedding).
While Eric's thrilled about the opportunities for his future career, there was an even more important reason that he needed to move on. Most of you have heard about Eric's sister Adrienne. She is a very dear person to the entire family and anyone who has met her is very blessed. I had asked her to be the maid of honor (along with Wendy) in the wedding. Unfortunately, as many of you know, Adrienne has a very rare genetic disorder called NF2. This disorder basically disrupts her tumor suppressing gene, and she has many non-cancerous tumors on her nervous system. While they tumors are non-cancerous, they continue to grow. Until this past Spring, Adrienne was in quite good shape (she did lose her hearing a few years ago and had balance issues). However, the past few months the tumors on her spine have been growing quite rapidly not only reducing her mobility dramatically, but causing her a horrific amount of pain one can't even imagine. She has had several surgeries (including one last week), but these tumors are very difficult to remove without destroying the nerves. We pray every day that the doctors can treat these tumors and heal her pain. She had some major respiratory issues as a result from the last surgery, but it sounds like she's finally coming out of the critical phase, and the plan is to begin radiation in three to four weeks.
But the blessing of all this, is that Eric has had a lot of time this past month to go help out his parents when they really need it. He's been spending quite a bit of time down in Orange County working on the books for his parent's company (and being the math geek that he is, is having quite a blast doing it). So it really has been a wonderful thing that he has the opportunity to help out his family and the opportunity to find the perfect professional home for him.
As for me, I'm just trying to get my life all organized. SmartsCo is continuing to put out new products and we're about to have some exciting news which will involve some positive changes that will provide more stability in my life. More news on that soon. 
With all the wedding planning and life changes, we haven't had much opportunity for adventurous trips or anything. We have been able to spend lots of time with family and I've really getting to know the extended Legrand family better. Eric's brother, Michael, has been working a lot in SF, so he's been a good proxy for Eric while he's home. I also was able to fly out to St. Louis to after Thanksgiving for my "bonus mom", Laura's birthday. As always, it was a delight to see Heidi & Chris, Augie & Krissy, and Wendy and Shawn, but even more precious little nieces and nephews - Denise, Marie, Anna, Jonathan, and Addie - they keep getting more and more fun as they get older, which is a suprise. We had a rockin' party dancing until the wee hours (at least 9:30 if not 10:00 pm!). We also got a chance to pick out flower girl dresses for the wedding which as a blast! (Have I mentioned there are 8 of them and 3 boys? - I'm told it's the British way.)
I'm not sure how the time got away and it's already time for Christmas, but here we are. I'm off to join Eric in the OC tomorrow. We're praying that Adrienne will be strong enough to come home from the hospital for Christmas. We look forward to seeing you in 2007.
Love,
Julie (& Eric)
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Our Wedding Party
Friends, Family, and lots of kids
I know when I go to weddings I'm cursious about who's involved in the wedding and how the bride and groom are related to each person. Here's a preview of some of the people who are in the wedding.
Best Man - Michael Legrand
Eric's younger brother. While they're quite different (Michael is all about football, Eric's more into ballet and gourmet stuff), they have a lot of fun together (especially on the ski slopes), and he really makes me laugh all the time. I look forward to his speech. (Michael's in photo above on right with Julie's brother, Jamie).
Stand-in Father of the Bride - Jamie Tucker My brother Jamie will be walking me down the aisle and standing in for my father (Jim Tucker) who passed away in 1997. I'm sure he'll make my father proud. 
Mother and Father of the Groom - Ron & Diana Legrand You can't really ask for nicer in-laws and I'm so lucky to have been welcomed into their family. They are so supportive in helping us pull off this wedding - it means so much to us. They are an excellent example of what makes a happy and healthy marriage.
Maid of Honor - Adrienne Legrand
Eric's dear sister. We're praying that Adrienne will be strong enough to join us for the wedding as she's such an important person in Eric's and now my life. However, her NF2 has really been aggressive lately, so we just don't know how strong she will be come April. We're praying she will be able to come down the aisle and be next to us as we say our vows.
Matron on Honor - Wendy (Wittenberg) Shay
Julie's bonus sister (and caterer!). A superstar if there every has been one. Wendy and I have been through a LOT together and have been friends since high school (actually I was closer to her older sister Heidi back then). When I moved back to SF, Wendy welcomed me with open arms and we have been inseparable ever since. (Wendy is in the pic at left on the front right).
Stand-in Mother of the Bride - Laura Wittenberg
When my parents both passed away 10 years ago, I was "adopted" into the Wittenberg family and I'm so lucky to have had a family I can count on. Laura will be covering mother of the bride duties on the day of the wedding. (Laura is pictured on the left with Wendy and two of our flower girls).
Flower Girls
Denise Sallee (age 11)
Marie Sallee (age 9)
Anna Sallee (age 8)
Mikayla Smith (age 5)
Malea Jenkins (age 5)
Grace Snavely (age 4)
Susanna Snavely (age 2)
Addie Wittenberg (age 2)
Ring Bearers
Michael Roach (age 7)
Jonathan Sallee (age 6)
Brett Roach (age 3)
Yes there are lots of children - not sure exactly how it will work, but I'm pretty sure it'll provide some laughs. We have so many special friends and family in our lives and we glad to involve some of them in the wedding vicariously through their children.
The Sallee clan are the children of my "sister" Heidi (Wittenberg) and her husband Chris, who not only was my friend in high school, but we also both were in grad school St. Louis at the same time (Heidi in med school, me getting my MBA). The Sallee kids are pros at walking down the aisle and they're also pretty darn good dancers, so you can look forward to them keeping everyone pretty entertained.
Mikayla Smith (pictured right) is the daughter of my good friend, Carrie, also from high school and we can wait to see her curly locks all at the front of the aisle.
Malea Jenkins is the Diana's "granddaughter" and the daughter of the Legrand family friends, Bob and Tina Jenkins. Malea and her brother Braden are very special to the Legrand family and we're thrilled Malea and join us on the special day. 
The Snavely girls (left) and their new infant sister, Clara) are the daughters of Eric's friends from Wheaton College, Mark & Kelly. Eric was good friends with Mark in college and formed a very special bond with the girls when Mark and Kelly moved to San Francisco.
other "brother" Augie and his wife and my dear friend, Krissy (pictured at right). She's just starting to talk (a lot!) and living in Eagle Colorado, should be learning to ski any day now (Eric's looking forward to hitting the slopes with her).And last, but not least, are the Roach boys, who's parents Josh and Beth are Eric's cousins from San Diego. A charming and talented duo and I'm sure the flower girls will be fighting over who gets to dance with them.
We're keeping the formal "wedding party" small, but will have special roles for other family members and friends who will be our readers, ushers, etc. More to come on these folks who are formally involved in the wedding.
Monday, January 08, 2007
San Francisco Activities
Our Suggestions 
Julie your cruise director here with some suggestions on other activities for you during your visit to San Francisco. Below are suggestions of our favorite things, but you can also try out some of the other standard activities. Here are some coupons.
Again, while it's sunny California, with the cool air from the Pacific it rarely gets very hot, so do bring sweaters and a somewhat more than light jacket (leather or rain coat). We also have quite steep hills, so comfy shoes are a must.
Wine Country
We highly recommend visiting wine country. We prefer Sonoma as it's less commercial (and crowded) than the Napa Valley, but you really can't go wrong with any place. We will be arranging for a self-guided tour for our guests at some of our favorite wineries (and SmartsCo clients) , and we'll post this later. Again we have Luxury a tour planned for Thursday, April 19th leaving from Cow Hollow Inn. It will run about $75 per person. I think there are a couple spaces left, so email me if you want in. I'm going to pull some strings at some of my favorite wineries complementary tastings and special treatment.
Baseball
It's the season and the Giants are in town (A's are away). They're playing St. Louis on Wednesday and Thursday and Arizona Friday and Sunday (sorry - Saturday's is not an option for you). The stadium is downtown and super easy to get to. To purchase tickets>>
Ballet
We're huge fans and season ticket holders for the world-renown San Francisco ballet. They're performing Friday & Sunday of wedding weekend - well worth if you enjoy ballet. To purchase tickets>>
Cherry Blossom Festival 
Often our spring begins as early as January, however in Japantown there's a festival the weekend of the wedding. We've never been, but it looks pretty fun. Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival site.
Shopping
San Francisco Center - brand new and quite swanky
Union Street
Hayes Valley
Ferry Tours
Our city on the Bay offers several lovely ferry opportunities. Some of our favorites are below. Unfortunately it's not an integrated system and the ferries leave from different places (either Fisherman's Wharf or the Ferry Building - typical of our very disjunct public transport system in general), so check carefully where your
ferry comes from. Blue & Gold Fleet offers simple Bay Cruises or lots of options for most of the options below, but there are others noted below as well.
Alcatraz. Reserve well in advance!!! It's totally touristy, but definitely worth it.
Angel Island & Tiburon. The Tuckers have always loved Angel Island and Tiburon, and you can either take a picnic to to Angel Island, or simple cruise over to Tiburon for lunch at Sam's . Ferry Schedule
Sausalito, which has several lovely shops and restaurants. Ferry Schedule
Spa & Beauty Services
San Francisco has some great spas where you can treat yourself.
Hair - if you want a quick blow dry or "do" before the wedding, Blow Salon is a few blocks from the Cow Hollow Inn and very affordable.
Spa treatments
Some of my favorites
Spa Radiance - near the hotel
Bliss Spa - cool music - at the W Hotel
Spa Fusion - at the Hilton Union Square
Tru Spa at the Hilton in Chinatown
International Orange - a San Francisco Award winner
Day Trips
Carmel & Monterey - 2 hours south of SF. Georgeous setting. Fantastic Monterey Bay Aquarium. Beautiful shops & restaurants.
Point Reyes Station - 45 minutes north of SF. Be prepared for windy roads, but a lovely little jaunt.
Muir Woods - 30 minutes north of SF. If you've never seen the redwoods, this is experience not to miss.
Moss Beach - 30 minutes south of SF. A great activity with or without the kids. The Tucker family went here a great deal when we were young to look at the tidepools. You can also grab a drink (or less than yummy food) at the Moss Beach Distillery which is known not only for its stellar views, but there's also apparently a ghost who lives there. If you do want to see the tide pools, you need to go around low tide During wedding week low tides are as follows:
Day High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time % Moon
/Low Time Feet Sunset Visible
W 18 Low 5:59 AM -1.0 6:29 AM Rise 6:59 AM 0
18 High 12:27 PM 3.9 7:44 PM Set 9:52 PM
18 Low 5:25 PM 1.5
18 High 11:37 PM 6.0
Th 19 Low 6:53 AM -1.2 6:28 AM Rise 7:41 AM 3
19 High 1:33 PM 3.6 7:45 PM Set 11:08 PM
19 Low 6:06 PM 2.0
F 20 High 12:20 AM 5.9 6:27 AM Rise 8:32 AM 8
20 Low 7:50 AM -1.2 7:46 PM
20 High 2:45 PM 3.4
20 Low 6:53 PM 2.3
Sa 21 High 1:08 AM 5.6 6:25 AM Set 12:18 AM 16
21 Low 8:51 AM -0.9 7:47 PM Rise 9:31 AM
21 High 4:07 PM 3.3
21 Low 7:52 PM 2.6
Su 22 High 2:03 AM 5.1 6:24 AM Set 1:17 AM 25
22 Low 9:57 AM -0.6 7:48 PM Rise 10:36 AM
22 High 5:30 PM 3.4
22 Low 9:14 PM 2.8
more to come...
Sunday, January 07, 2007
About Us
But the most important thing we have in common is our shared family values, spiritual beliefs, and life goals. We're confident we have a bright future together.
They say good things come to those who wait, and I will certainly attest to that fact. For those of you who know both of us, I think you'll agree that we're pretty perfect for one another. For those of you who don't, a quick summary:
We met on a volleyball team that was assembled by our mutual friend Dan in Spring 2002. We were both dating other people, but hit it off from the beginning (Eric even attended first SmartsCo release party). We sort of lost track of each other for a few years, and then in spring of 2005, we both found ourselves newly single and ran into each other again at one of Dan's parties. We found we had a lot in common and started finding more and more excuses to spend time together -- more volleyball, going on a brewery tour, wine tasting, dinners, etc. And then, one evening after a few glasses of courage (wine), we decided we wanted to be more than friends. And it's been fantastic ever since. Everything is just easy and natural and we have so much in common. Here are just a few of passions that we share:
