Two Year Wedding Anniversary

Exactly two years ago, Steve and I got married.

I realize that everyone probably says this, but our wedding was one of the best days of my life. In front of our friends and family, we got married at a church in Glendale, California, and had a outdoor reception at the University of Southern California.

It's been a wild, fun and wonderful adventure, and I am excited for many many many more years of marriage.

Here are the last two years in pictures:

Our wedding day, June 17, 2006, in Los Angeles.

On our honeymoon in the Caribbean.

In Hawaii, double-fisting our wine in the classiest way possible.

Day trip to Reno. It's a nasty city...don't go.

Visiting family in San Diego, California.

Upside Down Man & Lucky Cat, Halloween 2007.

Enjoying big goblets of cerveza in Mexico City.

Cousin Bethany's high school graduation party.

My brother Adrian's wedding day.

By the way, my brother's wedding was beautiful. The weather was perfect, food was delicious, and we all had a great time celebrating the day. There was also a 100-person game of freeze tag, inflatable boxing, a Battle of the Rock Bands (in which my husband sang Red Hot Chili Peppers' Dani California while wearing a pair of MY old jeans), and multiple minor injuries.

You can see more photos here.

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Interracial Marriage

A recipe for messed up kids.

Just when I thought I was running out of material to write about, I received this comment on my (evidently controversial) post about soft chocolate chip cookies:

"EXCUSE ME, Mr. Marks, but I thought this was a food blog. Interracial marriages create nothing but heartache for any children conceived by such a union. DID you not read the media headlines today about the strife wrought by interracial marriages in America? Perhaps you two should stick to 'baking' cookies instead of 'making' interracial children."

Though the commenter's profile appears to be a ruse to get more website hits, I will still gladly address the comment. Because really, who could pass up this one?

First off, Commenter, I am a missus. Get that straight. Unless you're addressing my husband, who in fact does NOT claim to own a food blog. He certainly does not cook enough to warrant anything of the sort, and will gladly admit it.

Secondly, thanks for the warning about all the heartache and strife my future multiracial children are doomed to face. I'll begin setting aside therapy money pronto. But, wait...how do you explain Tiger Woods turning out okay?

Thirdly, if by your use of quotation marks you are insulting my "baking" skills, well then. Now I'm offended.

All joking aside, I have addressed some of my thoughts on interracial marriage here. And this recent comment (even if it was from someone with simply too much time and a penchant for instigating fights on people's blogs), reflects the disturbing reality of the fear, hatred and prejudice that still exist in our world today.

I want to dispel the notion that I think my marriage is fundamentally better than others simply because we're an interracial couple. Low and behold, Steve and I have many of the same issues, problems and dilemmas that any married couple experiences. Shocker, I know.

That said, I do believe that there are many interracial couples (and their families) who have walked a uniquely difficult road, and those people should be applauded. Because of my own experiences, I have a special place in my heart for interracial couples and their multiracial children. And I will continue to celebrate fellow interracial couples, such as Jon and Kate, Heidi Klum and Seal, and many of our real life couple friends (because we apparently run around in packs).

I will also continue to look forward to the day we have our own lovely multiracial children, who will hopefully be welcomed into a world that is a little more loving than it currently stands.

But until then, I guess I'll keep "baking" cookies.

The Great Coloring Book Giveaway!

Win a free autographed copy!

This past week I had a great time with Katy and Emily (pictured on the left), who were in Los Angeles for a short, but lovely visit. They are very dear friends from the old middle school days on Maui, Hawaii. And now we're all grown up, stepping into adulthood together!

Also, Katy just so happens to be an amazing artist by the name of Renee K. Coates, whose Hawaii-influenced artwork can be found at her website here. Among her many creative endeavors, she recently published a coloring book! Isn't that cool? The Road to Hana tells the story of a family who explores the little town of Hana-Maui during their vacation in Hawaii. It is filled with gorgeous illustrations, and makes a perfect gift for anyone! The coloring book is available for purchase at amazon.com here. I am so proud of my friend, and thrilled that our shared background of Hawaiian life and culture is such a foundational part of her art.

Here is the good news for you, readers. Renee wants to give away a free autographed copy to one of you! That's right - you have the opportunity to receive your own copy of The Road to Hana (retailed at $11.99), sent directly from the author. Pretty much as good as winning an actual trip to Hawaii, if you ask me.

So without further ado, The Great Coloring Book Giveaway!

How can you put your name into the running for the prize? Simple! Answer the question below, either in a comment, or via email to larissalmarks (at) gmail (dot) com. Comments will close at 12pm PST on Friday, May 16th. A winner will be chosen at random, and announced here on the blog on Saturday, May 17th. Make sure you leave your name and a way to contact you if you win. And feel free to pass on the word about this, and let others know about the contest!

Here is the contest question (in the spirit of Hawaii), which you may answer however you want:

What would be your ultimate dream vacation? Where would you go, who would you take, what would you do?

Good luck!

The Girlfriends Every Woman Needs

Me & Katy, circa 1990. Only a true friend would stand by that.

I had a lovely time this weekend, with lots of time spent with friends. Steve happened to be out of town doing some guy bonding (i.e. camping and manual labor). So I had a free weekend with the girls, which included morning brunch, shopping for bridesmaid dresses for my brother's upcoming wedding, a dinner party, and afternoon tea. It really doesn't get any girlier than that, does it?

All this extended time with friends got me thinking about how much I value relationships with other women in my life. I have some wonderful friends who've helped me survive everything in life, from unfortunate fashion choices to work tribulations to relationship crisis. While these friends have been many things to me, there are also unique roles that each has played in my life, which are worthy of mention.

Let me introduce my posse to you.

• Lifelong Friend: I met Katy on the first day of third grade. From that day on, we were inseparable. Together, we had secret code words, began our own Baby-sitter's Club, schemed to get our siblings to marry each other so we could literally become sisters, and passed hundreds of notes in class. Katy saw me through the bottle-cap glasses days, and was still my loyal BFF. She has stuck with me through thick and thin, and even 20+ years later and states apart, we can still chatter on the phone for hours.

• Shopping & Fashion Pal: My friend (and soon-to-be sister-in-law!) Seisha is the best person to shop with. She has impeccable taste, and will honestly tell me if those jeans make my butt look big. She constantly knows what's in style, and will freely let me borrow anything from her massive collection of clothes and accessories. Seisha was also the only person I trusted to do my hair and makeup on my wedding day.
  

• Confidante: I actually have two of these - Natasha and Jeanne. These gals know all of my secrets, and are there with me in all my ugly moments. They are the first friends I call when a crisis hits (like the day I broke up with my college boyfriend), and when there's something worth celebrating. We swap marriage stories and work frustrations, and I know I can trust them with anything.

• Wise Sage: Whenever I have a big life question, my first instinct is to go to Chante. She is only a few years older than me, but has discernment far beyond her experience. I will find myself stressed out about a situation, and after a five-minute conversation with her, I'll have all the clarity in the world. Whatever the problem at hand, Chante always has valuable perspective and insights.
  

• Really-Gets-Me Friend: Cathy and I are in similar seasons of life - newly married, adjusting to adulthood, and figuring out what we want to do with our lives. I know that I can share some of my deepest questions and dreams, and that Cathy will truly relate. Her uncanny ability to know when to dish advice or to simply listen makes her an indispensable friend that I want to share everything with.

Other important girlfriends I couldn't live without: Fitness Buddy, Television Show Companion, Hairstylist, Party Pal, Work Partner, Gynecologist

What friend has played a significant role in your life?