One Busy Bee

That didn't take very long at all. I did touch base with UrLoved Photography but our schedules weren't working out. As stated in my recap of the Valdez wedding , they are excellent to work with, produce great photos and are quite reliable. However at this time, our schedules didn't work out. They were pretty booked! Get on it, Folks, and book your session with them. So what I did was post an ad on Craigslist for a TFCD (Trade For CD) of images: My time in exchange for a CD of photos, or back then, for prints (TFP). This is how I started modeling back in my early 20s for fun. I didn't start modeling because I thought I was hot stuff or had a unique look. I did it for fun and if something came out of it, great! But it was for the experience and I'm not shy in front of the camera at all. So why the hell not? I did get my photos on the cover of two books, a CD cover for a band, did fashion shows, was an extra in a few music videos (including Michael Jackson's ...

Christmas is just days away. A storm in the Bay Area has passed. Two holiday parties were a success. But these past 18 hours have been a whirlwind for sure. Yesterday evening, after dinner, in our home office discussing the home we are in process of purchasing, holding a gray box from The Shane Company , my boyfriend (wearing a black long sleeved shirt and his Adidas pants with white paint stains from painting the condo earlier this year, and I in jeans, my Toby Keith blue tank top from his Las Vegas “ I Love This Bar ” restaurant, my blue SFSU zipper up sweatshirt, and my brown childhood blanket draped over my lap) got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. “Yeah.” I hugged him tight and kissed him repeatedly. He was shaking and said “I can’t believe you said ‘yes.” I couldn’t stop smiling and crying and saying “I love you.” And I couldn’t help but laugh when I called him my fiancé for the first time. Wow, we’re really engaged! Since we were in the process of negotiati...

I was hired to work a July 2011 wedding in the Santa Clara/San Jose area last month. This was a referral from a fellow WIN colleague I met in our San Mateo training office. We met in the middle at a Starbucks after a discussion over the phone. I obtained as much information I could in terms of their needs and expectations. The wedding ceremony was to be held in a cathedral and for a full Catholic mass in Spanish. This would be my first ceremony in another language. The cathedral they had their eyes on was the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph ’s in San Jose, California. It could be challenging as the Event Planner to get detailed information from some churches. Some will not even release their availability or ballpark ‘donation’ or cost. They usually like to speak directly with the bride or groom. Though it may be deceitful, you may need to pose as either party to get more information. The Basilica was not difficult to deal with and I would have to say they were the most...

To go hand in hand with my “Merry Mass Appeal Giveaway” , I will be attending this workshop with friends and colleagues to kick off 2011. Please let me know if you’re interested in joining us! I personally know these four presenters and have the utmost respect for them. I am looking forward to enjoying this event and learning how to live a healthier life. Since Thanksgiving, I can honestly say that I have not been to the gym regularly, nor eating well. I KNOW I’m not alone. How about you?

I received a referral from a repeat client and great couple regarding a friend of theirs wanting to throw a holiday party the following weekend. In a week’s time and 10 hours of prep time in two days, a successful ’12 Drinks of Xmas’ holiday party came about in a one bedroom, Marina District apartment in San Francisco, with a very small kitchen space for me to prepare,store and heat items. I would estimate about 60 people were in attendance. There were 12 different stations for different drinks, paired up with hot or cold food such as Samosas, Popcorn Chicken, Shrimp Salad, Chips and Salsa, Fruit Salad, Cream Puffs and my favorite, vanilla Belgium waffles pieces drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The hallway was decked out in red, the bedroom in silver and blue with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer playing silently on the small television, the dining room had wine with a cheese, meat and cracker platter. The living room ceiling was wrapped like a present and ...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! If you missed the Black Friday code for a big discount on some great wellness products, here’s your chance to enter to WIN a product to begin using just in time to fulfill that New Year’s Resolution. TheWellnessShot.com will be giving away a month’s worth of MASS APPEAL (a $71.95 value.) Mass Appeal is our muscle-boosting product for men AND women. Just because there’s a ripped guy on the box, don’t think that only men use it. Read below for specifics as seen on TheWellnessShot.com HOW TO ENTER: Answer this question in a comment: What is your New Year’s Resolution and how do you plan on achieving it? Receive an additional entry by following me on Twitter (@bappletree) . Unfollows before this giveaway ends on December 25, 2010 will disqualify the entry earned for the initial follow. Receive TWO additional entries by ReTweeting promo tweets about this giveaway. ***BONUS*** After you’ve entered as instructed above, you’re on Twitter and you follow my fav...

So, it appears I won 3rd place in the promo contest for Los Lonely Boys’ newest album. I won two free tickets to any concert. I still haven’t redeemed last year’s winnings for a promo concert for their ‘1969’ album. I won four tickets for that contest. I still got the marketing skills I guess. If I were to use them, I’d probably use ask for tickets if they were going to play at a winery like Ironstone in Murphys, CA. Their tickets are really expensive and it’s a huge venue! I am very tempted to go to Texas for a show as I’ve never been and WIN’s headquarters are there where they do college training sessions. So we shall see. I’ve never been to Texas. Here are photos from this year’s Cache Creek show and getting to chat with them outside. The year before is when they sang me Happy Birthday. I was in tears. Such a memorable birthday. Gotta love these guys. Tasina & I A very good friend and we do road trips often together for concerts. JoJo & I. Notice Ringo in the...

As promised, 'BLACK' is the code for 20% OFF at www.BeeMWellness.com . The below email was sent to family and friends. Readers - please feel free to use the code and forward it to friends! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I'll be heading out to Las Vegas! Hi Family & Friends, As some of you know, I have added to my list of 'jobs' as a Wellness Distributor. Working with brides that want to lose weight and have their skin glowing for their big day, me loving to go to the gym, and overall just help people live longer and healthier - doing this just made it a no-brainer for me to take advantage of this opportunity. According to economists, the wellness industry will be a trillion dollar industry by 2012 and I hope it will help DB and I get our dream home, get our BMW back and assure our family will grow up in a good neighborhood and receive the best education. (No, not pregnant.) SO, to play along with the big boys this week for Black Friday, I am offering you 20% OFF ...

I have been wanting to do something different for a couple of reasons. I wanted a new change for my 30th and I wanted it to be beneficial to more than just myself. I went up to Seattle for a quick 2.5 day trip in September with Christy to visit our mutual friend and former coworker, Dr. Christine, aka Shoe. While we were there, I spotted a salon called Habitude down the street from where Shoe lives, and I decided to chop off my hair. I sat in the chair of a girl that just moved there from Texas and she reminded me of a former colleague I worked with in my advertising days. I chopped off my hair and donated it to The Locks of Love . This was my second time donating my hair. My last photo with long hair with Indiana. Measuring - about 13" was cut off. First cut Detached for a good cause Representing Habitude in Ballard And Locks of Love thank you card. It was completely worth it. As seen in my previous posts attempting to raise money for Making Strides Against Bre...

The day after I got back from Carlsbad, California (an 8-hour drive) for my family's 3rd Family Reunion that I planned and coordinated, I worked this annual Client Appreciation Dinner in Emeryville, California. Caterer: Namie's Kitchen Rentals: Classic Party Rentals - as for Gwen O. Staff provided by myself Set-up Namie makes the best use out of the limited amount of space provided. Dessert Thank yous!

August 14, 2010 Carlsbad, California Honoring the strong women in our family affected by Breast Cancer Honoring family members that are looking down upon us from above. Decor Men Hard at Work Chatting Thank yous from Family "Thank you for planning the reunions; you are awesome!" – Donna "The brilliant people behind this fun, fun, fun event! Thanks for doing a great job AGAIN....EVERYTHING was great!" - Lena My review on Yelp.com of the park: My cousins picked out a great spot for our family reunion. It was large, had plenty of parking, had bathrooms with toilet paper and seat covers available, baseball fields, playground, lots of grass, BBQs, garbages, covered picnic tables and surrounded by a good neighborhood. We didn't have sketchy strangers come around. It was more of housewives pushing strollers in their work out gear. Great spot! No dogs allowed. Too bad for my puppy dog. August 2008 Monterey, California August 2005 ...

Black Friday will be upon us in no time. Do you know what you want to get friends and family for the holidays? Will you be standing out in the cold and rain after Thanksgiving dinner outside Wal-Mart or Best Buy or Target to get a $300 flat screen television or laptop? Last year, laptops were going for $300 at Best Buy. We arrived at 5 AM and the line to get inside wrapped all the way around the block and then some. The first 100 or so in line received a ticket or voucher to ensure that they got what they came for. The rest were in line HOPING to get a good deal on something. We did not wait in line and snuck in before 100 people were let in and we left with nothing because we really wanted that laptop but since we didn't have a ticket or voucher for it, we didn't get it. We left empty-handed and went home to go back to sleep. What are your plans for Black Friday? If you're looking to give the gift of wellness, stay tuned to me on Twitter @bappletree for a discoun...

I received this from a friend and already have my letter and photo printed to send to the troops in Afghanistan. Please take the time to do one or as many of the below: 1) Tweet about this effort 2) Tweet me ( @bappletree )with your message to the troops and and I'll print it and send it in the care package 3) Email me at bernadettemanzano@hotmail.com your letter and photo and I'll include it in the care package 4) Contact me regarding your donation of materials on their wish list or helping with shipping costs via Paypal 5) Start your own care package The holidays are approaching and they are a world and many seas apart from their families - all to support and represent the USA. The least you can do is send them well wishes, some holiday love and appreciation for what they do if you cannot support the cause with items on their wish list. I will be mailing my package out on November 30th. Do you have a friend and family member in the armed forces? Post their name, ...

I became a fan of the Bad Girls Club when a Season 3 marathon was airing (in 2008, is it?) and I just had the television on while I was doing chores around the house. Every now and then I’d hear “*BEEP* you, you *BEEP*ing *BEEP*!”, some screaming and “This is the Amber Show” do-do-do-do-do-Doo! Eventually I was glued to the screen and not doing chores anymore and spent most of the day laughing and thinking “ohnoshedidn’t!” They were NUTS! I don’t think I could live my life with a camera following me around and for the whole world to see and criticize. But I kept on watching and when fights broke out, my boyfriend would hear the screaming from another room and ask “WHAT are you watching?!?” I am not one for reality television. MTV had it with The Real World with Pedro, Puck, Pam and whoever… when it was in San Francisco. (GO GIANTS!) With all these Big Brother, The Bachelorette and other shows popping up, there were just too many to pick and choose from to watch. And I was never a ...