Umm, wow. Four months already? I feel like I was just writing the five months countdown post. These will definitely be the hardest four months of the engagement, for several reasons. In exactly a week, I'll be starting my final semester of graduate school. I'll also be working two part-time jobs—although less hours than last year. Nathan is in Michigan, so add a long distance relationship onto that, plus of course finishing up wedding planning and getting ready to move!
Oh yeah, and I need a job and a place to move and stuff to move in with.
But instead of totally freaking out about everything that's not done, let's talk about what is done—because I'm pretty pumped about this!
To recap, last post I named four things I wanted to accomplish this month. Here they are with what I wanted to accomplish and what I did accomplish.
1. Invitations: We need to finalize our guest list, begin collecting addresses, & come up with a rough mock-up of our invitations. NAILED IT.
Actually, more than a pass, because not only did we come up with a final guest list and collect all but a few addresses on the list, we also chose an invitation design, talked through wording with our parents, priced everything out, and ordered Mini Moo cards. We're totally on track with this!
2. Flowers & decorations: I need to start making flowers, continue looking for books, and work on Scrabble letters. Definitely a PASS.
The individual flowers are completely done and I'm working on table flowers. We also now have over thirty books and the Scrabble letters are completely done! Several posts coming up on these things. I can actually say that this time because my Scrabble letters post is completely written—and it's an official DIY post this time!
3. Caterer: Hopefully having a tasting this month and deciding on our menu & cakes! DONE and DONE.
We did have a tasting! I did a catering update but didn't give all the details on the tasting yet—definitely to come and I'm super excited about this.
4. Decide where to register & start scanning. Umm YES.
We definitely have the base of our registry built! I know I'm going to have to add more items, but I had it done enough to have a shower on New Years Day and we've even added more things since.
Things I need to work on for next month:
1. Invitations: I need to get the invitations printed, start assembling what I need, and working on getting addresses in place.
2. Flowers & decorations: Make progress on the table flowers (I don't need to finish these yet!) and figure out how many more books I need.
3. Registry: Fill out with some more items.
4. Programs: Print, cut, & organize!
That's doable right? I sure hope so!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Flashback Friday: One Year
Remember in my very first post ever I talked about the Cleveland Park Event Center? Probably not! But that's ok. I'll refresh your memory with this picture:
Photo credit.
Nathan and I stumbled across Cleveland Park in December of 2011 and thought it was cute that we wanted to go back eventually! Well the day we chose to go back happened to be the one year anniversary of when we started dating. Cute—I know right?
So we grabbed a pizza and some breadsticks and headed to the park. Unlike the day we got engaged (spoiler alert) this day in the park was absolute gorgeous for late February! Oh yeah, and apparently we were starving because we ate the entire pizza and all the breadsticks? I'm hungry just thinking about it. So delicious.
Uhh, so back to the story.
This was really just the greatest day! After pizza and a walk in the park we went downtown and checked out a cool bookstore (and got iced tea—again, it was really hot for February). Let's just be honest, I really wrote this post for myself, because these memories still make me happy thinking about them a year later!
Photo credit.
Nathan and I stumbled across Cleveland Park in December of 2011 and thought it was cute that we wanted to go back eventually! Well the day we chose to go back happened to be the one year anniversary of when we started dating. Cute—I know right?
So we grabbed a pizza and some breadsticks and headed to the park. Unlike the day we got engaged (spoiler alert) this day in the park was absolute gorgeous for late February! Oh yeah, and apparently we were starving because we ate the entire pizza and all the breadsticks? I'm hungry just thinking about it. So delicious.
Uhh, so back to the story.
This was really just the greatest day! After pizza and a walk in the park we went downtown and checked out a cool bookstore (and got iced tea—again, it was really hot for February). Let's just be honest, I really wrote this post for myself, because these memories still make me happy thinking about them a year later!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Picture from the Past
Last week I was looking for pictures for my bridal shower (more on that later!) and came across some this old picture...
Yes, that's my two sisters and me from Halloween 1995! I was about to turn five which means Emily was three and Abigail was almost two. Apparently we went as a bride and her two bridesmaids, although I don't actually remember this beyond the picture unfortunately.
I love our bouquets and hair bows—but clearly the best part is my frilly dress with a turtleneck underneath. Halloween in Wisconsin is cold!
Can't wait for them to be my bridesmaids for real! Thanks Emily & Abigail—I won't even make you wear black velvet dresses and white tights this time around.
Yes, that's my two sisters and me from Halloween 1995! I was about to turn five which means Emily was three and Abigail was almost two. Apparently we went as a bride and her two bridesmaids, although I don't actually remember this beyond the picture unfortunately.
I love our bouquets and hair bows—but clearly the best part is my frilly dress with a turtleneck underneath. Halloween in Wisconsin is cold!
Can't wait for them to be my bridesmaids for real! Thanks Emily & Abigail—I won't even make you wear black velvet dresses and white tights this time around.
Irrational Engagement Envy
Note: This post originally appeared on A Practical Wedding.
Photo credit.
My proposal story and ring are perfect. The day my fiancé and I got engaged we spent the entire afternoon and evening doing all of our favorite things—picnicking, singing in the car, watching our TV shows, walking around our favorite park, eating pizza downtown. In fact, we ate lunch in the same park that we had spent our one-year dating anniversary; we even sat in the same place and reminisced about how far we had come. I will always remember the silly details of that day—stalling my car five or six times, arguing over missing the turn out of the roundabout, wrapping up in blankets for our picnic on what was supposed to be a warm day. When I finally fell asleep that night it was with my ring nestled comfortably on my finger and to thoughts about how happy the day had been. My ring, too, was exactly what I wanted—except better than I ever could have imagined. All those fears and worries about what if I hate the ring? Gone. It was simple, timeless, and of course sparkly.
Then two things happened. One, people I barely knew started coming up and congratulating me—sweet of them!—and then immediately launching into asking questions about the engagement. How did he propose? Where were you? Let me see the ring! All of a sudden when telling the engagement story I didn’t know what to say. The short version, “We spent the afternoon in our favorite park and got engaged by a waterfall downtown…,” seemed inadequate. But I couldn’t explain the part where we were going to turn right to get to the park but the traffic was so bad we just abandoned that plan and turned left instead—barely making it onto the highway laughing and glad to be alive. And how could I tell them about sitting on our picnic blanket freezing cold and giggling as we pulled the other blanket over our heads like a fort? So instead I offered up, “We went to our favorite park and ate lunch…,” and they were underwhelmed. I showed them my ring and when they asked if it was what I wanted I weakly explained, “We picked it out together…,” because we did. Picking out my ring together was fun, trying, and a growing experience all at the same time. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But how do you share that with a stranger?
Second, other people started getting engaged, and their proposal stories were “better.” The key on the beach that opened a treasure chest five hundred miles away? Check. The clearing in the forest with the torches and antique desk? Check. The elaborate scavenger hunt with complicated clues and expensive gifts? Also check. The girls were surprised, elated, and more than happy to share their story with everyone. Their rings were trendy, gaudy, and glittery—everything that the wedding industry loves to push. I felt an irrational engagement envy. They had the ideal proposals, the fancy rings! How could I possibly live up to all that?
But wait! The ring with three halos and 128 tiny diamonds is not for me, and it never was. I have always wanted a classic solitaire like the one resting on my mother’s elegant gold band, something I could wear forever and it would never be out of style. Similarly, the idea of a surprise proposal terrified me—my fiancé and I have always made all our decisions together and planned our lives as a team. Why would this be any different? We’re a partnership, and our partnership is based on trust and togetherness. My favorite dates are walks in the park hand-in-hand while he listens to me talk about our latest client at work or a project I’m leading in graduate school. I value time spent together, not money spent on me. The fact that he skipped class and ignored his text messages for an afternoon meant infinitely more than a carriage ride through downtown or my name on the Jumbotron.
It’s a work in progress. Sometimes I feel a twinge of envy when I see a photo album on Facebook of a particularly intricate proposal. When another girl at work got engaged, there was a little jealousy to hear the exclamations of “Wow, your ring is huge!” Then I think back to the day in the park; my fiancé’s hand in mine as we walked around the lake; drinking hot chocolate; and stealing more than my share of the blanket to stay warm on the coldest day of the season so far. I look down at my hand and see my amazing ring—my delicate solitaire that perches so elegantly on my finger—and smile. Because no one’s engagement is as perfect as mine.
Photo credit.
My proposal story and ring are perfect. The day my fiancé and I got engaged we spent the entire afternoon and evening doing all of our favorite things—picnicking, singing in the car, watching our TV shows, walking around our favorite park, eating pizza downtown. In fact, we ate lunch in the same park that we had spent our one-year dating anniversary; we even sat in the same place and reminisced about how far we had come. I will always remember the silly details of that day—stalling my car five or six times, arguing over missing the turn out of the roundabout, wrapping up in blankets for our picnic on what was supposed to be a warm day. When I finally fell asleep that night it was with my ring nestled comfortably on my finger and to thoughts about how happy the day had been. My ring, too, was exactly what I wanted—except better than I ever could have imagined. All those fears and worries about what if I hate the ring? Gone. It was simple, timeless, and of course sparkly.
Then two things happened. One, people I barely knew started coming up and congratulating me—sweet of them!—and then immediately launching into asking questions about the engagement. How did he propose? Where were you? Let me see the ring! All of a sudden when telling the engagement story I didn’t know what to say. The short version, “We spent the afternoon in our favorite park and got engaged by a waterfall downtown…,” seemed inadequate. But I couldn’t explain the part where we were going to turn right to get to the park but the traffic was so bad we just abandoned that plan and turned left instead—barely making it onto the highway laughing and glad to be alive. And how could I tell them about sitting on our picnic blanket freezing cold and giggling as we pulled the other blanket over our heads like a fort? So instead I offered up, “We went to our favorite park and ate lunch…,” and they were underwhelmed. I showed them my ring and when they asked if it was what I wanted I weakly explained, “We picked it out together…,” because we did. Picking out my ring together was fun, trying, and a growing experience all at the same time. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But how do you share that with a stranger?
Second, other people started getting engaged, and their proposal stories were “better.” The key on the beach that opened a treasure chest five hundred miles away? Check. The clearing in the forest with the torches and antique desk? Check. The elaborate scavenger hunt with complicated clues and expensive gifts? Also check. The girls were surprised, elated, and more than happy to share their story with everyone. Their rings were trendy, gaudy, and glittery—everything that the wedding industry loves to push. I felt an irrational engagement envy. They had the ideal proposals, the fancy rings! How could I possibly live up to all that?
But wait! The ring with three halos and 128 tiny diamonds is not for me, and it never was. I have always wanted a classic solitaire like the one resting on my mother’s elegant gold band, something I could wear forever and it would never be out of style. Similarly, the idea of a surprise proposal terrified me—my fiancé and I have always made all our decisions together and planned our lives as a team. Why would this be any different? We’re a partnership, and our partnership is based on trust and togetherness. My favorite dates are walks in the park hand-in-hand while he listens to me talk about our latest client at work or a project I’m leading in graduate school. I value time spent together, not money spent on me. The fact that he skipped class and ignored his text messages for an afternoon meant infinitely more than a carriage ride through downtown or my name on the Jumbotron.
It’s a work in progress. Sometimes I feel a twinge of envy when I see a photo album on Facebook of a particularly intricate proposal. When another girl at work got engaged, there was a little jealousy to hear the exclamations of “Wow, your ring is huge!” Then I think back to the day in the park; my fiancé’s hand in mine as we walked around the lake; drinking hot chocolate; and stealing more than my share of the blanket to stay warm on the coldest day of the season so far. I look down at my hand and see my amazing ring—my delicate solitaire that perches so elegantly on my finger—and smile. Because no one’s engagement is as perfect as mine.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
It's a New Year and...
... time for the typical New Years Resolutions post.
I've never really been one to make New Years Resolutions. To me, if something is worth changing it's worth changing now. That being said, I love making goals! So this short post will talk about goals for 2013, and then we can get back to normal posting!
1. Get married.
Umm duh. This one is pretty self explanatory. And a typical laughing shot just because I want to.
Photo credit.
2. Find a job in marketing/communications/human resources.
I honestly don't have any one position I'm looking to go into. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not! I'm willing to take whatever is open and figure out my path from there, although shouldn't I know by now five years of school later? I guess we'll find out!
3. Buy a house.
Ok, this one may not happen in 2013, since there's a number of other things that have to lead up to this! But I can't wait to have our own house to fix up and decorate.
Photo credit. (My current obsession!)
4. Run a personal best time in the 5k.
Right now my best time is a 21:53. And although this goal just says "run a personal best," I'm going to be honest and admit my secret goal is actually to run a sub 21:00. I've talked before about running and setting running specific goals.
5. Travel to one new location for a long weekend.
I'd love to visit another country or go on a super exciting trip, but I'll keep it simple this year and just say visit one new place. Maybe somewhere out east? I've never been to New York City or a lot of New England. Or I'd be happy with a long weekend on a lake somewhere!
Photo credit. Put Niagara Falls on the list!
In a graduate strategic planning class, we talked about the very simple concept of setting SMART goals: goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Hopefully all of my goals met these criteria! I tried to stay away from a goal of eating healthier, for example, (even though I need it!) because it's not specific or measurable, even though it's definitely relevant and time-bound... attainable? That's still up for debate! What about the rest of the goals? Are they SMART? What are some other goals or resolutions for the new year?
I've never really been one to make New Years Resolutions. To me, if something is worth changing it's worth changing now. That being said, I love making goals! So this short post will talk about goals for 2013, and then we can get back to normal posting!
1. Get married.
Umm duh. This one is pretty self explanatory. And a typical laughing shot just because I want to.
Photo credit.
2. Find a job in marketing/communications/human resources.
I honestly don't have any one position I'm looking to go into. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not! I'm willing to take whatever is open and figure out my path from there, although shouldn't I know by now five years of school later? I guess we'll find out!
3. Buy a house.
Ok, this one may not happen in 2013, since there's a number of other things that have to lead up to this! But I can't wait to have our own house to fix up and decorate.
Photo credit. (My current obsession!)
4. Run a personal best time in the 5k.
Right now my best time is a 21:53. And although this goal just says "run a personal best," I'm going to be honest and admit my secret goal is actually to run a sub 21:00. I've talked before about running and setting running specific goals.
5. Travel to one new location for a long weekend.
I'd love to visit another country or go on a super exciting trip, but I'll keep it simple this year and just say visit one new place. Maybe somewhere out east? I've never been to New York City or a lot of New England. Or I'd be happy with a long weekend on a lake somewhere!
Photo credit. Put Niagara Falls on the list!
In a graduate strategic planning class, we talked about the very simple concept of setting SMART goals: goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Hopefully all of my goals met these criteria! I tried to stay away from a goal of eating healthier, for example, (even though I need it!) because it's not specific or measurable, even though it's definitely relevant and time-bound... attainable? That's still up for debate! What about the rest of the goals? Are they SMART? What are some other goals or resolutions for the new year?
Monday, December 31, 2012
Hair Problems
So I was (I thought) 100% convinced of how I wanted to wear my hair on my wedding day. You see, I'm all about looking like myself on my wedding day. I wanted to buy a dress that was "me," that was comfortable, and that I could see myself wearing on any other day (if it wasn't white and a wedding dress...). So when it came to hair, I wanted to follow the same principles. And I basically have one "favorite" way of wearing my hair.
Personal photos.
Basically curly and pinned half back. I have a lot of heavy hair, so having it hang in my face drives me crazy! Easy enough, right? I looked up pictures and found tons of inspiration for long curly hair with a birdcage veil.
Photo credit one, two, and three.
I bought my dress (online, without trying it on, remember?). It came, fit perfectly, and I loved it! I had the dress and hairstyle I wanted—all good.
Well...
I hated my hair down with it. Because my dress isn't strapless, my long hair covered the straps and just made it look... weird. Even though I wanted to channel this bride or this one, it was not to be. So it was back to the drawing board. As soon as I pulled my hair back (into a simple messy bun), the dress worked. I felt like a bride!
Now the question is, how should I wear my hair? I still am not on board with an elaborate up-do. I'd like to keep something closer to my style, while still having my hair at least somewhat up...
Personal photos.
Basically curly and pinned half back. I have a lot of heavy hair, so having it hang in my face drives me crazy! Easy enough, right? I looked up pictures and found tons of inspiration for long curly hair with a birdcage veil.
Photo credit one, two, and three.
I bought my dress (online, without trying it on, remember?). It came, fit perfectly, and I loved it! I had the dress and hairstyle I wanted—all good.
Well...
I hated my hair down with it. Because my dress isn't strapless, my long hair covered the straps and just made it look... weird. Even though I wanted to channel this bride or this one, it was not to be. So it was back to the drawing board. As soon as I pulled my hair back (into a simple messy bun), the dress worked. I felt like a bride!
Now the question is, how should I wear my hair? I still am not on board with an elaborate up-do. I'd like to keep something closer to my style, while still having my hair at least somewhat up...
Friday, December 21, 2012
Flashback Friday: Trip to the East
To be honest, this post is going to be more like a dump of pictures from the trip I took with my family a year and a half ago to the East Coast—but that's ok! I want to document the time we had and relive some of those awesome memories. I'd love to go back someday and spend even more time there!
Two days after my college graduation, we left Greenville and headed up to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Harpers Ferry is a small historic town best known for battles during the Civil War.
You can see the old buildings and walkways in the two pictures on the left! There's also a train that goes out of Harpers Ferry across this amazing trestle bridge into Washington, DC. Apparently there's a lot of people that do the daily commute, because the parking lot was still completely packed in early evening. Harpers Ferry is also a huge tourist town. The Main Street of the town is a row of shops and reenactments catered to visitors looking to get their history fix. We were there in early May in the evening, so nothing was open—but we still took the opportunity to look in some of the windows and pose in front of a General Store.
From there we headed to Gettysburg, where we spent the morning. Somehow I don't have any pictures of this! I do remember that the museum was incredible—it was huge, and all new. We headed out around lunch time and arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania before two.
This is the house I lived in until I was three years old! My parents bought this tiny, tiny house (less than 500 square feet?) before I was born and fixed it up, including adding more space. Our next door neighbors Bill and Sandy took care of Emily and I and were close friends with our parents. Obviously I don't remember them, but it was good to see them again! They were still living in the same house next door—and thrilled to see us. Just the sweetest couple!
Next step on the whirlwind tour was Baltimore, Maryland. We made it to the Inner Harbor by around 5:00—we wanted to visit Fort McHenry, but by the time we got there they were closed. So instead we walked around the Inner Harbor and ate dinner at a Noodles & Co. right on the water. We checked out a HUGE Barnes & Noble and some other neat buildings in the area and then got cheesecake to split from The Cheesecake Factory—you can't go wrong with that.
From there it was on to Washington, DC.
So many museums! This is the Air & Space Museum—we walked through several museums, but our time schedule (if you can't tell already, we pretty much tried to see everything in three and a half days) didn't really allow much more than that.
We headed out through the downtown area and took a tour of the Capitol—by then the air conditioning was very welcome. It was hot for early May!
Later in the evening we also walked past the White House, and my mom struck up a conversation with one of the security guards which included her asking him how many snipers were on the White House roof and the officer replying that he couldn't divulge that information, but that if she pulled out a gun there would be dozens of Secret Service agents on her within minutes. Well done!
My parents decided that we had to wait in line for an hour to go inside the National Archives—not a popular decision. Especially since once we got inside and stood in line for another half hour, we found out that the Declaration of Independence is so yellow it's barely readable. It was cool, but I didn't feel like it was worth the time when we were short on time already!
The last few stops of the day were the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument. This was a really neat area. It was getting dark and parts were quite crowded—so unfortunately we didn't get to spend the kind of time there I would have liked to. But seeing the memorials reminded me of the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many men and women—something we should never forget.
Likewise, the next morning spent at Arlington Cemetery was sobering and reflective.
We stayed for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider—it sent chills up my spine—and visited the Marine Corps Memorial before my dad had to make it to Dulles International Airport for a flight to Africa.
All in all, a crazy whirlwind trip, but SO many good memories! And the longest Flashback Friday ever—sorry I'm not sorry!
All personal pictures.
Two days after my college graduation, we left Greenville and headed up to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Harpers Ferry is a small historic town best known for battles during the Civil War.
You can see the old buildings and walkways in the two pictures on the left! There's also a train that goes out of Harpers Ferry across this amazing trestle bridge into Washington, DC. Apparently there's a lot of people that do the daily commute, because the parking lot was still completely packed in early evening. Harpers Ferry is also a huge tourist town. The Main Street of the town is a row of shops and reenactments catered to visitors looking to get their history fix. We were there in early May in the evening, so nothing was open—but we still took the opportunity to look in some of the windows and pose in front of a General Store.
From there we headed to Gettysburg, where we spent the morning. Somehow I don't have any pictures of this! I do remember that the museum was incredible—it was huge, and all new. We headed out around lunch time and arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania before two.
This is the house I lived in until I was three years old! My parents bought this tiny, tiny house (less than 500 square feet?) before I was born and fixed it up, including adding more space. Our next door neighbors Bill and Sandy took care of Emily and I and were close friends with our parents. Obviously I don't remember them, but it was good to see them again! They were still living in the same house next door—and thrilled to see us. Just the sweetest couple!
Next step on the whirlwind tour was Baltimore, Maryland. We made it to the Inner Harbor by around 5:00—we wanted to visit Fort McHenry, but by the time we got there they were closed. So instead we walked around the Inner Harbor and ate dinner at a Noodles & Co. right on the water. We checked out a HUGE Barnes & Noble and some other neat buildings in the area and then got cheesecake to split from The Cheesecake Factory—you can't go wrong with that.
From there it was on to Washington, DC.
So many museums! This is the Air & Space Museum—we walked through several museums, but our time schedule (if you can't tell already, we pretty much tried to see everything in three and a half days) didn't really allow much more than that.
We headed out through the downtown area and took a tour of the Capitol—by then the air conditioning was very welcome. It was hot for early May!
Later in the evening we also walked past the White House, and my mom struck up a conversation with one of the security guards which included her asking him how many snipers were on the White House roof and the officer replying that he couldn't divulge that information, but that if she pulled out a gun there would be dozens of Secret Service agents on her within minutes. Well done!
My parents decided that we had to wait in line for an hour to go inside the National Archives—not a popular decision. Especially since once we got inside and stood in line for another half hour, we found out that the Declaration of Independence is so yellow it's barely readable. It was cool, but I didn't feel like it was worth the time when we were short on time already!
The last few stops of the day were the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument. This was a really neat area. It was getting dark and parts were quite crowded—so unfortunately we didn't get to spend the kind of time there I would have liked to. But seeing the memorials reminded me of the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many men and women—something we should never forget.
Likewise, the next morning spent at Arlington Cemetery was sobering and reflective.
We stayed for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider—it sent chills up my spine—and visited the Marine Corps Memorial before my dad had to make it to Dulles International Airport for a flight to Africa.
All in all, a crazy whirlwind trip, but SO many good memories! And the longest Flashback Friday ever—sorry I'm not sorry!
All personal pictures.
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