7 Month Mark!

How incredibly lucky are we that we actually HAVE the 7-month mark to celebrate this year?! A year earlier or later and we wouldn't have this extra day to wait, but also this extra landmark to celebrate!

Leap years are supposed to be lucky, and Leap Day is supposed to be the day you try something new and crazy, because it is not supposed to count. Although I can't claim to have done anything new or exciting today, I did get to go out to dinner with good friends to celebrate, and you could technically count the fact that I somehow got Kyle to want to marry me that "crazy something new".

And do you really want me to blow your mind- 7 is a lucky number, and that is how many months we have left on this lucky, extra day! Can you believe it?! That must be the reason why this wedding just feels right, like everything has fallen into place, and that this entire relationship (of nearly 7 years now) has just been fated by the Heavens.

I am one happy, lucky, Leap year girl right now! Hope that I can help spread a little of that joy your way on this Wednesday!

Confession: I am a bad bride

Lately, I have had to face the realization that I am not a very good bride. I am not a Bridezilla, so don't take it that way, I am the opposite, I don't have enough opinions or enough "vision" in my mind to insist upon perfection.

For example, although my sisters found a fabulous bridesmaid dress that they both liked on the first day we shopped, I waited until recently to give the go-ahead for the dress. Then I have procrastinated sending out the information for ordering to all my other bridesmaids. I feel like such a slacker!

I tried to dissect this issue. I believe part of my problem is the fact that I'm afraid to disappoint my girls with my choice. Since day one, I've been worried about making everyone else at the wedding happy (as you've seen in previous posts). I also just think that I gave myself a LOT of time between the engagement and the wedding, so I am not working well without the pressure (once an AP kid, always an AP kid!)

But anyway, I hope that this is just paranoia and that I really am not falling behind in my planning, nor do I have as much to do as I fear (lurking behind every corner, more wedding must-haves that I missed).

Here's a teaser for you:

Which one

did I

choose????

 

 

 

 

 Dresses from Pinterest collection- Da Vinci, Impressions, Dessy, and the Perfect Palette blog

Wishing for Trees

Lately I have had a massive tree obsession. I think that sometimes I just crave some shade, hearing the breeze running through the leaves, and the colors (green, gold, red, whatever!) that the trees provide. People claim that there are "trees" in Arizona, but anything under 10 feet tall doesn't count in my book, and anything that pricks you with thorns, scratches you with needles, or you can't climb, isn't a reliable tree, either.

Here are my latest tree-inspired wishes:

ALIBI NYC

Anthropologie

 

 

 

 Thank you, Pinterest, for feeding my tree/shopping/jewelry obsession...

More domestic bliss!

Ok, after my post about past Valentine's Days gone bad, I wound up eating my words a bit this past Tuesday. I had rolled my eyes all day long as my students brought giant stuffed dogs to class, bouquets of flowers were delivered in the middle of quizzes, and all too much chocolate was passed around (none to me, mind you), but when I got home to roses and a romantic date night, I was put in my place.

My romantic "give in to this Hallmark holiday" place.

So I cooked a home made meal. The kicker- NO RECIPE. NO BOX. NO FROZEN FOODS. I chopped vegetables, I added spices, and I made it FROM SCRATCH! (Ok, I had bought the pasta at the Farmer's Market, but still). Then I bought a bottle of Pinot Noir, rented a Rom Com, and spent the night with Kyle. And there were tears. Tears over a Facebook post about an old man who was buying his wife, deceased for 3 years, a Valentine and a rose because she was the only person who would ever have his heart. Tears over the movie One Day with Anne Hathaway. But mostly I think the tears were from the past few weeks of stress adding up and the realization that Kyle, no matter what my world looks like, will always be that rock and we'll have many, many more Valentine's Days to remind us of the love that keeps me going.

The results! Look at the color. Bob Harper would be proud!

Proff that I really cook!

Whiskey Wish

This week's wish is not for me, but for Kyle. After all, the guys have to get something they want for the wedding, too!

http://www.bowtiesandbliss.com

Bachelorette- Vegas Style!

We are lucky girls!

Alright, I have just witnessed, participated in, and survived my second Vegas bachelorette weekend of all time, and this time I had real cause to celebrate with my own upcoming nuptials.

The last time I was in Vegas for a bachelorette party was for my college friend Melissa. The weekend involved such shenanigans as "travelers" (drinks to go, with the lax open-container laws of Vegas, only ours were full-on bottles of booze), yard drinks by the pool, flamingos, and some sun-poisoning.

This visit was to celebrate my friends Jill and Sarah's bachelorette parties, and I went along for the triple threat! Nothing is more fun than telling people that ALL 3 of you are getting married. We were joined by other friends and Jill's families (current and future), and it was one of the best times I've had, ever, not just in Vegas.

Friday night we hit the country bar/restaurant, Toby Keith's, and danced the night away. Saturday we hit up Fremont Street (the "classic" strip) and went ziplining. After a necessary stop at the buffet at Fitzgerald's (you can't avoid a buffet in Vegas!) we returned to the hotel, when the REAL celebration began!

Saturday will go down in history as epic and unreal, and full of crazy laughs and crazier memories (we can only remember thanks to the digital photo evidence). As graduates of Colorado College, no night can commence without a classic dancing and drinking pre-party! This pre-party came with a little surprise, let's just say of "Russian origin", from my fabulous fiance. None of us really expected that, but it was certainly a highlight for the ladies! After that excitement, we scored VIP entrance to 1 Oak, the club at the Mirage where we were staying. We had comped drinks for the first 2 hours, which was plenty, and we all danced until our stilletos burned holes into our feet and we literally began collapsing to the dance floor. What night in Vegas would be complete without additional debauchery, with visits to Subway and McDonald's at 5:00 a.m., snapping photos with a bride and groom, walking though the casino, and starting our own dance party in the middle of the empty lounge. Oh, and "Tebowing".

<record scratch> Whhhhaaattt? 

Oh, that's right, Jill and Nadja started to Tebow all over the place, in random people's pictures, with random strangers, and yes, even with the bride.

Notice the man walking by and staring...

Hilarious. 

Guess you had to be there.

So, what happens in Vegas doesn't really STAY in Vegas, but the truth is, do we really even know what just happened in Vegas??

(It is probably better that way...)

That is us ziplining Fremont!

Dancing at 1 Oak with my DG girls!

Sarah bought us these shirts!

So cute!

Valentine's Day Confession

With the upcoming holiday growing ever so near, I feel like I need to recap my Valentine's Day history to fully explain why it is that I don't fully support this holiday. I am not a cynic, but I am also not going to give into consumerism. (Maybe on Christmas, but not in the middle of February!) However, the real reason to dislike V-day is the pressure it places on us to make the day go well, when really it most likely won't. Here are a few examples:

Valentine's Day 1987- Kindergarten exchange day- we all had boxes in the floor in a circle. As we were walking around the circle to deliver the valentines, clumsy me trips over a box of one student (I think I was pushed, actually), and sprains an ankle.

Valentine's Day 1992- 5th Grade and my teacher let my boyfriend at the time sit next to me for the exchange. We exchanged extra special valentines that year, king-sized candy bars (and small ones for everyone else). I realize that Valentine's Day could make me fat.

Valentine's Day 1996- My lovely high school boyfriend at the time gave me heart-shaped cubic zirconia earrings in a hand-made plastic and yarn heart box. Shortly afterwards we broke up. Hence forth, I hated heart-shaped jewelry.

Valentine's Day 1997- My new high school boyfriend orders a limo to take us to an Italian restaurant, invites a buddy and his girlfriend along for the ride, and then takes me to Titanic (which we had already seen)and I spend the evening in tears leading to convulsions. Upon dropping us off at home after the movie, the limo gets stuck in the ditch at the bottom of the driveway. Epic fail.

Valentine's Day The College Years- Numerous "single's awareness day" celebrations. One nice trip to the mountains, which was promptly followed by another breakup.

Valentine's Day 2007- I bought Kyle a 6 pack of Guiness and made a trail of Hershey kisses through the house to his office, where I left a Valentine that consisted of a picture of Final Fantasy. I told him to enjoy the evening without me and to have a night doing the things he really enjoyed, beer and video games. We still have the Hershey kisses in the freezer.

Other than those memorable years, Valentine's Day has been largely forgettable.

A Non-Valentine's Weekend Celebration- Westin Kierland May 2011

P.S. If you are one of those former boyfriends, sorry! And if you are Kyle, no pressure, really. Let's celebrate when the roses are cheaper, the restaurants emptier, and the love less commercialized.

Seriously Slacking Wish

We brides all hit that bump in the road, you've already heard about mine, but that wall where we can't go further with wedding planning because we are burnt out! So, my wish today has nothing to do with weddings. Sorry for my brides to be out there, I don't want to put the wrong idea in your heads, but every once in awhile it is important to remember that we are not brides-by-profession, and our professions will consume our lives at points, putting weddings on the back burner. This past weekend I traveled to Washington, D.C. and attended a leadership conference with 12 high school students. It was a really fun trip. Lots of walking around and seeing the sights, lots of motivation, and a positive feeling to spread to all upon my return (I CAN make a difference!)

Today's Wish: For more of my students and more of my coworkers to be able to attend leadership training to inspire their souls and ignite their passions (or reignite) for the young men and women we work with daily. This is one of the motivational videos we watched that really got me thinking...

The U.S. Capitol

Georgetown Cupcakes

Lincoln Memorial

Registry Wish!

I am starting to get all the major business of wedding plan done, so I am moving on the fun job of shopping! I just have no idea where to start with my registry, as I was so many things from so many random places. Here is one, to start!

www.westelm.com

I love how unique these are, I feel like I could leave them out on display as wall hangings in between cutting vegetables. And monogrammed? This is a wish for my guests to take note of! :)

The most awkward meal ever...

Have you ever eaten a meal where you felt you were being scrutinized by chef? This is a common fear in my house I assume, as I am still in the "experimental cook" phase, but nothing tops the awkward moment of apprehension that occurs during your wedding meal tasting.

I was not worried that the food would suck, but more that my comments and praise of the chef would be inadequate. It was not our caterer's fault at all, but moreso the setting and atmosphere that created the uncomfortable tension. There we were, at the official catering kitchen, and in case you've never experienced it before, they are not exactly 5-stars in decor and atmosphere. This is good, it means I am not paying for showmanship. But I just couldn't get past the fact that my purse sat atop a stack of linens and the glasses were towered precariously close to my head.

Then the meal started. It was divine. Not to ruin any surprises, but we chose a fish and beef main course, with a vegetarian and kids option, and some amazing passed appetizers. My favorite part, as always, was the bistro salad with warm goat cheese. If I get nothing else but that during my reception I'd be a happy girl. Along with this, we got to taste 1/3 of our cake. After completely stuffing our faces, and feeling like we weren't going to be able to fit through the door, we were satisfied with our menu selections.

Pinterest

During the meal, the bizarre part was having the chef watch from across the table as we took each bite. I felt like I was taking some sort of test. I know really that he was the one being tested, but I just didn't want to take a bite and grimace. Luckily, the food didn't suck. He did teach us about how each item is made, where he gets his ingredients from, and how he plans to present and serve each item with his staff. I now better understand what party planners and food critics experience.

The last awkward moment was finishing my 10th glass of water (it is altitude, it is really dry!) and then realizing there was no obvious bathroom. Luckily we found a nice flower shop next door that let us use theirs. To think, on my wedding day those bathroom emergencies will require helpers, due to my dress!

Confession: I watched more wedding-themed shows in college than I do now...

I was one of those girls who always wanted to dress up and have fake weddings as a kid. I used to make my Barbies marry each other practically daily. I'd dress up all the Barbies and Kens in different "fancy" outfits and pretty much my entire collection was married to someone else.

Then in college, when I had ample free time in the afternoons, I got hooked on TLC's A Wedding Story. (This show, sadly, does not seem to exist anymore as I've searched in TIVO many a time.) I saw some of the weirdest theme-weddings ever, some really good stories, some really homely couples, and just about every trend available in the mid 90s to early 2000s. If nothing else, these shows gave me inspiration to not completely give up on my childhood dream of having a wedding. But they also gave a false perception of the reality of wedding planning. This is exactly why I had to blog, so that the other young women hooked on the latest and greatest wedding show trends (Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezillas, and Four Weddings) know that those "reality" shows don't provide the complete picture for you.

For instance, I am pretty sure that because my mom and younger sisters watched Say Yes to the Dress a few too many times in my dad's presence that he was a little more than freaked out about the prospect of buying an overpriced gown that I'd wear once. Took care of that, bought my own dress. I also think that the idea of attending a total stranger's wedding (or for that matter, inviting total strangers to your wedding) to simply judge them for a chance at a free honeymoon seems a bit ludicrous. It is bad enough that we brides already have all this pressure for a "perfect" wedding day, much less knowing that someone is rating your every move.

I won't deny taking a self-indulgent moment here and there to watch a cheesy wedding chick-flick, and yes, I have watched wedding-themed shows occasionally, but the romantic notion that most of these shows portray is for our younger and more idealistic views of marriage. In MY reality, THIS is what you get--a blog, embarrassing anecdotes, and raw emotions. You're welcome ;)

Say Yes to Which Dress?!

Wishing today...

I wish for more fun traditions with Kyle after we get married (perhaps starting with the wedding day!) like the one we just partook in this past evening- attending concerts together!

Back in the day when I was in high school, I fell in love (kind of literally) with live music. My first major boyfriend was a base player. Attending his concerts in coffee shops with twenty people in attendance was my gateway into a much deeper passion for live music that I now feel.

Fast forward to meeting Kyle, we found that we both shared this love for music and we have the same taste in bands. (Ok, maybe he won't go see Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga with me, but Incubus or Dave, no problem!). Kyle and I have now attended nearly twenty live shows over our relationship, from local shows at Tempe Town Lake, to destinations like Red Rocks.

Last night, we attended our 7th O.A.R. concert together. Kyle's is the true fan, having followed them since before college, but he has turned me into just as big a fan throughout our time together. I remember him picking me up in his red Honda Accord with the gray door and key that wouldn't ever come out of the ignition, listening to O.A.R. CDs on repeat, and soon after I had memorized the entire song "Crazy Game of Poker" (or just "Poker" to true fans).

So here's to one of my favorite traditions so far. It is these shared experiences that make our relationship unique and special to us, and that help us keep our dates fun and exciting! I believe this wish for more fun traditions will come true for us!

O.A.R. at the Marquee in Tempe

Mumford and Sons Railroad Revival Tour- April 2011

Love is hard

All So Cute on Etsy.com

I figured that I would take a moment to contemplate the old cliche here today. The truth of the statement "love is hard" is that we really, as humans, do not fully understand what this emotion "love" is. It cannot be scientifically broken down into elements, it cannot be extrapolated from the body, and it isn't the same for any two people on this planet. How are we, as individuals, as complex and complicated as we are, supposed to figure out ways to make love make sense in our lives when we don't even understand ourselves half the time (and love, as we know, involves others in the equation)?

Another scary thing about love is that can control our thoughts and feelings. It has the ability to change our lives in fundamental ways. When we find love, we will do anything to keep it. But sometimes we think it is love and it really is not, so we spend our precious time trying desperately for something that wasn't meant to be. Given my own history, I feel like we go through these experiences to learn something about ourselves, but sometimes I feel like it would have been nice if we could figure that thing out without such heartache and frustration. Is it all worth it in the end when we realize that we've really reached that pot-of-gold at the end of a rainbow of crazy past "practice" relationships?

Love exists not just between couples, but also between family and friends. Love has so many faces and so many challenges, it is hard to keep loving when the world is so distracting, and the movies and tabloids put misconceptions in our heads and lead us to distrust our own feelings. But after all of this, we still come back for more, we continue to pursue love, fall in love, and do crazy things out of and in spite of love.

And that is why love is hard.


And worth it--worth the fights, the sadness, the worrying, and the frustration--for the feeling you get when he or she is holding your hand through the hardest of times.

When he or she is helping you achieve your dreams.

When you realize that there is no one else you'd rather see every morning when you wake up.

When you get past the heartache and the honeymoon, and all you have left is happiness that is as indescribable as the idea of love in the first place.

Don't define it, it doesn't need logic, it just needs faith and trust. Here's to love feeling a bit easier today.