I found out last Monday that I was going to be laid off, sans pay this week. I'm supposed to go back Monday, January 4th, but I don't know if I'll be told to go home or if I can work. I didn't do anything wrong, December is just a tough month financially for the company I work with and they decided to lay people off (I'm not the only person not working this week). I'll go into details later, but I'm hoping I can find a job in St. Louis, STAT. I'm using this week with no work to be as productive in finding another job as possible.
I met with my professor from school yesterday, and he gave me some tips. He's going to make some phone calls as well. I'm dropping off resumes in person in St. Louis all day today and tomorrow, and I signed up for some jobs on a freelance writing website-I already got one bite in less than 24 hours! (Don't worry, it's a legit industry website and not a scam).
Anyway, I just feel so anxious and sad. Being laid off the week of Christmas truly came from left field, and I feel like the rug has been jerked out from underneath me. I have to have full time work, and it's looking like that's going to be in St. Louis. But every time I think about moving out of the house I share with my sister and my dog, I want to cry. Because as much as I miss Ryan, my whole family is here, and moving is going to be hard.
I'm trying to look at this as a good thing. If I can get a job in St. Louis, I can be with Ryan every day, which will obviously be wonderful. My family will only be 2 hours away, and they come up to St. Louis all the time. My job wasn't really going anywhere, and there are way more opportunities in St. Louis than my po-dunk small town. The support that Ryan and my family has offered me is astronomical, and I'm so thankful for it.
Anyway, hopefully I'll have time to blog for the rest of the week. If not, I'll be in a job searching frenzy! 2009 has really kept me guessing!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
So my parents and my sisters were beyond generous for Christmas. Ryan got me the coolest present, and it sounds like his parents went way overboard and lavished me with gifts as well! (We were going to do Christmas with his immediate family on Christmas Eve, but we got back from his Aunt's house and the weather was getting pretty bad so I had to get on the road and head back to Cape. We're doing that Christmas on New Year's instead). Anyway, I am super lucky and beyond blessed to have such an incredible family and fiance.
My mom got me this book for Christmas:
I was doubtful that I could pull off these projects at all, because the extent of my sewing successes is limited to the flowers in my bouquet! In terms of sewing, those flowers are elementary. Anyway, I've already thrown together a project that actually worked. So, I am going to be working my way through this book and hopefully honing my sewing skills.
The best part about this is what I'll be using to sew these projects. After I put together one project from the book using my mom's machine, she mentioned that my MeeMaw's machine was sitting unused in my mom's best friend's closet. My mom's friend prefers handwork over messing with a machine, and Saturday afternoon she brought MeeMaw's machine over!
This machine is heavy-it's made of mostly metal. It's a Bernina, and it works great. I do need to take it in for a tune up since it's been unused for so long. Mom said that MeeMaw paid big money for this machine years ago, so I hope to be able to use it for a really long time.
The really amazing thing about this machine is that it survived a house fire. My MeeMaw has Alzheimer's disease, and as of right now she is 100% non verbal and non mobile. She's broken both hips, she's in a nursing home and she hasn't recognized anyone in years. You really only see the mild, early Alzheimer's on TV, but that isn't MeeMaw. I don't understand at all why God would keep someone alive like that, but then I don't understand lots of things about God. My mom is the power of attorney, so all of MeeMaw's care has been up to her. It's been much harder than I can ever say, but MeeMaw has been sick for so many years that it's turned into a fact of life. Anyway, before we put MeeMaw in the nursing home, she put a pot of water on her gas stove to make coffee and went out to work in her garden. She forgot that the stove was on and stayed in her garden all day long and the house burnt down. This machine survived the house fire.
Sewing is something that has been handed down from the women in my family. My MeeMaw cut up old clothes and make quilts out of them, and my mom does the same. I would love to get to the point where I could make a blanket for Ryan and I's home. Mom said that MeeMaw would be thrilled that her machine is getting used. I think she would be too, and I am so excited to learn all about the art of sewing.
Are you learning any new skills? Does your family have some kind of heritage that is being passed down to you?
My mom got me this book for Christmas:
I was doubtful that I could pull off these projects at all, because the extent of my sewing successes is limited to the flowers in my bouquet! In terms of sewing, those flowers are elementary. Anyway, I've already thrown together a project that actually worked. So, I am going to be working my way through this book and hopefully honing my sewing skills.
The best part about this is what I'll be using to sew these projects. After I put together one project from the book using my mom's machine, she mentioned that my MeeMaw's machine was sitting unused in my mom's best friend's closet. My mom's friend prefers handwork over messing with a machine, and Saturday afternoon she brought MeeMaw's machine over!
This machine is heavy-it's made of mostly metal. It's a Bernina, and it works great. I do need to take it in for a tune up since it's been unused for so long. Mom said that MeeMaw paid big money for this machine years ago, so I hope to be able to use it for a really long time.
The really amazing thing about this machine is that it survived a house fire. My MeeMaw has Alzheimer's disease, and as of right now she is 100% non verbal and non mobile. She's broken both hips, she's in a nursing home and she hasn't recognized anyone in years. You really only see the mild, early Alzheimer's on TV, but that isn't MeeMaw. I don't understand at all why God would keep someone alive like that, but then I don't understand lots of things about God. My mom is the power of attorney, so all of MeeMaw's care has been up to her. It's been much harder than I can ever say, but MeeMaw has been sick for so many years that it's turned into a fact of life. Anyway, before we put MeeMaw in the nursing home, she put a pot of water on her gas stove to make coffee and went out to work in her garden. She forgot that the stove was on and stayed in her garden all day long and the house burnt down. This machine survived the house fire.
Sewing is something that has been handed down from the women in my family. My MeeMaw cut up old clothes and make quilts out of them, and my mom does the same. I would love to get to the point where I could make a blanket for Ryan and I's home. Mom said that MeeMaw would be thrilled that her machine is getting used. I think she would be too, and I am so excited to learn all about the art of sewing.
Are you learning any new skills? Does your family have some kind of heritage that is being passed down to you?
Monday, December 28, 2009
Suiting Up
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I didn't mean to not blog, but it just kind of happened...oops! Anyway, I'm back, and I've been dying to post about this for almost 2 months, so here goes.
We aren't doing tuxes for our groomsmen, we're doing suits, for several reasons. Ryan has been in so many weddings, and the amount of money he has spent renting tuxes is huge. Ryan is much more comfortable in a suit, and most of the groomsmen already have a black or dark gray suit. If they don't have one, they can buy one for less than the cost of renting a tux. Overall, we felt that suits were a better fit for our wedding.
And it gave us an excuse to find Ryan a slim-cut suit! My man is a runner, which means he is all lean muscle. Those big bulky suit jackets just don't look right on him, but the European slim cut is perfect for him. We found his suit at H&M a month or so ago (it took me this long to photograph him in it....what can I say, we don't live in the same place!) and I got it for Ryan for his Christmas present. H&M does not have the best customer service in that what's in the store is your option and that's it. They will not order in a different size or color for you, or even bring in something from another H&M store. But, I guess you get what you pay for, right? We lucked out and found a 3 piece black suit for Ryan in the West County mall H&M and snatched it up. Ryan tried it on for me with the white button down we got for him at Macy's and the tie he picked out.
You can't really see it in the pictures, but the suit has a very subtle black pin stripe woven throughout the fabric. The white button down also has a subtle stripe woven into it. The shirt is Geoffery Beene from Macy's and the tie is Alfani, also from Macy's. I can't find either one on the Macy's website, and I also can't find the suit anywhere on the internet.
Anyway, I think he looks unbelievably dashing in this suit. I am so glad he found something he's happy with! I think our groomsmen will look wonderful in suits as well.
What is your groom wearing?
We aren't doing tuxes for our groomsmen, we're doing suits, for several reasons. Ryan has been in so many weddings, and the amount of money he has spent renting tuxes is huge. Ryan is much more comfortable in a suit, and most of the groomsmen already have a black or dark gray suit. If they don't have one, they can buy one for less than the cost of renting a tux. Overall, we felt that suits were a better fit for our wedding.
And it gave us an excuse to find Ryan a slim-cut suit! My man is a runner, which means he is all lean muscle. Those big bulky suit jackets just don't look right on him, but the European slim cut is perfect for him. We found his suit at H&M a month or so ago (it took me this long to photograph him in it....what can I say, we don't live in the same place!) and I got it for Ryan for his Christmas present. H&M does not have the best customer service in that what's in the store is your option and that's it. They will not order in a different size or color for you, or even bring in something from another H&M store. But, I guess you get what you pay for, right? We lucked out and found a 3 piece black suit for Ryan in the West County mall H&M and snatched it up. Ryan tried it on for me with the white button down we got for him at Macy's and the tie he picked out.
You can't really see it in the pictures, but the suit has a very subtle black pin stripe woven throughout the fabric. The white button down also has a subtle stripe woven into it. The shirt is Geoffery Beene from Macy's and the tie is Alfani, also from Macy's. I can't find either one on the Macy's website, and I also can't find the suit anywhere on the internet.
Anyway, I think he looks unbelievably dashing in this suit. I am so glad he found something he's happy with! I think our groomsmen will look wonderful in suits as well.
What is your groom wearing?
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Mileage
So I'm at work, finishing up the San Antonio, Texas script (if anyone watches the January 3 D'Ann Harper real estate show, I wrote it! I like to have something to listen to while I write easy scripts like this) and I'm listening to "Spirit of the Marathon" on Hulu. You can watch the movie for free here. The movie profile about 5-6 different marathoners of all abilities...a 70 year old guy who runs 12 minute miles and some of the top marathoners in the world.
Deena Kastor, a beyond amazing female marathoner (she won the bronze for the marathon at Athens) is profiled, and she gets injured while training for the Chicago marathon. She mentions "it's amazing to me that I can run 140 miles a week for 8 or 9 years and not get injured but I can roll over a pine cone in the back yard and be out for 2 months" (not word for word, but you get the idea). 140 miles. I cannot comprehend that number, you all! That's an average of 20 miles a week. That's almost a marathon every day for 8 or 9 years. Is she a robot? Does she have cartilage inserted in her knees weekly? That kind of mileage is brutal on your body. Seriously, I whine about 20 miles a week? That level of fitness is just beyond amazing to me, just had to share!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Deena Kastor, a beyond amazing female marathoner (she won the bronze for the marathon at Athens) is profiled, and she gets injured while training for the Chicago marathon. She mentions "it's amazing to me that I can run 140 miles a week for 8 or 9 years and not get injured but I can roll over a pine cone in the back yard and be out for 2 months" (not word for word, but you get the idea). 140 miles. I cannot comprehend that number, you all! That's an average of 20 miles a week. That's almost a marathon every day for 8 or 9 years. Is she a robot? Does she have cartilage inserted in her knees weekly? That kind of mileage is brutal on your body. Seriously, I whine about 20 miles a week? That level of fitness is just beyond amazing to me, just had to share!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Holidays
I have so many great posts in my head you all....a bridemaid's dress my sister found, Ryan's suit has finally been photographed, etc...but it's been a bit of a cluster f*ck around here lately! I don't have Christmas Eve off, so I've been working 10 hour days all week so I only have to work a couple hours that day. Ryan's coming to town this weekend, the house needs to be cleaned and I still have Christmas presents to wrap.
Next week I am off work all week though, so I can get those posts out of my head and onto the screen!
Have a happy and safe holiday my friends!
Next week I am off work all week though, so I can get those posts out of my head and onto the screen!
Have a happy and safe holiday my friends!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Grrrr
Dear J. Crew,
You have grievously disappointed me. You listed that a certain dress in the spring preview, number 14 in the look book, would be available in the Tropical Aqua. My sister was so excited to purchase this dress as soon as it became available, but then you changed your mind. Now the dress is no longer available in tropical aqua, and she doesn't like any of the other dresses nearly as much. That leaves my bridesmaids with 3 choices of dress, which aren't really choices at all as the dresses offered are extremely similar. And who knows if you'll change your mind about those as well?
J Crew, if you aren't going to offer a dress in a certain color, then don't tease us. I am now forced to re-evaluate my bridesmaid's dress plans.
Sincerely,
Stacy Marie
(I'm thinking if they changed their mind about the color once, they could change it again, right?)
You have grievously disappointed me. You listed that a certain dress in the spring preview, number 14 in the look book, would be available in the Tropical Aqua. My sister was so excited to purchase this dress as soon as it became available, but then you changed your mind. Now the dress is no longer available in tropical aqua, and she doesn't like any of the other dresses nearly as much. That leaves my bridesmaids with 3 choices of dress, which aren't really choices at all as the dresses offered are extremely similar. And who knows if you'll change your mind about those as well?
J Crew, if you aren't going to offer a dress in a certain color, then don't tease us. I am now forced to re-evaluate my bridesmaid's dress plans.
Sincerely,
Stacy Marie
(I'm thinking if they changed their mind about the color once, they could change it again, right?)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Involved Grooms
Ryan is a huge part of the wedding planning, and it's an enormous help.
Last summer when he moved up to St. Louis, he was able to tour venues, sign contracts and make deposits. He took care of the caterer and the reception hall rental, and he's taking care of the cake. He came up with the centerpiece design and he helped build up our milk glass collection.
I know he gets a lot of "just let her have what she wants." But I think about having to make all of these decisions on my own and it's overwhelming. I'm so thankful he's involved. It's our wedding, not just mine, his input should be equal.
This isn't to say that having an involved groom is always easy, because compromising sucks sometimes. Sometimes I do wish he would just let me do what I want, but then I remember that this day is about us and not just me, and we come up with a happy medium.
Is your groom involved?
Last summer when he moved up to St. Louis, he was able to tour venues, sign contracts and make deposits. He took care of the caterer and the reception hall rental, and he's taking care of the cake. He came up with the centerpiece design and he helped build up our milk glass collection.
I know he gets a lot of "just let her have what she wants." But I think about having to make all of these decisions on my own and it's overwhelming. I'm so thankful he's involved. It's our wedding, not just mine, his input should be equal.
This isn't to say that having an involved groom is always easy, because compromising sucks sometimes. Sometimes I do wish he would just let me do what I want, but then I remember that this day is about us and not just me, and we come up with a happy medium.
Is your groom involved?
Friday, December 18, 2009
Vows
Thanks to Em, Bee, Mrs. B, Chocolate Lover, Alternative Bride, Buhdoop, LauraLou, and Sarah for your kind words yesterday!
I posted a while ago about the tough time I'm having in incorporating Ryan and I's different views of why we're together into our ceremony. It occurred to me a couple days ago that even though I think that Ryan and I were meant to be together, that choices still play a huge part in our relationship. I choose him every day. I could choose to be a single woman and do exactly as I please with no thought to anyone else, but I don't. Instead, I choose to be with him, I choose to make it work, I choose to put the effort in, I choose to cherish him and our relationship. I think that this would be a great thing to put in our vows.
I think that a happy medium has been found my friends!
Are you writing your own vows?
I posted a while ago about the tough time I'm having in incorporating Ryan and I's different views of why we're together into our ceremony. It occurred to me a couple days ago that even though I think that Ryan and I were meant to be together, that choices still play a huge part in our relationship. I choose him every day. I could choose to be a single woman and do exactly as I please with no thought to anyone else, but I don't. Instead, I choose to be with him, I choose to make it work, I choose to put the effort in, I choose to cherish him and our relationship. I think that this would be a great thing to put in our vows.
I think that a happy medium has been found my friends!
Are you writing your own vows?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Scarcity
I was reading Marisa's super insightful blog post here (if you don't read her blog, Not Quite Betty Crocker, you really should, she really talks about marriage itself in such a great way), and it really got me thinking. I spend so much time and energy focusing on the scarcity of time with Ryan. Marisa mentions that she "guards the things she loves jealously," even her time with her husband. I am so guilty of doing this with Ryan.
Instead of focusing on how little time I have with Ryan, I need to focus on the fact that we get to spend 3 weekends out of every month together, and how amazing that time together is. Because when we do see each other, it's incredible. We have long lingering meals at hole-in-the-wall Syrian restaurants. We run, we bike, we walk my dog. He shops with me, we cook together. The time we do spend together is so full, and I cherish it.
(Doesn't that just look abundant?)
Because bottom line, my future husband is not a plane ride away, or in harm's way. He's 2 hours north, and if something awful happened, I could be on the road and getting a hug in 2 hours. That's it. And the situation is not permanent...we're getting married in 7 months, and we won't have to do this long distance thing anymore.
So here's to a new perspective-I am going to focus on the abundance of my relationship with Ryan and not the scarcity.
What do you think, do you focus on scarcity instead of abundance?
Instead of focusing on how little time I have with Ryan, I need to focus on the fact that we get to spend 3 weekends out of every month together, and how amazing that time together is. Because when we do see each other, it's incredible. We have long lingering meals at hole-in-the-wall Syrian restaurants. We run, we bike, we walk my dog. He shops with me, we cook together. The time we do spend together is so full, and I cherish it.
(Doesn't that just look abundant?)
Because bottom line, my future husband is not a plane ride away, or in harm's way. He's 2 hours north, and if something awful happened, I could be on the road and getting a hug in 2 hours. That's it. And the situation is not permanent...we're getting married in 7 months, and we won't have to do this long distance thing anymore.
So here's to a new perspective-I am going to focus on the abundance of my relationship with Ryan and not the scarcity.
What do you think, do you focus on scarcity instead of abundance?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thrifting the Day Away
My mom, my sister Alli and I went antiquing at a colossal antique mall last weekend. This mall is in St. Mary's, MO, population 377, and the focal point of the town is this antique mall with over 600 dealers. This place goes on, and on, and it wears you out! I saw inspiration everywhere I wanted to share with you all, like these invitations to a bachelor party:
They were very manly looking, and I love the way the look.
Blue mason jars, so gorgeous. These are popular right now, and they are so easy to find. I saw at least a dozen in this one antique mall alone. They usually go for $3-$8 in this part of the country, not too bad at all.
Um, a ball of Christmas?
This is a birdhouse. For a birdhouse themed wedding, maybe?
Dream stove, so so gorgeous. I want it. I love kitchens from the 20's-50's.
This reminded me of the flower covered initials I see people putting on church or reception doors. I think it'd be easy to DIY, don't you?
Vintage hankies. I've seen people on the internet set up a basket of these at the front of the ceremony location, as an alternative to tissues. I think it is such a great idea, and they make a neat little keep sake too. If we were having a smaller wedding I would want to do this, but at $2-5 a per handkerchief, it is too pricey for me.
I love the colors in this one.
There's some of my milk glass! It's substantially more expensive at an antique mall like this. The junk stores fit my budget more when it comes to large quantities.
This veil was pretty spectacular.
Anyway, we had a blast, and I get so much inspiration from these places. My whole house is furnished in finds from antique malls like this, and now my wedding is chock full of them too! So if you aren't an antique or thrift store fan, go try one on for size. The prices are typically much cheaper than anything you can buy new, and everyone will wonder where you got your stuff!
Do you draw lots of inspiration from one place?
They were very manly looking, and I love the way the look.
Blue mason jars, so gorgeous. These are popular right now, and they are so easy to find. I saw at least a dozen in this one antique mall alone. They usually go for $3-$8 in this part of the country, not too bad at all.
Um, a ball of Christmas?
This is a birdhouse. For a birdhouse themed wedding, maybe?
Dream stove, so so gorgeous. I want it. I love kitchens from the 20's-50's.
This reminded me of the flower covered initials I see people putting on church or reception doors. I think it'd be easy to DIY, don't you?
Vintage hankies. I've seen people on the internet set up a basket of these at the front of the ceremony location, as an alternative to tissues. I think it is such a great idea, and they make a neat little keep sake too. If we were having a smaller wedding I would want to do this, but at $2-5 a per handkerchief, it is too pricey for me.
I love the colors in this one.
There's some of my milk glass! It's substantially more expensive at an antique mall like this. The junk stores fit my budget more when it comes to large quantities.
This veil was pretty spectacular.
Anyway, we had a blast, and I get so much inspiration from these places. My whole house is furnished in finds from antique malls like this, and now my wedding is chock full of them too! So if you aren't an antique or thrift store fan, go try one on for size. The prices are typically much cheaper than anything you can buy new, and everyone will wonder where you got your stuff!
Do you draw lots of inspiration from one place?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Housekeeping
Courtesy of Shabby Blogs and my friend Jake, the blog has a bit of a new look. I love it! I've had the hardest time finding a blog template with enough white space for my taste, but it turns out that a pretty header does the trick!
Finally!
I have made countless duds of whole wheat pizza crust recipes, but this my friends, this is a recipe to hang on to, to memorize, to make regularly!
This recipe is so handy because you can make it ahead of time and throw it in the freezer for later. So if I wanted pizza for dinner, I could take the dough out of the freezer in the morning before work and pop it in the fridge, and come home to pizza dough ready for the oven. Ingenious! I love home made pizza, but I don't have time to wait for yeast to rise when it's late and I'm starving. Another handy thing about this recipe is that it makes enough for 2 large pizzas or for 8 individual pizzas, so by making the recipe once you have a whole other pizza to save for later. Love it. Here's the recipe by the way, it's over at Martha Stewart's Every Foods.
Can I just say that when I read the recipe to make sure I had everything I needed, I saw "2 packets yeast" and ignored the "1 ounce each" part. All of the yeast packets I've ever bought are 1/4 of an ounce. I discovered this after the grocery store run, unfortunately, so I dumped every yeast packet in the house I had into this recipe. And by every yeast packet, I mean there was instant yeast and rapid rise yeast and just plain yeast...it was a miracle this dough rose at all.
I topped the pizza with lots of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and mushrooms. 25 minutes later, this popped out of the oven....
Henry really, really wanted some pizza too.
Awww, how can I resist that face?
Anyway, this is the best whole wheat pizza crust recipe I have tried, and trust me, I have tried a few in my time! I think what makes it so successful is the amount of yeast in there, because there is a lot, and the amount of olive oil-1/4 cup. I've got an extra ball of dough in the freezer, and I guarantee you it will get eaten this week. Without a doubt, so good!
What have you cooked lately? What are your favorite always-have-on-hand recipes?
This recipe is so handy because you can make it ahead of time and throw it in the freezer for later. So if I wanted pizza for dinner, I could take the dough out of the freezer in the morning before work and pop it in the fridge, and come home to pizza dough ready for the oven. Ingenious! I love home made pizza, but I don't have time to wait for yeast to rise when it's late and I'm starving. Another handy thing about this recipe is that it makes enough for 2 large pizzas or for 8 individual pizzas, so by making the recipe once you have a whole other pizza to save for later. Love it. Here's the recipe by the way, it's over at Martha Stewart's Every Foods.
Can I just say that when I read the recipe to make sure I had everything I needed, I saw "2 packets yeast" and ignored the "1 ounce each" part. All of the yeast packets I've ever bought are 1/4 of an ounce. I discovered this after the grocery store run, unfortunately, so I dumped every yeast packet in the house I had into this recipe. And by every yeast packet, I mean there was instant yeast and rapid rise yeast and just plain yeast...it was a miracle this dough rose at all.
I topped the pizza with lots of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and mushrooms. 25 minutes later, this popped out of the oven....
Henry really, really wanted some pizza too.
Awww, how can I resist that face?
Anyway, this is the best whole wheat pizza crust recipe I have tried, and trust me, I have tried a few in my time! I think what makes it so successful is the amount of yeast in there, because there is a lot, and the amount of olive oil-1/4 cup. I've got an extra ball of dough in the freezer, and I guarantee you it will get eaten this week. Without a doubt, so good!
What have you cooked lately? What are your favorite always-have-on-hand recipes?
How to Cover Not-Especially-Attractive Bouquet Holders
With feather plumes!
I LOVE this. Love it, I think the feathers are such a great subtle touch. Now I just have to stalk them until they go on sale, because they are $3 per feather. Even on sale they're still $1.50 per feather. Insanity! But anyway, I couldn't be happier with the results. What do you all think?
I LOVE this. Love it, I think the feathers are such a great subtle touch. Now I just have to stalk them until they go on sale, because they are $3 per feather. Even on sale they're still $1.50 per feather. Insanity! But anyway, I couldn't be happier with the results. What do you all think?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I just finished reading....
Prayers for Sale, by Sandra Dallas.
It was...so so. Very predictable, and too nauseatingly sweet for me. That said, I am a sucker for a happy ending, and the story was set in a place I haven't read too much about. This story takes place in 1936, when a young bride moves to a mining town in the mountains of Colorado. She meets an older woman who becomes a close friend who relates stories of her past to her.
I also got about 1/3 of the way through That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. He wrote Empire Falls, which I loved. Unfortunately, I stopped reading this newer book of his because the main character is such a freaking *ss and I didn't want to hear any more about him.
I just couldn't stand to read more about him he was so awful.
I also finished Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
I read this all weekend. I spent 3 hours on the couch Saturday afternoon absorbed in this. I haven't done that in forever, it was amazing. This book was fantastic. It's all about a Princeton admission's officer and a brilliant kid from a non-traditional school trying to get into to Princeton. The storyline has a great hidden undertone that you find out about later in the book, and I loved the ending. I definitely recommend this book, and it's on my "read again" list.
Also, I usually link the books I mention from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, but I'm trying to shop small/independent businesses more, hence these books being linked from Powell's Books. They sell new and used, and I love buying used books!
What are you reading right now?
It was...so so. Very predictable, and too nauseatingly sweet for me. That said, I am a sucker for a happy ending, and the story was set in a place I haven't read too much about. This story takes place in 1936, when a young bride moves to a mining town in the mountains of Colorado. She meets an older woman who becomes a close friend who relates stories of her past to her.
I also got about 1/3 of the way through That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. He wrote Empire Falls, which I loved. Unfortunately, I stopped reading this newer book of his because the main character is such a freaking *ss and I didn't want to hear any more about him.
I just couldn't stand to read more about him he was so awful.
I also finished Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
I read this all weekend. I spent 3 hours on the couch Saturday afternoon absorbed in this. I haven't done that in forever, it was amazing. This book was fantastic. It's all about a Princeton admission's officer and a brilliant kid from a non-traditional school trying to get into to Princeton. The storyline has a great hidden undertone that you find out about later in the book, and I loved the ending. I definitely recommend this book, and it's on my "read again" list.
Also, I usually link the books I mention from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, but I'm trying to shop small/independent businesses more, hence these books being linked from Powell's Books. They sell new and used, and I love buying used books!
What are you reading right now?
You know you live in Southeast Missouri when....
....your local mall has 4 wheeler tractor things on display. In the mall.
We don't get out much!
We don't get out much!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Bouquet Update
I finally, after a huge amount of trial and error, am really happy with the direction the fabric flower bouquets are going in. To read about my early attempts and for a couple of tutorials, click here.
I found this insanely gorgeous and lustrous slubbed ivory satin at Hobby Lobby. It's $9.99/yard, but with my handy 40% coupon, not prohibitively expensive in the least. Here's a bouquet made up almost entirely of that material:
Here's a back end view...I found this bouquet holder at Michael's, but they have them at Hob Lob as well. They're under $3, and it really helps give the flowers structure and support. Fabric is heavier than you'd think, especially when perched atop a wire wrapped in green stuff!
I've sewn the flowers to green floral stems and then doubled-up the stems, because I don't need a 2 foot long handle.
I was thinking about doing a video tutorial of how I make these flowers, because I just discovered the video button on my camera and I had such a hard time figuring this out myself. Would anyone be interested?
I plan on sprinkling vintage rhinestone pins throughout the bouquet for added interest, and I've been looking for sprigs of pearls to stick among the flowers. Also, I need to figure out how to hide that ugly bouquet holder thing! I'm thinking feathers. The handle will be wrapped in ribbon.
I sew flowers every night (seriously, every night I get home, couch out, and sew at least 6 flowers), and I've sewn so many that just haven't worked out for various reasons, so I am relieved and thrilled that it's turning out the way I wanted it to!
Did you have any projects that took longer than you'd thought to match up with the vision you had in your head?
I found this insanely gorgeous and lustrous slubbed ivory satin at Hobby Lobby. It's $9.99/yard, but with my handy 40% coupon, not prohibitively expensive in the least. Here's a bouquet made up almost entirely of that material:
Here's a back end view...I found this bouquet holder at Michael's, but they have them at Hob Lob as well. They're under $3, and it really helps give the flowers structure and support. Fabric is heavier than you'd think, especially when perched atop a wire wrapped in green stuff!
I've sewn the flowers to green floral stems and then doubled-up the stems, because I don't need a 2 foot long handle.
I was thinking about doing a video tutorial of how I make these flowers, because I just discovered the video button on my camera and I had such a hard time figuring this out myself. Would anyone be interested?
I plan on sprinkling vintage rhinestone pins throughout the bouquet for added interest, and I've been looking for sprigs of pearls to stick among the flowers. Also, I need to figure out how to hide that ugly bouquet holder thing! I'm thinking feathers. The handle will be wrapped in ribbon.
I sew flowers every night (seriously, every night I get home, couch out, and sew at least 6 flowers), and I've sewn so many that just haven't worked out for various reasons, so I am relieved and thrilled that it's turning out the way I wanted it to!
Did you have any projects that took longer than you'd thought to match up with the vision you had in your head?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Vera Wang on Rue La La
I don't know if any of you all are Rue La La members, but it's basically like a cheaper Gilt Group. Anyway, today they have Vera Wang by Wedgwood. The items they have would make great gifts, and some of the stuff could be used at a reception or something.
These Love Knots frames are only $25 and $45 on Rue La La, and full price they start at $60.
This vanity tray is $25 on Rue La La, and it's $40 full price.
The 5 piece set of this gorgeous Blue Duchesse fine china is $139 full price, but only $79 on Rue La La.
Click this link to join, if you're interested. If you join before Christmas Eve via that invitation, you get a $10 credit!
These Love Knots frames are only $25 and $45 on Rue La La, and full price they start at $60.
This vanity tray is $25 on Rue La La, and it's $40 full price.
The 5 piece set of this gorgeous Blue Duchesse fine china is $139 full price, but only $79 on Rue La La.
Click this link to join, if you're interested. If you join before Christmas Eve via that invitation, you get a $10 credit!
Losing Steam
My give-a-d*mn is just about busted.
I just don't really care about some of this wedding stuff anymore. Overlays for the reception? Someone else can tell me what they need to be. I'll sew them, but I could care less what they look like. I started googling for DJ's a few days ago, and the first 10 websites I looked at required you to fill out a lengthy form just to request a price. Um, no, I'm not going to give you all of my information that you will then sell just to people that will inevitably annoy me to find out that your DJ services are exorbitantly expensive. Put the price on your freaking website, don't make me do all this crap just to get it. I'm not too far from slapping a DJ ad up on Craig's List and calling it a day.
I'm just so sick of having to decide all this crap...I think I just like instant gratification, and when I don't get it, I'm over it. My bouquets are going strong, and I think I'm not sick of those because I can sit there and see the sewn flowers piling up, which is enormously satisfying to a goal-oriented person like myself.
Ugh. Anyone else kind of burnt out? By kind of I mean a lot...and we still have 7 months to go. Good thing so much was done early, because I need a break from wedding planning. I really appreciate our longish engagement because I've had the time to do lots of labor intensive projects, like my bouquets, but I certainly see the appeal in a 6 month engagement.
I need to get myself excited about writing our ceremony, because that is stress #1 right now.
Happy news though! I just called the bridal salon, and my dress ships from the factory January 6th! That means the store will get the dress in in mid-January. I've almost forgotten what it looks like, so here's a refresher:
I have been totally panicking about this lately...the dreaded 2nd thoughts about the dress that I thought I'd be immune from. I am terrified I won't love it. They special ordered it for me in this gorgeous, thick, rich, luminous ivory satin, which is why it's taking so long ( ordered it in September). I've also completely convinced myself that it won't fit. I just want it to come in, so I can try it on and fall in love with it all over again.
Anyone else kind of burnt out? Maybe the past 2 months of rainy weather are getting me down.... Anyone else have stress before their dress came in?
I just don't really care about some of this wedding stuff anymore. Overlays for the reception? Someone else can tell me what they need to be. I'll sew them, but I could care less what they look like. I started googling for DJ's a few days ago, and the first 10 websites I looked at required you to fill out a lengthy form just to request a price. Um, no, I'm not going to give you all of my information that you will then sell just to people that will inevitably annoy me to find out that your DJ services are exorbitantly expensive. Put the price on your freaking website, don't make me do all this crap just to get it. I'm not too far from slapping a DJ ad up on Craig's List and calling it a day.
I'm just so sick of having to decide all this crap...I think I just like instant gratification, and when I don't get it, I'm over it. My bouquets are going strong, and I think I'm not sick of those because I can sit there and see the sewn flowers piling up, which is enormously satisfying to a goal-oriented person like myself.
Ugh. Anyone else kind of burnt out? By kind of I mean a lot...and we still have 7 months to go. Good thing so much was done early, because I need a break from wedding planning. I really appreciate our longish engagement because I've had the time to do lots of labor intensive projects, like my bouquets, but I certainly see the appeal in a 6 month engagement.
I need to get myself excited about writing our ceremony, because that is stress #1 right now.
Happy news though! I just called the bridal salon, and my dress ships from the factory January 6th! That means the store will get the dress in in mid-January. I've almost forgotten what it looks like, so here's a refresher:
I have been totally panicking about this lately...the dreaded 2nd thoughts about the dress that I thought I'd be immune from. I am terrified I won't love it. They special ordered it for me in this gorgeous, thick, rich, luminous ivory satin, which is why it's taking so long ( ordered it in September). I've also completely convinced myself that it won't fit. I just want it to come in, so I can try it on and fall in love with it all over again.
Anyone else kind of burnt out? Maybe the past 2 months of rainy weather are getting me down.... Anyone else have stress before their dress came in?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Dark Side
A few months ago I died my hair darker, and I loved it. I only did a semi-permanent dye because I'm a huge wuss, and I don't want to deal with roots. It's much more convenient if it simply washes out.
Here's me the day after I got my hair died. I managed to keep the fact that I was dying my hair a secret from Ryan and showed up in St. Louis with dark hair. I'm not good at keeping little secrets, and it was hard for me not to blab. It was definitely worth it.
Here it is starting to fade....
And here it is the day we had our engagement pictures taken. Those are some of my cousins. Just some...both of my parents came from families of 7, and I have lots of cousins. Ryan's in the same boat, hence the huge wedding.
Basically, I love it dark, and I love the semi-permanent factor. I just can't justify paying $25 to do it every 4-6 weeks at the salon. I have been all over the internet looking for a good semi-permanent hair color box kit you can get at a grocery store, but I can't find anything. So do any of you ladies have any suggestions? My natural color is a light brown (just like my sisters), so the color change really isn't drastic.
Thanks for your help! Also, thank you for the nice Birthday words to my sister yesterday!
Here's me the day after I got my hair died. I managed to keep the fact that I was dying my hair a secret from Ryan and showed up in St. Louis with dark hair. I'm not good at keeping little secrets, and it was hard for me not to blab. It was definitely worth it.
Here it is starting to fade....
And here it is the day we had our engagement pictures taken. Those are some of my cousins. Just some...both of my parents came from families of 7, and I have lots of cousins. Ryan's in the same boat, hence the huge wedding.
Basically, I love it dark, and I love the semi-permanent factor. I just can't justify paying $25 to do it every 4-6 weeks at the salon. I have been all over the internet looking for a good semi-permanent hair color box kit you can get at a grocery store, but I can't find anything. So do any of you ladies have any suggestions? My natural color is a light brown (just like my sisters), so the color change really isn't drastic.
Thanks for your help! Also, thank you for the nice Birthday words to my sister yesterday!
Garters
The garter toss. Ryan has something "hilarious" planned, but he won't tell me what it is....I'm just going to have to trust that it isn't something horribly embarrassing.
**Studly runner, if you want to be surprised when it comes to the garter, please stop reading now**
I know that lots of people are discontinuing this tradition, but I don't have a problem with it. I'm a runner, I have spent lots of time working on my legs, so I'm not afraid to show those off by any means! Also, Ryan has this running team with some of friends called Omega Falcon and their colors are blue and orange, and since all of those guys will be at the wedding, I thought it'd be fun to do the garter in the theme of Omega Falcon running.
I found this on Etsy and it is so gorgeous.
It's $30, which considering the high quality vintage materials the seller uses, is perfectly reasonable. I'm definitely going to attempt to DIY this though. It's high time I learned how to work with elastic anyway!
I really love the dotted swiss tulle used in that garter, but I'm worried that such a girly, pretty, fabric will look silly with royal blue and orange accents. What do you all think? I'm having a hard time picturing how such a feminine material will look with such sporty, masculine colors.
I'm thinking that this how-to will work nicely, or even this one, I'm just undecided in terms of materials.
So what do you all think? Can I use the frilly delicate material I like with such a sporty theme? What are you doing for your garter, if you're doing one?
**Studly runner, if you want to be surprised when it comes to the garter, please stop reading now**
I know that lots of people are discontinuing this tradition, but I don't have a problem with it. I'm a runner, I have spent lots of time working on my legs, so I'm not afraid to show those off by any means! Also, Ryan has this running team with some of friends called Omega Falcon and their colors are blue and orange, and since all of those guys will be at the wedding, I thought it'd be fun to do the garter in the theme of Omega Falcon running.
I found this on Etsy and it is so gorgeous.
It's $30, which considering the high quality vintage materials the seller uses, is perfectly reasonable. I'm definitely going to attempt to DIY this though. It's high time I learned how to work with elastic anyway!
I really love the dotted swiss tulle used in that garter, but I'm worried that such a girly, pretty, fabric will look silly with royal blue and orange accents. What do you all think? I'm having a hard time picturing how such a feminine material will look with such sporty, masculine colors.
I'm thinking that this how-to will work nicely, or even this one, I'm just undecided in terms of materials.
So what do you all think? Can I use the frilly delicate material I like with such a sporty theme? What are you doing for your garter, if you're doing one?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Happy Birthday!
Today my littlest (actually she's taller than me, I should probably say youngest!) sister Mary turns 17 today.
Mary and Ryan at Cross Country State this year
Mary's had a tough year-she got mono right before her cross country season started. Last year she was an all state runner (that means she was one of the top 25 runners in the state), and she had worked really hard all summer with her summer training, so it was really hard on her.
She stuck in there and she rebounded and came back to have a great last part of the season. She's pretty sure she wants to run in college, and she is really, really talented. I love watching her run, I think I only missed 1 or 2 meets last cross country season.
Mary has this thing where she'll say that Alli and I got the "pretty" genes and she got all of the "jock" genes. Which I think is totally ridiculous, she obviously lucked out and got both, don't you think?
She's growing up to be such a gorgeous girl, and I am blown away at what a cool person she is. She's assertive, she's strong, she doesn't back down...she's unlike any high school girl I've ever met! I think she's great, and I love that we're getting closer as she gets older.
It's also because of Mary that I met Ryan. He was coaching her team when I saw him that at the cross country meet. I definitely owe her big time for that!
Happy 17th Mary, I hope it's a kick *ss year for you!
Mary and Ryan at Cross Country State this yearMary's had a tough year-she got mono right before her cross country season started. Last year she was an all state runner (that means she was one of the top 25 runners in the state), and she had worked really hard all summer with her summer training, so it was really hard on her.
She stuck in there and she rebounded and came back to have a great last part of the season. She's pretty sure she wants to run in college, and she is really, really talented. I love watching her run, I think I only missed 1 or 2 meets last cross country season.
My sister Allison, Mary and me on Saturday night before Mary's Winter Ball
Mary has this thing where she'll say that Alli and I got the "pretty" genes and she got all of the "jock" genes. Which I think is totally ridiculous, she obviously lucked out and got both, don't you think?
She's growing up to be such a gorgeous girl, and I am blown away at what a cool person she is. She's assertive, she's strong, she doesn't back down...she's unlike any high school girl I've ever met! I think she's great, and I love that we're getting closer as she gets older.
It's also because of Mary that I met Ryan. He was coaching her team when I saw him that at the cross country meet. I definitely owe her big time for that!
Happy 17th Mary, I hope it's a kick *ss year for you!
Letters to Juliet
If you have a sec, you should go check out the trailer for this new movie, Letters to Juliet.
How good does that look-and I love Amanda Seyfried!
During the trailer some words flash up that I love...."the greatest love story ever told is your own." I love that, especially now when we have so many movies to fill our heads with what a relationship should look like.
What do you think? Will you see the movie?
How good does that look-and I love Amanda Seyfried!
During the trailer some words flash up that I love...."the greatest love story ever told is your own." I love that, especially now when we have so many movies to fill our heads with what a relationship should look like.
What do you think? Will you see the movie?
Monday, December 7, 2009
I was made for you....
Writing our ceremony is harder than I thought, because Ryan feels that we chose each other while I feel like we were made for each other.
How do you incorporate both?
How do you incorporate both?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
I was just rocking out to this at work on Pandora while I write a script for an Ohio show and I had to share....
Oh my gosh I love it! I still want to be just like Belle, not going to lie. I know, Disney has horrible female stereotypes, but I was quite the bookworm when I was little (still am) and I loved Belle for it.
Just wanted to thank everyone for sharing what they think about the Bee. It is such a revered institution, and it seems like you only hear about how great it is....so it's pretty amazing to hear that other women out there feel the same way.
In the interest of full disclosure, I was rejected as a Bee blogger, but this was months ago, and I didn't write today's post in anger about it. I happily continued to read the Bee for months after I was rejected, and me unsubscribing had nothing to do with being rejected.
Anyway, thanks for the discussion ladies! Also, Bowie Bride is pretty much a genius and has her own little hive in the works, you all should go check it out!
Ok, and if I'm going to be 100% honest with you all, when my sister Alli and I were little we had a tape of Beauty and the Beast and whenever we acted out the movie, I always made her be the 3 girls who were in love with Gaston. I'm sorry Alli, it would not have killed me to let you be Belle at least once!
Oh my gosh I love it! I still want to be just like Belle, not going to lie. I know, Disney has horrible female stereotypes, but I was quite the bookworm when I was little (still am) and I loved Belle for it.
Just wanted to thank everyone for sharing what they think about the Bee. It is such a revered institution, and it seems like you only hear about how great it is....so it's pretty amazing to hear that other women out there feel the same way.
In the interest of full disclosure, I was rejected as a Bee blogger, but this was months ago, and I didn't write today's post in anger about it. I happily continued to read the Bee for months after I was rejected, and me unsubscribing had nothing to do with being rejected.
Anyway, thanks for the discussion ladies! Also, Bowie Bride is pretty much a genius and has her own little hive in the works, you all should go check it out!
Ok, and if I'm going to be 100% honest with you all, when my sister Alli and I were little we had a tape of Beauty and the Beast and whenever we acted out the movie, I always made her be the 3 girls who were in love with Gaston. I'm sorry Alli, it would not have killed me to let you be Belle at least once!
I Did It!
I unsubscribed from Weddingbee.
Here's why:
If I let a day go by without reading it, there would be so many posts piled up that I felt overwhelmed.
I have been disappointed in the bee bloggers who start blogging and then blog again a month later...or the bee's who never finish their wedding recaps. I hate getting invested in someone's story only to be left hanging. It also feels that the weddings they've been featuring lately are very, very similar, and there isn't very much inspiration to pull from them anymore.
Most importantly, it was making me lose perspective in a big way. All of those details seem kind of silly to me, and inauthentic. (I'm not talking about every bee blogger by any means, FYI, there are some kick-*ss writers on that site who have amazing weddings). I feel like I've been focusing on stupid, stupid things lately, and it's making me completely burnt out on this wedding. The stuff I should be excited to do, like crafting our ceremony and writing my vows, I don't feel like doing because I've wasted all this energy on whether we should have table numbers or not, etc.
Once again, I am not talking about 100% of the bee bloggers on that site...just the majority of them. There are some standouts that I will miss, and I might go back and read how Mrs. Cowboy Boot's reception turned out, but that will be about it.
I lost my fascination with the boards about a month ago when it felt like every other post was from one of the waiting girls (I know how it feels to want to be engaged so badly, but some of their stories are kind of frightening!) and there was an offensive post on gay marriage.
I don't want to sound like I'm knocking anyone's decision to read the site, it's an incredible resource. I am just trying to narrow my focus, that's all!
Do you read the bee?
Here's why:
If I let a day go by without reading it, there would be so many posts piled up that I felt overwhelmed.
I have been disappointed in the bee bloggers who start blogging and then blog again a month later...or the bee's who never finish their wedding recaps. I hate getting invested in someone's story only to be left hanging. It also feels that the weddings they've been featuring lately are very, very similar, and there isn't very much inspiration to pull from them anymore.
Most importantly, it was making me lose perspective in a big way. All of those details seem kind of silly to me, and inauthentic. (I'm not talking about every bee blogger by any means, FYI, there are some kick-*ss writers on that site who have amazing weddings). I feel like I've been focusing on stupid, stupid things lately, and it's making me completely burnt out on this wedding. The stuff I should be excited to do, like crafting our ceremony and writing my vows, I don't feel like doing because I've wasted all this energy on whether we should have table numbers or not, etc.
Once again, I am not talking about 100% of the bee bloggers on that site...just the majority of them. There are some standouts that I will miss, and I might go back and read how Mrs. Cowboy Boot's reception turned out, but that will be about it.
I lost my fascination with the boards about a month ago when it felt like every other post was from one of the waiting girls (I know how it feels to want to be engaged so badly, but some of their stories are kind of frightening!) and there was an offensive post on gay marriage.
I don't want to sound like I'm knocking anyone's decision to read the site, it's an incredible resource. I am just trying to narrow my focus, that's all!
Do you read the bee?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Running Update
So I started training for a half marathon, and so far so good! Sunday I ran 8, the first 4 with Ryan. We ran to his friend's house who I swear looks just like this:
This is him, minus the beard and long hair. Ryan and I saw this in an antique story and I was like, "Oh my gosh, it's Chris!"
We picked his friend up, and I ran with those 2 for a 1/2 mile, and then I had another 3.5 miles to do by myself. Normally when I'm visiting Ryan in St. Charles, he runs with me or I pay $7 to cross train at the rec center, but since my long runs fall on Sundays and I'm typically in St. Charles on Sundays, it is high time that I be able to run by myself when I'm up there. So Ryan plotted out a super simple route in familiar territory that I ran while he finished up his run with his friend. It was hilly, but I ended up running 7.8 miles at an 8:30ish pace, which I was very happy with. After long runs like that my knees tend to hurt, and they did this time too, but nothing major. My feet also ached, but I think it's just because my shoes are about done (you can only get about 300 miles out of running shoes, which isn't much when you train a lot....you should've seen how many shoes Ryan went through when he was training for Boston!). I am getting a new pair for Christmas, so no worries!
So the first long run was a success! Even after running for a year or so now, it still amazes me when I see my watch pass an hour...I am still shocked that I can run for that long.
I will say, that hauling my butt out of bed at 5:44 a.m. (I only wake up on even numbers) when it's dark and cold out to get a run in is tough. It means that I am in bed by 9 p.m.!
Are you aiming for any fitness goals right now?
This is him, minus the beard and long hair. Ryan and I saw this in an antique story and I was like, "Oh my gosh, it's Chris!"
We picked his friend up, and I ran with those 2 for a 1/2 mile, and then I had another 3.5 miles to do by myself. Normally when I'm visiting Ryan in St. Charles, he runs with me or I pay $7 to cross train at the rec center, but since my long runs fall on Sundays and I'm typically in St. Charles on Sundays, it is high time that I be able to run by myself when I'm up there. So Ryan plotted out a super simple route in familiar territory that I ran while he finished up his run with his friend. It was hilly, but I ended up running 7.8 miles at an 8:30ish pace, which I was very happy with. After long runs like that my knees tend to hurt, and they did this time too, but nothing major. My feet also ached, but I think it's just because my shoes are about done (you can only get about 300 miles out of running shoes, which isn't much when you train a lot....you should've seen how many shoes Ryan went through when he was training for Boston!). I am getting a new pair for Christmas, so no worries!
So the first long run was a success! Even after running for a year or so now, it still amazes me when I see my watch pass an hour...I am still shocked that I can run for that long.
I will say, that hauling my butt out of bed at 5:44 a.m. (I only wake up on even numbers) when it's dark and cold out to get a run in is tough. It means that I am in bed by 9 p.m.!
Are you aiming for any fitness goals right now?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)