The American Queen Docks

Today the American Queen, an old-school paddlewheeler docked at Cape's riverfront!  Since I work in tourism here, I've been going back and forth with them to get them what they need, set stuff up, etc...seeing it all happen was really exciting.

Here she is approaching our riverfront...with the Mississippi being so low right now thanks to this severe drought we're in, their schedule was all wacky.  They were supposed to get here at noon and showed up at 10:15.  Better early than late!

We had a few small hiccups, but nothing major.  For the most part everything went smoothly (whew!).  The director was nice enough to take me on board and give me a tour.  They have a 24/7 soft serve machine....yum!  I am really good at locating ice cream.

They had a Mark Twain impersonator on board.  I just started reading Life on the Mississippi this weekend to get ready for a "Mississippi Mondays" series I am doing for my work's social media (I manage Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr and Foursquare for VisitCape), so when I saw this guy walking towards me, it gave me goosebumps!

And I'm wearing my skirt!  I got lots of compliments, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I wanted to wear something professional that was comfy AND wouldn't make me sweat to death.  Though running around on the riverfront from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in 104 temps pretty much did that anyway-hence the red face in the ice cream picture!

Such a cool day!  Not temp wise-you know what I mean.  They dock 2 more times, and we also have 2 dockings with another boat.  Can't wait--and hoping next time it isn't 104.

I made a skirt

I made a skirt--one that I can actually WEAR!  I normally pick something way too complicated, get overwhelmed by the amount of steps, convince myself I'm going to screw it all up...or cut out a size too small/too big or make an un-wearable practice version then hate it and never make a real version.  Yeah.  Psyche myself out every time!

I used this tutorial that I found on Pinterest, and the directions were good.  The skirt ended up fuller than I would've liked-though my sister told me it was fine-so the next time I make it, I might decrease the width on the main body piece.  I picked out gray seersucker at Hobby Lobby, and it was half off $8/yard.  They only had a yard and a half left on the bolt, so I bought it hoping I could get the whole skirt cut out (the pattern says 2 yards) and I had plenty of leftovers!  I decreased the waist size by 1/2 an inch.  I made a pattern out of some butcher paper, and I'm really glad I did...measuring/cutting large pieces of fabric w/o intimidates me.  All total, the skirt cost my $7, with $6 in fabric and $1 in a zipper.  I didn't sew the sash to the skirt...by that point I was just rejoicing it had worked out!

Ta Da!  In the bathroom mirror at work.

It's wonky.  And there are spots where I would be mortified if my Grandma wanted a closer look.  Because the part where you attached the gathered skirt to the waistband....I was sweating, it was nerveracking, and it's a touch sloppy.  But I was NOT going to let my anal-retentiveness-when-it-comes-to-sewing stand between me and this skirt...I just went with it and told myself the sash would hide it.  And it did :)

I'm thinking the same skirt, but in a jewel tone...maybe a bright green, with a 3-4 inch band of another color at the bottom for round 2!

I also got the supplies and got started on a book to house all of our wedding cards....2 year anniversary is coming up next month, and I thought it'd be nice to actually organize them and get them out of the card box they arrived in.  No judging here you guys...which is why I can also tell you that Ryan and I haven't printed off a single picture from our wedding.  Despite having the CD with high res images and printing rights.  Now I know why people pay a premium to have the photog do it for them....

Have you crossed any projects off of your to-do list lately?

BC

I've been on NuvaRing for....5 years now?  A significant amount of time.  I've been on pretty much every form of hormonal BC on the market, and NuvaRing has worked for me the best by far (keeping in mind that every form of hormonal BC is going to work with your particular body chemistry differently, so what works for me might suck lots for you, vice versa).  In the past 6 months, I've had 3 crippling migraines...and the one I had earlier this week was the worst yet.  I started seeing spots, knew it was going to happen, and had complete tunnel vision and a full on blasting headache within 2 minutes.  It was fast.  So fast that it scared me-and it took me out of commission for a good 24 hours, migraine hangover the next day and all.

So I did some research, and it looks like a big trigger to a migraine is hormones, and I also found lots of forums where women reported developing migraines while on NuvaRing, while never having them before.  I'm not so likely to believe this, though, since I've been on it for so long and I'm just now getting them, but...it's too coincidental.

I'm not interested in trying to switch hormonal birth controls-been there, done that, it sucked.  So I'm wondering if anyone uses a non-hormonal form of birth control?  We'd like to start trying for babies in about 3 years, but I can't help but think it'd be a good thing to start getting all of these hormones I've been on for 10 years out of my system, and maybe avoid that potential waiting period of "getting off BC and hoping things get back to normal STAT so we can get knocked up."

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?  I googled...but google is scary, and informed me that one woman who thought she had a migraine while on NuvaRing actually had a blood clot in her brain.  As you can imagine, that is NOT helpful to me right now, GOOGLE!

Babies

Babies.  We're coming up against our 2 year anniversary in July and babies are on my mind.

I've gone back and forth about writing about this, but then I thought, "Hey, I can't be the ONLY one out there who has this on her mind", so why not.  I'll keep it somewhat general so it's not all "gross TMI".

I've known since I was 18 that I have fertility issues.  I had my yearly in April, and shared with my nurse practitioner Glenda that I had had a little "scare", and she said "what exactly are you waiting for?  Because it's going to be harder for you to get pregnant, and then staying pregnant might not be easy for you.  I don't want you to wait too long."

Ryan and I's initial game plan was kids by the time he's 30.  I just turned 26 in January, and Ryan turned 28 in April.  I know that fertility starts to go down for me at 30.  Glenda also reminded me that you have to take some time off of trying to get pregnant in between miscarriages, and I've been on the pill for years, so it might take a bit for things to get back in business.  So timeline wise, it's kind of scary looking.

I'm torn between wanting to wait until Ryan and I are ready and moving fast to beat out this potential fertility issue.  I know you're never ready, financially or otherwise, but I do want a honeymoon pre-baby (still haven't taken that) and I want the last bit of our student loans paid off (we are SO CLOSE!).  We're 2 years out from both.

Ryan wants to wait until he's settled career wise and until childcare and healthcare co-pays won't break our bank.  I respect that, and I pretty much agree completely.  At the same time, I feel like I'm fighting off this low level of panic, of what if we wait too long, what if you can't be a dad and I can't be a mom?  I know how much adoption costs, I know how much IVF costs, and I know there is no. way.  Baby shower invitations are starting to come in from friends, and every time I get one I wonder if in a few years getting a baby shower invitation will be really painful for me.  I wonder if seeing a pregnant belly will physically hurt me.

I know, worrying is the opposite of constructive.  And I might get knocked up no problem 24 hours after I cut off the BC.  But my biological clock is ticking and I'm scared.

I try to focus on eating well and exercising.  Since I quit smoking and started honoring my body, I've felt 10000x better.  I know that I'm doing everything I can now to facilitate a healthy pregnancy in the future.  I try to keep my eyes on that.

I am so thrilled for all of my preggo-friends out there (the last thing I want is for this to sound like I'm not!), and I can't wait to meet your little bundles of joy!  It's kind of crazy seeing friends transition into mothers, isn't it?

Anyone else have pre-baby thoughts on their mind?

Blazer

I've been searching and searching for a fun little blazer I can throw on with jeans, work pants, a pencil skirt, etc etc for months and months.  And the jersey one at Target with ADORABLE polka dot roll-up sleeves that I initially discounted as too casual?  It was perfect.  And on sale, for $15.  Good thing my little sister Mary didn't end up wanting it, because I pretty much wrenched it off her back.  Thanks Mary!

 Monday

Confession:  I'm so excited about this blazer, I wore it Monday AND today, and I am seriously considering wearing it tomorrow since I'm out of the office all day and won't see my co-workers.  

Today

It's the little things!

Any fashion finds you've been hunting for a while?

Tea with the Ladies

Yesterday we went to a Mother/Daughter Tea at a local restored Victorian mansion open for tours.  The tea was in the original carriage house, which is now the cutest little venue out there for a shower or small dinner!  They had it done up soooo cute, with vintage dishes and silver.

There were tons of homemade snacks in cute little bite size pieces....and they kept the refills going!

They had hats and everyone got to pick one, how great is Alli's?

 We had a great time-it was an afternoon we'll remember.  Alli and I might've had WAY too much fun.  When the petite fours came out we looked at each other and said "just like SAMANTHA!" The American Girl doll, that is.

My grandma is 87.  There's nothing material I can give her.  But an afternoon together, doing something unique and fun?  That's something we can give her.

Books, Outfits, and the Local News

I'm loving what I'm wearing today, and this outfit is now in my rotation (necklace and all....I'm timid in the accessory department, so its good for me to wear a bigger necklace!):

I made our local news last night-a Congressman here in Missouri brought up a proposition to change our slogan from "the Show Me State" to the "Great Rivers State."  Since I work in tourism, they called me, and naturally I had 20 minutes warning which wasn't enough time to fix the fact that it was a ponytail-no-appointments-not-leaving-the-office kind of day.  Oh well!

Anyway I come in about halfway through.  I love the guy who kept getting "the Show Me State" confused with that movie where they keep yelling "show me the money."  

I just finished reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King.  

Source

It was long.  Overly so, in my opinion.  I still really enjoyed it, and the ending was much better and more satisfying than I thought it would be.  It seems much more sentimental than his typical book.

The weather here has been gorgeous lately--we've had such a long spring--and my lucky dogs have been getting walked at least once a day, and twice yesterday.  How's the weather in your neck of the woods?