Back.

I can't believe that it's been since October that I came here to write. I was actually going to retire this site and leave it behind, but my amazing other half suggested that I should continue to do what I love to do; write.

I'll admit - I didn't really want to let the blog go. It's my place to come and write. Share with my friends about things that are going on in my life. It's a free write of anything I want; whatever's on my mind. So here I am, finally sitting back down to continue on with a place that is like home to me; a little something special.

I'll cut right to the chase and start where I left off. The holidays were a blast. The weekend after Thanksgiving I couldn't resist the urge to bring out the Christmas decorations. I anticipate Thanksgiving knowing that afterwards I have the "a-ok" to go ahead and start my decorating madness. And yes, it was madness...and yes, it makes me happy. There's nothing like sitting on your couch, sipping hot cocoa, with the glare of Christmas lights from the tree and the smell of fresh pine. It's unbelievably relaxing.

We spent the holidays with family, of course, dividing up time with each so effortlessly. With as many family's as we have to spend time with, I'm surprised that is was done with ease. We continued our family fun with taking an early flight out to Pagosa Springs, Colorado to spend a week at the cabin with Jon's Dad and his family. We had such a great time, I didn't want to leave. I'm a big fan of the snow - and there was tons of it. It snowed almost every day, all day. Every morning there was a fresh layer of powder; so light and fluffy that you could swim in it. We made snow angels, caught snow flakes on our tongues, had countless snow ball fights and rode around on the ATVs. It was the epitome of a winter wonderland...and I was in heaven.

After getting back from our much needed vacation, it was time to spring back into wedding mode. We're actually getting a lot done. Not at all surprising since I am a self-proclaimed organized freak. We finally got our engagement pictures taken and I can't wait to see them! Our photographer is fantastic so I know they turned out amazing.

My dress is finally here. I have an appointment on Saturday to try it on, and I.can't.wait. I just about peed myself when the bridal boutique called me to inform me that it was shipped to them. This means another wonderful day to spend with my Mom and Step-Mom. These times are special and spending it with the two of them means everything to me.

This year is my year. An exciting one. It holds nothing but happiness for me. It will be the year where I become a wife, a sister in-law and a daughter in-law. My new life as a married woman will begin and I could not be more happy.

The Mother Of All Posts

I meant to write a post first thing Monday morning (I swear), but yet again, time just wasn't on my side. So, I'll just have to put it all in one monster of a post.

Sunday was probably the most laziest, interesting, eventful day all wrapped up into one. We woke up to a tree falling on our neighbors' house. We're in a condo, so even though the tree didn't hit our unit, we still felt it. The whole house shook and at first I thought it was an earthquake. Somehow or another the tree managed to fall right onto a sprinkler head and busted the pipes. How convenient. Water was everywhere. Needless to say, we were without water for a good seven hours. It was not fun.

It didn't help that it was pouring down rain......all day. The wind was incredible. People were without power all day and tree brances were flying down the street. Despite the new rain of the season, we decided to make the best of it. We opened all the blinds and watched the sideways rain come down. We opened the kitchen window so we could hear the rain fall on the carport roof. It's one of my favorite sounds. I felt it was a good time to bring out the Halloween kitchen towels to help get ready for the holiday. And what better to enjoy a rainy, gloomy day then to bake chocolate chip cookies. The aroma of the cookies was amazing and the whole house smelled yummy.

Every year around this time I treat my little brother to a night at the pumpkin patch. Even though the kid is 14 now, and about 4 feet taller than I am, it's still "our thing" and we both look forward to it. And of course, like every other year, we had a blast. We picked our wagon and walked along the isles of pumpkins, trying to pick the best ones. Of course we chose the wagon from hell - which obviously had some bolts loose - and it would run over the back of our heels. The damn thing didn't know how to stop. But it made our night because we couldn't stop laughing. The wagon clearly had a mind of its own and decided to roll away a couple of times.

With the end of October here, you just have to sit back and wonder where this month went! It came and went in the blink of an eye. So much happened this month that I can't even believe I survived the craziness.

Halloween is here - which means I'll be hopping on a flight to Las Vegas first thing tomorrow morning for Lizzy's bachelorette party. I've got my dresses picked out an and my costume ready to go. It should be a fun weekend! I'll be back in time for all the Halloween festivities Sunday night though. We'll be at my parents' house shooting pool in my Dad's new man cave (he did such a great job). We'll open the garage door to hand out candy to all the kids; and Chardel will make her delicious chili and biscuits. Good times with great company.

Happy Halloween my fellow bloggers!

Take A Breath.

Can I just take a moment to vent? My life is officially on overload. I'm tired. I'm stressed. And I probably wouldn't even notice if I had my shoes on the wrong feet.

It's been so long since I've posted anything. I've wanted to - I just haven't had the time. There's been about 5 times over the past week that I've sat down and started to write, but something always comes up. Today I stared at a blank post...thinking about something interesting to write about. And don't get me wrong - I have plenty of interesting things I could write about. But I just don't want to. And quite frankly, that's not a good sign.

I've always been a writer. I have no problem sitting down and writing poem's, song lyrics and essays. So I know that life is what's making writing difficult right now.

I blame you School - for taking up my time in the evenings (and even during work, tsk tsk). I hate you and I wish I could wave my magic wand and be done with you!

I blame you Southwest - for charging me $350 for a flight to Las Vegas. It's an hour flight! Why must you charge so much?

I blame you Comcast Cable - for stealing my money. You're not even that great of a cable company...yet you seem to charge the most. Figure it out please.

Wow. Is it sad that I actually feel better after all of that non-sense?

On a happier note, I accomplished something I never thought I could do. I ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco on Sunday. I gave myself 3 hours to finish it - and I succeeded. It was rough. By mile 9 my knees were starting to hurt and by mile 10 the rain started to come down. But I didn't care about any of it. I was just excited to be running and proud of myself that I finished.

Did I mention that when you cross the finish line there are suited men handing out Tiffany's finisher necklaces? It definitely made it all worth while. Not to mention that all proceeds and donations went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The views were breathtaking. I couldn't help but stop and take a picture of the golden beauty herself. For some reason, it's the most vulnerable I've ever seen the bridge look. A bittersweet moment for me...

I promise, promise, promise that I won't waste this much time in between posts. I'll be the first to admit that I let time get the best of me.

I'm back in my usual routine and I'll be posting away about life, wedding planning and vacations in no time.

Tonight is a clean-the-house-and-cooking-dinner-while-drinking-a-glass-of-wine kind of night.

Cheers!

And....October Is Here.

The weather sure represents the fall weather today. The wind is blowing; orange leaves cover the ground; and the skies are white and grey instead of their usual bright blue. It was so hard for us to get out bed this morning. It was so cold and all we wanted to do was lie in bed and cuddle. It’s always days like these that make you want to curl up on the couch with a blanket, sipping hot cocoa and watching your favorite movies.

The weekend was fun but busy! I feel like I barely had time to sit down and relax! I was constantly doing something. It was the big weekend where I met with my bridesmaids to officially ask them to be apart of my big day. We met at Elephant Bar and cozied up in a corner booth all to ourselves. We gabbed about life and all the details (so far) about my wedding. I gave the girls each a mini cake personalized to them, with a small note that simply said “will you be my bridesmaid?” It wasn’t a big deal, but it meant something to me. These girls are my best friends, laughing partners and my family.

Yesterday was a big day. I met with my Mom and Chardel to go dress shopping and have lunch. I must have tried on at least 15 dresses. A few I really liked and started to narrow it down. One of the girls who worked at the bridal boutique overheard that I was looking for something chiffon, so she brought me a dress she thought I would like.

I did. I liked it…a lot. Actually, I love it.

So, I bought it. I can’t believe I found “The Dress”. I knew too. I knew it from the moment I put it on that it was the one. I re-tried on the other dresses that I had liked, but none of them even came close.

I originally planned to not wear a veil. But for kicks, I tried one on. As soon as I did, I started to tear up. It went perfect with the dress. Something simple, but elegant.

I leave for Atlanta tomorrow on business…..so until then, have a great week. I’ll be back next week with pictures and new stories.

Calm Before The Storm.

Friday was a long day. Jon didn’t get home until late; so that meant that cozying up on the couch with a blanket and wine seemed appropriate. ‘Marley and Me’ was on and I felt compelled to watch it. It’s one of my favorite movies. Not because it’s cute, but because of how the movie is all about challenges; it’s not sugar coated at all. There are so many scenes in that movie that I can relate to – and naturally I started crying; bawling my eyes out to be exact. That movie always makes me cry. Of course the next movie to come on after that was ‘Dear John’; another sob-fest. Needless to say my eyes were red and puffy the next day.

Saturdays are my favorite. We woke up to a beautiful morning, made coffee and did our routine of cuddling up on the couch watching TV. Now that fall has hit, the only TV we watch on the weekends now is Football. But it’s ok…I’m starting to warm up to the sport – and to be honest it wouldn’t feel like fall without Football.

Jon went to work for a few hours which meant it was time to clean! Saturday was a BIG cleaning day for me. Sometimes I get in those moods where I just need to clean. Now that we have hardwood floors, cleaning just went to a whole new level. It usually requires at least two Swiffer pads (which is a lifesaver, by the way) to sweep the floors; then after that, I went over it all again with the Swiffer mop. The sheets and comforter were washed; laundry folded; bathrooms cleaned; furniture dusted; and bed made. It was definitely a process…but one that desperately needed to be done.

Sunday was a little more laid back…fortunately. We drank our coffee and ate yummy blueberry bread, over a game of Sequence. It’s “our thing” lately. We have a tally sheet to keep track of how many wins we each have. I’m officially three games ahead of him now (yessssss)…which he’s a little upset over. Let’s just say that Jon doesn’t take losing very lightly….

Four football games were watched and more wedding stuff was planned. I’m having fun jotting down notes and ideas in my bride book. I’m an organized freak, so this ‘bride’s book’ will be my life for the next 11 months; no joke. I’ve officially made up my mind on who my bridesmaids will be and I can’t wait to tell them this weekend. They all pretty much know, but it’s important for me to ‘ask’ them. Everything 'wedding' is coming along smoothly.

As I’m sitting here writing, I peek up at the calendar to check the date…and reality sets in…..

I can’t believe it’s already almost October. Feels like yesterday we were soaking up the sun at camping back in July; or walking along Lake Tahoe back in April. This year has gone by WAY too fast. And even though it's fall, it sure doesn't feel that way outside. We had a weird heat wave over the weekend that has chose to continue on until today. It's 100 degrees outside right now...and I'm stuck inside at work. Funny how it always works out like that.

With October here, that means that it’s time to start decorating for Halloween and preparing for costumes. I'm such a festive kind of person...and I look forward to decorating for holidays. Speaking of holidays, I can officially say that this month will fly by. We have plans every weekend this month; and moving into November. Before we know it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here!

Even though we did absolutely nothing over the weekend but hang around the house, we needed it. It was our last weekend of being lazy. Our last weekend of sleeping in. Our last weekend of watching TV all day.

It’s going to be a stressful couple of months, but I need to remember to sit back and enjoy the days of fall…..it’s a beautiful season.

It's Official.

The venue has been chosen. The date has been booked. We’re officially getting married next year, 9/16/2011.

And now…a sigh of relief.

I was so stressed that when we would finally meet with the venue coordinator, our date would be taken. Or it wasn’t as beautiful as we imagined it to be. Or they didn’t offer what we were looking for. All these different “what ifs” scoured about in my head. But stress no more. The venue coordinator was lovely. The date we wanted hadn’t been booked yet. And the venue site was absolutely perfect. It was everything we imagined…and more.

It’s still so surreal to think that this is finally happening for me. I’m marrying the man I love in less than a year. I’ve been in so many weddings, and watched many of my friends walk down the isle,; but now it’s my turn. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

And now, the real planning begins. Before I was searching endlessly through magazines, finding colors, ideas, dresses…everything. Now, it’s all starting to happen. I was putting together a timeline, and realized that by the end of December, our wedding will only be 8 months away. I can’t even believe how fast this year is going to go by.

Next week I’m meeting with the girls who will be my bridesmaids. Of course, my ever so creative self, thought of a clever (but cute) way to ask each of them. Something special, for special ladies. I know that once I ask the girls, then all the fun starts! We’ll have to plan a date to try on the bridesmaids dresses; late nights of putting center pieces together and stuffing envelopes for invitations. All things I’m looking forward to.

I love all this talk about planning the wedding. I love booking meetings with the vendors. I love writing in my Bride Book.

I. Love. It. All

But most of all, I love the person that I will be sharing the rest of my life with.

Twenty Six.

Officially. And of course, a year older doesn’t feel any different. What a wonderful birthday it was though. I woke up early Saturday morning to fresh roses, a balloon and my favorite Starbucks coffee from Jon. I sat in bed sipping my coffee, browsing over one of the many bridal magazines I’ve purchased. The French doors in our room were open so we could hear all the beautiful noises of nature on such a gorgeous morning.

A beautiful morning turned into a wonderful day. I introduced Jon to this fabulous little Greek restaurant in Downtown, followed by a birthday shopping spree. Only, I was having issues that day and (of course), nothing fit. I did manage to find two pairs of jeans. Later that evening we went to a local bar to celebrate with some friends. Great friends and good times.


Yesterday my Mom and Chardel accompanied me to my first Bridal Faire. It was a smaller faire since it was just for all the local vendors, but we had a blast! Tons of free stuff! And let’s face it; I’m all about the free stuff.


Last weekend we also went to try on a few wedding dresses. I only tried on a few since it was an "impromptu" visit, but I can honestly say that I may have found “the one”. It’s beautiful. Every dress I tried on, I liked…but this one, I loved. I have a feeling all the other dresses I’ll be trying on over the next few weeks won’t even compare.


Wedding planning has been fun but also a little overwhelming. I’m glad that I have friends that are newlyweds that can offer us advice and help. They all say to pick your venue first; and once that is done, everything else will fall into place. So, Saturday we are viewing the venue that we’ve had our eye on before we were even engaged. Once we pick our date, then we can move forward with everything else. We have a year to plan the wedding, so that should give me enough time. Jon has taken over the honeymoon planning (which will be kept a secret from me; it’s a surprise!); and I get to plan the wedding.


Definitely looking forward to it.