Judgment

I have been thinking about this a lot lately...maybe because I feel judged that we don't have a baby yet or that I should have gotten married sooner or tried sooner or whatever.  I am more sensitive to what is said to me now.

Why do we, as humans, and especially as women, feel such a need to judge others?

I know that part of it is just natural, but I wonder why.  Is it because we question our own choices?  Is it because we are jealous that we didn't make the same choices that others made?

I picked all of my friends because I liked something about them.  They are unique people and that is what attracts me to them.  I don't want them to be just like me.  I can hang out with me anytime I want.  I want people who choose different paths than I do, who have a different style than I do, and who think of things or know about things that never think or know about.  To me, that is what makes life so interesting.

I am not saying you have to agree with every choice that your friends make but why talk about them behind their back or feel sorry for them?  Why not just appreciate the fact that they are different?  It is probably why you became friends with them in the first place.

I am not innocent of this judgment either but lately I am trying to be more aware of why the thoughts enter my head.  Why do I have that reaction and what can I do to try not to have it?  I don't aim to be perfect but I feel like people try hard enough in this world at whatever they are doing.  We should all be more supportive and nice to each other.

Unless it is someone who is mean to you, then you can talk bad about them.
I kid, (sorta).

Winter

Here are my thoughts on winter....

1. It is March 5th...WINTER should be a distant memory at this point!  I should not have a snowflake at the end of a 10 day forecast.
2. I am truly amazed that we got 3 inches of snow on Sunday and then by Monday afternoon my entire driveway was completely dry but it never got above 15 degrees outside.  It really makes me question those news programs who fry an egg on the pavement to show how hot it is...apparently the sun can also melt and dry snow when it was only 15 out, and trust me when I say, it didn't make it feel warm out.
3. Apparently my mood (and waistline) is really affected by constant cold weather.  This is really the first year where I didn't think I could stand it anymore.  Normally by the time I get fed up, it is warmer a week later.  Not this year.
4. Snow is very pretty and I still get a little excited when they predict it...just not in March.  The first snow fall is my favorite and the weekend snowstorms that I can watch out our bay windows are my second favorite.
5. I realized this year how many of my activities with my friends here involve being outside...bike riding, walking, running, taking kids for walks in strollers, etc.  I miss all of it.  
6. 50 is now t-shirt weather to me...so sad.  I remember the summer I lived in NJ and was there in May where it was 50 at night and my family was sitting on the deck with t-shirts on while I had one 2 layers of clothing.  I could now sit out there with them (for a little while).
7. I am not the only one affected by winter...everyone I know that is from here has said this was the worst winter in their lifetime...I sure hope so and I hope it doesn't happen again for another 35 years.
8. My driveway is so steep that my car will not go up it, even with snow tires on it, if we get more than 2 inches of snow...this seems to defeat the purpose of a garage.  I have to park at the top if I want to go anywhere the next day.  If we ever get another house, a sun filled, FLAT driveway will be a big selling point...that or we need to put a heated driveway in at this house.  
9. I am not even sure what I would do if I had a kid...see #8.  I can barely walk up the driveway myself without slipping, how would I carry a kid and all their crap.  Plus, as a friend pointed out...you can't exactly stick a small kid in a car that is -7.  That is a lot of up and down a steep driveway in below freezing weather.
10. Everyone here has remote start for their cars...that is the one feature that our cars don't have but it would really help with #8 and maybe one day #9.
11. We have an outside kitty that has probably spent at least 20-30 nights in our basement this winter because it was too cold for her outside :-(  We have had her for 4 years and this is the first time we had to do that.
12. And finally...I am really proud that there were at least 5 occasions when I went to boot camp at 6am while it was dark and with negative temps (but no snow).  No way I would have done that 5 years ago!

READY FOR SPRING...I would even take consistent 50s at this point!

#ASSP

Ali and I love to make up hashtags...we don't actually use them on twitter or instagram or wherever else you are supposed to use them but we do use them in text messages to each other.

It all started with #wgp...we use this one when we are complaining about what would be considered first world problems...like the other day when I had to park on the top level of the airport deck and I got back in town with my leather boots on trying to drag my suitcase through two inches of snow.  This was not life shattering but at the time it sucked.

#ASSP is for Anti-Stuffed Sausage Plan.  This is what I have named my current attempt to get back in shape.  Another friend once said she felt like a busted can of biscuits.  Either would apply in my current situation and it needs to get under control.

Shortly after we got married, we starting trying to have a baby...since I was planning on getting big while pregnant, the motivation wasn't completely there to get in shape.  Then fast forward a year and a half, and I am still not pregnant and I weigh more than I ever have.  It is gross.

I do boot camp 3 days a week at 6:30am (when it doesn't snow so much the night before that I can't get my car out and when I am not out of town) and I love it.  I am definitely the type of person who doesn't push myself enough on my own and I do better in a class, with a trainer, with a friend or training for a race.  This winter weather has interfered on a lot of days but I am hoping that we are getting to the end of that.  I plan to add some other fun stuff like spin and zumba.

The eating is where I really need to concentrate!  Back in April I had some food sensitivity testing done and (no surprise) I am pretty much sensitive to everything.  Really I think that it has to do with the fact that soy, corn, and wheat are in tons of processed foods.  I can have any meat and almost every fruit and vegetable (except onion, blueberries, cantelope and a few others)...it just takes more work.  It is especially hard in the winter when I just feel like hibernating and nothing is fresh.  Some of my staple spices, etc are also on the bad list like parsley, oregano, cumin, and lemon.  Most of my recipes contain one, if not more, of the above ingredients, take out yeast, eggs, rice, almonds, dairy, and sulfites and you have eliminated a lot more (plus wine and beer).  So, as you can see, it was pretty frustrating and you really have to be on top of the fresh ingredients.  I did do it for a while though and I dropped weight fast and felt amazing.  I need to get back to it and figure out which of those sensitivities actually affect me and which ones are ok.  I found out that not all of them bother me.  I just can't remember which ones.

So, yeah, winter is still in full force here (snowing as I write this) but spring is around the corner and I need to get it together so I can fit into my spring clothes.

FOREVER...

So, it has been forever since I have posted on my blog...I am not really sure why except that I guess I got busy and felt like I didn't have much interesting to say.  Now I have decided to try to get back into it, and I think it was because I see my blog books from a few years ago and I think about how much easier that is than trying to keep an actual journal (which I am a failure at).

Anyone still out there??  HA!

I think that it is really funny that my last blog post was where I said I would keep up with our biking trip on our honeymoon...FAIL.  Whatever, moving on!

The thing that probably keeps me most busy these days is my crochet/knitting business.  In 2012 a friend of my sister's found an infinity scarf on Pinterest and asked who could make it for her.  My sister volunteered me and I set out to the craft store to find the gray that she wanted and made it for her.  I didn't have any way to contact her other than FB so I posted a picture there.  7 of my friends wanted one and I thought that was fun.  I decided to post it in my Etsy shop.  I had my shop since 2008 but mostly posted baby stuff and running headbands.  At first the scarf didn't sell and then all of a sudden 15 sold in one night...AHHHH!!!  Then they kept selling!  They take me about an hour to make and, as you can calculate, I don't have 15 extra hours a day so I recruited my mom to help.  I also kept raising the price a bit until I found a good balance.  Now, only a little over a year later, I have sold over 700 scarves and am in a local store.  I simply can't believe it!

When I was home this weekend, it seemed like a question I was asked a lot was whether I would ever do it full time.  Believe me, I have run the numbers :-)  I kind of go back and forth on this...I love my day job, but I also love my crafty side.  It is really fun to have a "second" job where I can make money and spend it on fun things...I don't know how I would do if I HAD to make a certain amount.  This Jan and Feb have been a lot slower than last year.  It could be because my scarf costs 50% more this year so I am selling less or it could just be the way things work.  Having a job that would be so inconsistent would scare my type A personality.  Having said all that though, if I ever was able to make enough to make a living consistently, then yes, I would love to do it full time.  It has always been a dream of mine to own a craft store and I think that recently that has turned into a dream to own a yarn/coffee shop...one can dream, right?

I am launching a blog for my business so I am hoping that I will blog more regularly...I will give all you parents out there an exciting glimpse in to the wonderful childless life (sarcasm).  HA!

So, if anyone is still around, shoot me a comment.  I am doing this for myself but still interested to see if anyone is reading it.

Meetup

Decided to do a little blog following of our trip so i can have a record of our trip one day. We have had wireless everywhere and have downtime every night in these small towns. Today we met up with the people we spend the next week biking with. It is a group of 14 and I would say we are some of the younger ones but it is sort of hard to judge age. I am sure I will find out more as we go on. Here are the groups so far:

-4 people who are from St. Louis and who have been on 4 vbt trips together. It is two married couples. They seem nice and open to talk to anyone. Not their first rodeo. Hope we find a couple one day who would like to do tours with us. Would say they are late 30s to 40s
-one older couple with a husband who appears to be really in shape and with a wife who isn't so much. This is their 2 vbt tour together but he has done a lot more without her.
-two ladies from NY upstate. The one lady seems like a total bitch and pretty
much snapped at the guide when he tried to explain something to her. Not sure I will like her. They are maybe in their 50s-60s
- son and father team. From CT and the boy just graduated from a boarding school (high school). This was his graduation present. They are your virgins like us. They seem nice enough.
- another couple that is not married I don't believe. The lady works for Deloitte so we chatted about that and they seem really nice! He has done several tours before her and now this is their second together. He seems like a really cool guy who will try anything once and she is very sweet. I think I will like them.
- us. You know us :)
Our tour guides are probably in their 30s and seem great. The girl can talk a lot but she has a lot to talk about so it is all good. She gets excited easily :-$

We have been told that we have to get honey mead as it has something to do with a honeymoon or wedding tradition here (still fuzzy on the details).

Today was the meeting at the hotel in Ennis and then a bus ride to the cliffs of moher and then on to lisdoonvarna where we had a warm up ride of 5.2 miles. It was a loop and most of us (including my crazy husband) decided to do it twice. Good thing because there was a drink reception followed by a 3 course dinner. YUM!!!

Looking forward to the real adventure starting tomorrow. We head out to black head and the to Ballyvaughn. 33 miles tomorrow but so far I am loving it. Will try to get pics soon!

Random Thoughts

Once a quarter isn't bad, right??

-I curse the day I agreed to a 3 month kitchen renovation 5 months before my wedding! I can't wait to have it back to normal!! It makes eating healthy a bit hard!! I also seem to find out the dy before they are taking out appliances so I thought I would have my stove longer.

- I have to travel way too much considering the first bullet point, trying to say healthy and trying to finish planning a wedding!

-SO EXCITED for my shower and bachelorette in ATL!!! Also exited to have Ali come and mix my old and new friends!! I know everyone will love each other!

- first dress fitting in two weeks. Down 7lbs from my heaviest! ( even without a kitchen!!)

- I am hiring again and might get 1-3 people...that would have me managing 8 people!! Hopefully that will mean less travl for when Baby Rucks makes an appearance at some point in the future :-)

-yeah, so Rucks will be my new last name. Kind of funny that a lot of my friends don't know that.

-after 4 months of not running due to a groin injury, I am now inexplicably able to run faster and longer...what? Groin still hurts when I run hills :-)

- C's parents at moving to Pittsburgh. His dad was laid off around Xmas and has been looking for a job. This one is actually better and pays more so I guess it all works out. They will only be 4 hrs from us. It will be nice to have one set of parents close (again one day for baby rucks). I still wish it was my mom but I am sure that is natural. His mom is great (and she doesn't work so if I did have to travel and he couldn't do it on his own she could use the guest room).

-no, I am not pregnant but I am ready...hopefully it will not be long after we at married before we start down that road. We are older and have been together 6 years and only want one so I am ready to get this show on the road!!

Randomness

Tomorrow I pick up my wedding dress!!! For some reason I am a little nervous..probably all those stupid Say Yes to the Dress episodes I have watched where the people hate their dress after they buy it...I know I won't so I don't know why I am nervous. Now to find a place to store it for the next 10 weeks until it goes to the alterations place :-)

The wedding ring we are ordered off of Etsy for Craig is going to have my fingerprint on the the inside around it. I got the kit in the mail last week and spent an hour and a half tonight making the fingerprints for it...very specific instructions!! I hope it turns out really cool.

We also designed by wedding ring on Saturday. We went last week but since we are using some family stones of Craig's, the design we picked out didn't work because the stones are all a slightly different size. The fun part is that I will now get what I wanted all along :-) Funny how things work out.

Started my third week of p90x this week. I am proud of myself because I did it every night last week...including before going to Morgan's on Monday, after going to Erin's on Tuesday and after going to Drena's on Wednesday. Before I started this time I knew I was going to be out of town for 3 weeks in a row so I came up with a plan for how to do it on the road. Luckily Morgan and Jennifer gave me water weights a few years ago for xmas. You fill them with water and then empty them to pack them up! Love them and brought them this past time. I am still ready to run again but my groin just now started feeling better so I am going to give it a couple more weeks and then start training for the half I am doing in March. I have been logging my food on myfitnesspal and since Craig's sister is doing it too it is cool because we can encourage people...I have managed to stay in my allotted calories this whole year (other than 2 days), including traveling!

I am struggling with recipes again lately. I really want to make good dinners but I have tried not to eat much red meat lately so that mainly leaves chicken and I am running out of creative ways to cook it :-(

Last weekend I had 3 of my OH friends over and we crafted for the wedding. We embossed the tags for the favors, folded tissue flowers (lots of them), made my hairpiece and my shoe clips. It was nice to get some of the creative things out of the way.

This week I am headed to Phoenix...after snow on Friday I am looking forward to warmer temps. I have to admit, we haven't had a horrible winter this year. December was unseasonably warm and we even had some days in January that were decent...a few more weeks and we might be out in the clear and not have to worry about a huge snowstorm :-) I know I have adjusted to the weather somewhat because 50 is no longer cold to me and there have been at least half a dozen times where I have run errands in just a t-shirt and fleece when it was 30 out...wow, never would have done that 3 years ago!!

I have been keeping up with my picture a day...I forgot one day and it made me sad...but I have one for the rest of the days. I haven't ordered pictures in so long that I think that I am going to compile them all for the month and then order them at once so I only have to pay shipping once. It has been fun though so hopefully I can keep it up.

Back to wokr

boo! I guess it has been almost two weeks (Dec 21st) since I have worked so I shouldn't complain. Quite honestly, I am a little ready to go back. I feel like I have gotten lazy laying around watching football what seems like every day (not really but it seems like it).

We went down to Atlanta on the 21st, spent the night around the KY/TN border that night and then finished up on the 22nd. The rest of the 22nd was spent cleaning out the condo there...ugh, that was a lot of stuff to do!! I knew I would have more there than I remembered and I did...it was random stuff like dishes and pots and pans of my moms and stuff like that. We worked for 4hrs on the 22nd and got a lot done. That night we went to Morgan and William's and hung out a bit. On the 23rd we cleaned up the condo some more and waited for my mom and sister to come to claim the goodies they were going to take home (bookshelves and TVs and stands and such). After we finished that up we took Ariyana and Maddox to Chuck E. Cheese and took a quick trip to my dad's. The 24th was spent being LAZY!! We were at my sister's and I picked up Mexican for lunch and a frozen pizza for dinner. I worked on my wedding registry, baked some cookies, and did the grocery shopping for xmas day while my sister went hopping around to her in-law's houses.

We spent Xmas at my sister's and everyone came there...it was really nice to be in one place instead of the 3 places we went last year!! The only thing that sucked was that my sister had to leave after dinner because Maddox has a hernia and it "popped out". They took him to CHOA (from Braselton) and were back with a happy baby all in two hours...I was impressed since that is at least 1:15 driving!

We drove back to Dayton on the 26th so C could have a day to relax before he had to go back to work on the 28th. We spent the 27th picking out cabinets and countertops...don't be jealous!

Since then we haven't done much at all...NYE we went to Ali's for dinner and were home by 10pm and I am not sure I can name much else that was done during those other days...lots of craft projects.

So, every year I feel like I do the same resolutions...I don't even need to look, I am sure I am right. This year I decided to focus on something different. I am still working on getting healthier, eating healthier and working out (started p90x again yesterday) but I wanted to do something fun as my resolution this year. So, my resolution is to take more pictures...not necessarily the posed kind, but just pictures in general. Some of the best pictues that people have are the everyday ones so I want more of those. I am toying with trying to take a picture of myself every day. Nothing fancy...I have asked Craig to take one the last two days so at least I have those two days down. He takes forever to take a picture, by the way. Geez, I asked him to do it yesterday and I am not joking when I say he took 5 and it took him 5 mins...I just wanted a quick snap shot of me crocheting (just cause it is what I did yesterday) and he took so long that it wasn't realy spontaneous anymore. I told him that I would be in charge of pictures of our kid one day because he will miss everything :-) Anyway, not sure I will do a photo a day of myself or not. I know it might seem silly or selfish but I think that it would be fun to see a whole year of pictures of me...especialy when I am bad about showering every day if I am just at home...maybe this will make me fix myself up a little :-)

Next weekend I am having a few of the girls here in OH over to help me with some wedding crafting. It is starting to sneak up on me...when I look at my calendar there are really not many completely free weekends after Feb...yikes! I am going to try to get as much done as we can on Sunday so hopefully it will help a lot. They said if I provided wine they would provide help :-) Easy enough!

Like I said, I started p90x again yesterday (been doing some of the workouts for weeks but mainly the ones I liked). I figured that 1/1/12 was a good time to start getting in shape for the wedding. I am sure that the 3 weeks I am traveling during January are not going to help but hopefully I can keep up with p90x. Ali and I have been doing Pilates ever since we got a living social deal to try a studio. I love it! I feel like the instructor is so good and gives such personal attention. There have never been more than 6 people in the class at a time so she really concentrates on everyone's body. I feel like I am more aware of how I should do exercie moves...like in p90x. I have muscles sore this time that were not sore the last time I did it...but they are the ones that should be sore...makes me think I was doing it wrong the last time. I had a private lesson last week and she wrote up two pages of moves/exercises that I can do in my hotel room. I like it because I could do it while waiting to go to dinner or somethign cause you can do just a few moves at a time and you don't get all sweaty (I do in the 45 min class but not for just a couple moves). We focused on the areas that I needed to look good in my dress :-)

This has been a bit of a rambling...but you guys should be used to that by now. I will try to update more often so it isn't so random each time.

Hope you all had a great holiday!

Update

Isn't that the name of all my posts lately? I feel like it is and I guess when you only post once a month, that is all you are really able to do.

--Craig and I spent Thanksgiving in Ohio, as we always do, just the two of us. It was awesome. I did a turkey trot that morning (5 miles), got a nice warm starbucks latte while calling one of my favorite gals to wish her happy birthday and then went home to heat up the quiche I made the night before and get all the food ready. I got the bird in the oven right before the Packers' game and then about an hour after the game it was all ready :-) Perfect! Friday C had to work so I got up when he did and did a little holiday shopping, mostly at craft stores :-) I didn't stand in any lines and I found it really relaxing. I came home, watched the 3rd Twilight movie and then the LSU game...and crafted a bit. Saturday we didn't do much at all and Sunday we did even less because the weather was gross here!

--We have decided to renovate our kitchen. It is SO SMALL! The actual size of it isn't bad but there are only cabinets on one wall and no counter space. We are going to knock down the deck (the stairs are so steep) and then we are going to pop the kitchen out 8ft (which will include having a new room below the kitchen since it can't just be a second floor) and build a new deck around it! YIKES. It feels like a huge undertaking! We had been talking about it and decided to have the guys that did our bathroom come out to give us some ideas...well, they pretty much are going to give us an awesome deal because they don't get much work in the winter in OH. I was a little concerned about the house being open but they build the whole outside and then knock down the inside...how cool huh. Anyway, so, we might be crazy paying for a kitchen renovation of this size and a wedding in the same year, but it looks like that is what we are going to do. I am going to have to start saving the pennies :-) It will all be worth it though because we will have 2 to 3 times the cabinets and about 4 times the counter space! We will also get a breakfast nook (great for little ones to eat where there is not carpet)

--Wedding planning is pretty much at a stand still right now...we have done most of the big stuff and now it is down to the details. I am having a craft day in Jan with the OH girls to help me make all the flowers and other stuff for the wedding, I have ordered some paper products and we are doing save the date/xmas cards. My sister is going to throw me a shower so she is already starting with all those questions (though it is 4 months away). Craig decided that he has no interest in registering (he may regret this later) but that I can "show him stuff if I want". HA! I sort of feel like a loser going to a store to register by myself so I might take Ali or I might just do a lot of it online. We don't need stuff like china because we have his grandma's so it will probably be a lot of kitchen stuff that I want and C will benefit from when he gets good meals.

--I have injured my groin...what? Ugh. I don't even know when I did it. I just remember that when C and I were getting ready for vacation (Oct 7th) I said that a week of from running would help it feel better. I guess it probably did for a little while but then it started hurting again and when I ran on Thanksgiving it hurt pretty much the whole time. I have never been one of those "rest" people when it comes to injuries but this one was really hurting. Normally my injuries hurt when I am not running but warm up and don't bother me when I am running so I just keep on running. This time was different and after it hurt the entire race on Thanksgiving and was super sore for days after I decided to take a break. Yesterday I went to the Dr. and he said groin strain...no running for 3-4 weeks and then evaluate :-( No zumba (which I think aggrevated it) for 2 months...oh well. But, the good news (to someone who likes to work out and gets cranky when they can't) is that I can still do the elliptical and the bike...plus most of my p90x DVDs. Yay...doesn't my groin know I have a wedding to get in shape for? Less than 6 months!!

--On that subject...I still struggle to lose my stubborn weight that mostly came on in about 6 months a couple years ago...it is always lose a few lbs, gain a few lbs, over and over again. I was looking at pictures of Craig and I on vacations when we first met and it was pretty depressing...I was at least 15-20lbs lighter...yikes! So, I put a chart up on the fridge where C can see it and I have been trying really hard to stick to my proper eating. I didn't include my actual weight on there but I have boxes for lbs lost and then weeks across the top and my goal by the wedding in gray...I am down 4lbs in 4 weeks. Slow but like Drena said, slow and steady wins the race and I am not looking for a quick fix. I am looking for meals that I will like and continue to eat. I am not doing any diet per se, but I am logging my food at SparkPeople. I like that website because it doesn't tell me I need to eat 1000 calories a day to lose weight...it actually gives me a normal range and when I do it, I lose so it works. I just have to constantly do it and when I travel it gets hard.

--I got the go ahead yesterday to FINALLY rent out my condo in Atlanta. I am sure that none of you know anyone looking for a one bedroom in Midtown, just in case, if you do, let me or Drena know :-) I can't wait to get it rented out (hopefully by Feb) and have a little extra dough each month! I am going to sign the papers before they board can change their mind.

--In crafty news, my headbands have been doing pretty well on etsy. I find it really funny/weird that they sell almost exclusively to people in the Midwest...My mom took them to the craft show that she did in Gainesville in Oct and not a single one sold in 3 days but I have sold them online...so weird to me. I might do a craft show here in April. Ali said she would help me so I think that it might be fun. I also learned how to use my sewing machine to do embroidery. I have made several things and I am loving it. I made little shirts for my niece and nephew...I really need to post pictures of those...they have a GT (stupid tech fans) and then their names underneath. I love that I will be able to make handmade gifts for future babies of friends or kids or my own little one one day...love it!

--This Friday C and I are having a Christmas Vacation party...I am sort of excited because I like hosting get togethers. I was busy on pinterest looking for all kinds of yummy goodies to make. I usually make goodies and send them to work with C so I sort of have a reputation for making yummy treats for all his coworkers. That is mostly who will be at the party (they are mostly our age) so I feel like I have high expectations of what I am going to make!

I think that is about all that I have been up to lately...it doesn't really sound that exciting when I sit and type it all out.

Pictures

Wow, has it really been over a month since I wrote anything here...yikes.

Anyway, just a quick line (and promises to be a better blogger) to show you all the engagement pics we just had taken.

Go Here and click the wedding gallery box and then on the next page, client proofing at the bottom of the page. powersengagement is the password. you have to use your email to log in but they don't send you anything.

Favorites?

Update

Hmm, what have I been up to? Not much really. Just boring, being in town stuff...

I did the Air Force Half Marathon last weekend and I got my best time ever for a half marathon so I was pretty pumped about that. It felt really good to make a goal and then accomplish it. The funny thing is that I didn't really do that much running between my last half a month ago and this one. I did exercise a lot but not necessarily running. Good to know that I don't lose the running ability even without running all the time. I enjoy mixing it up a bit and I enjoy racing so I am glad to see that I can do both.

Other than that I have just really enjoyed my time at home. I get to see and talk to Craig on a regular basis, I get to go to the gym and try new classes (like Zumba and real Pilates), I get to go to trivia on Wednesday nights and actually do stuff with my Dayton friends. I almost can't believe it. I really needed the break. I worked entirely too much this summer. I can barely name anything I did and now it is going to be cold here in a couple months. That makes me so sad. I have been trying to work on my work-life balance lately. I think that when I am out of town it is so easy to work until all hours of the night to try to get things done but I just can't do that on a regular basis. It sucks. Since I am home now I usually start work at 8am (not a far commute from the bed, across the hall and to the desk) and I normally don't take a lunch (cause what am I going to do) unless I exercise during the day so I am trying to make myself stop working after 8 hours. Sometimes it is hard because my job is all about problem solving and if you have ever done a crossword puzzle where you only have one or two clues left, you know how hard it is to just put it down and walk away. I have come up with creative ways to make myself stop and most of them involve crafting or exercising :-) HA!

I finally started allergy shots a couple weeks ago. I have in my head that these will be the miracle that will allow my to not have to take Claritin every day of my life but we will see. I am only a couple weeks in. It sucks cause it is an hour and 20mins roundtrip, twice a week right now. Bleh. Oh well, it is only for 6 months or so and at least it gets me out of the house in daylight! They are quite the cocktail and I have to get 2 each time I go. I had them put it all in there...all plants, dogs, cats, dust mites...you name it. I did hear one lady on the elevator today tell a kid she had to get 3 shots so at least there is someone who has worse allergies than I do. These suckers are pricey so I hope they work...looks like I will be doing a little figuring of how much I need in my FSA account next year. Yikes.

Wedding planning is still going well...I had a minor freakout today because the hotel that I had blocked rooms at has changed names and I wanted to make sure our contract was still valid because that is the weekend that the convention is here but I called the other day and they said it was. Then I started to panic because I realized that I didn't block enough rooms (and the hotels are sold out) but I looked on the actual hotel's website and you were able to book rooms directly, guess they aren't switched over in our work travel database that still had them as a Doubletree. I booked a room for Craig and I and noticed that the rates were a lot lower than the blocked rooms so I sent an email to the sales lady asking to drop the price and if we can add more rooms (since apparently it is not sold out).

We are trying to narrow down our honeymoon choices. If you know me, you know I love a good deal and if we book by Oct 14th then we can save a bit of money so I want us to decide by then. Here are the finalist:
Ireland
Italy
Holland

I have been to Italy but not Tuscany and I have been to Holland (which I really liked). I would be happy with any of them so we just need to pick one. I think that Craig is leaning toward Ireland or Holland (cause you get to ride a barge down the river and it is a little more "city" like than the other places). He knows that I would probably rank them as Holland third but I would not be disappointed with any of them. I loved Amsterdam when I went with Erin 10 years ago and the Ann Frank House is by far the most moving museum I have even been in, EVER. Plus, Holland would be less flight connections :-)

Other than that, I haven't done much of anything...I feel like I don't talk to anyone anymore...guess everyone is busy with fun fall activities!

Favorite Weekend

What did I do you ask? NOTHING...or at least nothing with a set agenda. I have not had a weekend like this since APRIL! APRIL people...not a single weekend since then that I was home and didn't have to pack to go out of town or really that I was home without a million things to do. It.feels.awesome. I spent Saturday watching college football and sewing some headbands. I fit in a little workout. Sunday was more of the same...crafting, organizing crafts, etc. Today, yep, right back at it :-)

I did manage to get my coupons all organized on Friday or Saturday, I can't remember which.

I have only been home for 10 straight days but it feels like a lifetime (in a good way). I was traveling so much and having such a stressful time at work that I couldn't relax even when I was home. Now that I have been home for 10 days I feel so much better!!! I have been eating well, I got exercise in almost every day and I just can relax without having to worry about flights and reservations and auditors!

Wedding planning is also going awesome. I have to admit that doing it pretty much on your own is hard. I don't think that I realized how hard it would be but it is starting to all come together. We booked our caterer after a lot of back and forth. We really liked the food at a local restaurant in town but the display is probably not as "pretty" as the other place that only does catering...the problem with the second place was that I didn't love the food. The stuff we were going to have was ok but overall I was not impressed. I don't get it because it is one of those places where every raves about it...eh. I tend to be turned off by those kind of places in general.

My mom and Alyson came up last weekend to go dress shopping. I had 2 appointments with different bridal stores in the bridal district in Reading and then one other place that doesn't take appointments. We went to the first place and I was a bit overwhelmed. Everyone that lives in Dayton seems to get their dress there so I thought it would be a little different. Everyone warned me of the big dressing room where everyone changes together but that didn't bug me in the least...those of you who lived with me in the sorority house remember I would walk around in a bra to go iron my shirts....don't care. When we got there there was some consultants that I didn't feel like I wanted (they were older and didn't appear to have any fashion sense judging by what they wore), luckily we got a cute, younger girl :-) After you get assigned a person you are taken to look at the dresses and pick out what you want to try on. I sort of thought it would be like "Say Yes to the Dress" where they would look at pictures you bring in and then pick stuff out for you...not so much. I didn't know how to spot what the dresses looked like while they were in a bad...how could I tell what the cut was?? UGH. Luckily I had several pictures so my sister, mom and I just looked for the sweetheart neckline that I thought I wanted. I also gave my list of pictures to the consultant. She pulled a few on my list and when we had about 6 or 7 I was ready to try on. She had pulled one that I had on my list but when I looked at it I thought it had too much beading. The first few dresses were good and I liked them but when I tried on the dress that I had claimed had too much beading, I LOVED it. It really looked good for my curvy body shape :-) It was sort of funny since I hadn't even wanted to try it on. My mom and sister loved it too. I tried on a second one by the same designer (which is the same designer that Morgan's dress is so had it not been for her, I wouldn't have looked at this designer and found my dress) but with less beading and I still liked the shape but the combo of the beading and the shape is what made it look so good on me. I tried on a few more dresses of different styles and some that I had on my list but I didn't like this or that about them. The consultant offered to pull more but I told her I wanted to put the beaded one back on...and then I didn't take it off for the next half hour as we did the veil and all that...I am really happy with my choice. So happy that I cancelled the other two appointments and an hour and a half after we walked in the first store, we were done! HA! The rest of the weekend we did other wedding stuff (saw the venue, made paper flowers, etc). The weather was gorgeous in Ohio (as it has been since minus Friday and Saturday this week) it was sunny and 75 with no humidity...ahhhh. If anyone is interested my dress is Casablanca 1957. I am not going to post any pictures of me in it. The arm workouts have begun :-)

We also made our appointment for our engagement photos. I can't wait. I need to find an outfit. We are doing them Oct 25th. It will be chilly here by then so if you guys (Meghan) have any good ideas as to cute outfits I could wear, let's see them. Remember, I am not skinny so it needs to be something that would look good on someone with some curves. Craig will probably just wear jeans and a plain t-shirt (he wears the more fitted ones and it will likely be black or blue). I haven't decided if we will do anything other than casual outfits yet.

Sorry it was so long! Hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend.

Wedding Wednesday

Lots happened in the wedding planning this week :-)

Dresses: I went to David's Bridal on Saturday with my sisters and my mom and I definitely learned what I liked as far as silhouette goes. I didn't really love the consultant that I had...she wasn't very good and didn't really listen and didn't bring me half the dresses I wanted to see. Oh well. I have decided that I probably want a fit and flare dress with a sweetheart neckline...the more rounded the better. There was one dress that I really liked but I am not sure about it completely. Next weekend my mom and Alyson will be up here and I have 3 bridal places to go to in the bridal district in Reading...including the largest shop in the country...yikes. I looked up designers the other day to find ones that had what I liked and in my price range...am I crazy to not want to spend a ton of money on a dress I will wear once? I mean, I want to look good but I don't want it to be a huge chunk of my budget. We picked out the bridesmaid dresses...so cute!!

DJ: We met with another DJ and then decided to book one we met with a couple weeks back. I think he was my favorite but I went through the process and let Craig decide :-) Luckily he picked the same one I liked (isn't it fun when you are on the same page...it is the little things).

Food: We had another tasting tonight and I must say that I wasn't the hugest fan of the food. It was ok but this is the place that everyone talks about and I think that the hype is more than the food. It is supposed to be fancy (and people need to stop telling me that because it makes my expectations too high) but I thought it was bland...the things that we would get for our wedding were good but I didn't like the other stuff. We also went to a wedding (Craig's ex) in March that used them and the food was just ok. She said they didn't get what they were supposed to have and the lady that they had worked with wasn't even there but then she told me to use them...weird. They are known for their displays and how pretty everything is so that is something to consider. I think that we are going to see what the quote comes in at. If it is close to the other place then we might pick them but if not we will go with the other place. I liked the other place better anyway.

Ceremony: I researched and sent Craig's sister all the information to get ordained to marry us :-) She was very touched that we asked and I like that she will be included. Also, Craig has decided to have people now (not sure if I wrote on here about how he didn't want any groomsmen). He decided to have his (our) friend Adrienne in the wedding on his side and then one of his guy friends. It is a little non traditional to have a girl on the guy side but she really is his best friend in Dayton so it makes sense. She is going to wear the same dress as my sisters but in black and will be on his side.

Decor: So, I think that this whole time I have been struggling with what exactly Craig envisioned...he kept saying he didn't want "formal" but then when we talked to DJs or caterers he was saying things that would make me think formal. So, I finally had to get a definition...he doesn't want the ceremony, invitations or reception to be real formal and "stuffy" as he put it but he does want us to have an elegant wedding in the decor and all that...sort of hard to explain but is it sad that I get what he means? It helps me tremendously with all the decorating and my dress and all that so I am glad I got that figured out.

Next up we have to figure out times and whether we will do a cocktail hour and stuff. Then we have to figure out the whole engagement photo deal. We are going to do them in Oct because the leaves are gorgeous up here so I still have some time. Everyone we have told about our photographer that is a wedding vendor LOVES him and raves about how good he is...I am glad that we (I) decided to splurge on him :-)

I have been busy and am SO CLOSE to having all the major stuff done! YAY!

Dress Shopping

Obviously I have not kept up with the Wedding Wednesday but since I don't think people read that much anyway, it is ok if break my rules :-) I have been beyond busy at work...the kind of busy where you are working and starving and you look up and realize it is 2:30 and you haven't eaten and the cafe is closed or when I think that I will run downstairs for a mid afternoon latte to wake me up and the store is closed because it is 6...good times. I think that I added some stress to my days by trying to meet up with friends here in Atlanta...I probably would have been a little less stressed if it weren't for that but then again, I like to see my friends :-)

With all of that going on, I have not had a ton of time for wedding planning lately but I have somehow made progress. Craig and I have talked to two DJs (one of which emailed us later and said they had another client they had already met with that was interested in our day and I talked to her yesterday and the other client booked). For some reason I don't really believe her...I think they didn't like us for some reason (though we only met with them for 15mins) but maybe not. We have done two tastings. The first one was this place where I went and picked up a pan of food that we were supposed to put in our oven to heat back up and try. It was everything all in one pan...I am not a fan of my food touching and usually eat one food at a time :-) Oh well, the food was ok...the potatoes tasted like a mix and so did the mac and cheese. C loved the mac and cheese. All the chicken was sort of rubbery tasting and a lot of it tasted salty. There were a few really good things in there though so all was not lost. The second place is an actual local restaurant in town and we really liked that food a lot and the lady was super nice. The first guy reminded me of the soup nazi but for catering. We have one more caterer and one more DJ this Monday and Tuesday and then I think we will have those two things set.

On Saturday I am going to David's Bridal with my mom and my sisters. I am excited but part of me is a little nervous. I have never seen myself in a wedding dress and something about it makes me nervous (not in a scared way, more in an excited sort of way). I picked out a few dresses online and I have sent them to a couple people...it is so funny to see the responses cause everyone tells me their fav (which I love) but I think between everyone at least every dress has been picked once :-)

I also have gotten a mock up on the centerpieces...most people like them but my mom and sister didn't like the gray colored ball and my other sister didn't love the yellowish one. I honestly think that it is because the picture is one I was trying to take really quick...the gray one looks dull and the yellow one is reflecting the flash. The good news is that I will not have to make as many flowers as I thought I would...good news because we really didn't make any at the beach and I am not so sure I am actually going to have any help with this little project like I thought I was. I still have the visit in two weeks from my mom and sister so maybe we can do it then. Other than that I am going to try to have a party with some of my OH girls where we have wine and make them...they said they would help. I just feel awkward because a lot of people say they will help but then how do you bring it back up again without being rude? When they come over how do you just start the craft portion of the evening. Hmmm, I guess I will have to figure that one out. At least they are not quite as time consuming as I thought.

We also think that we have the favors picked out. We are making them and did a trial run at the beach...now we learned a couple things and are going to do another trial run when my mom and sister come to OH.

So, everything seems to be moving right along :-)

Wedding Wednesday

For the makeup, I think that I am going to go with the airbrush. I am doing a practice run of both the hair and the makeup before the wedding so I will know what everything looks like. I also heard that you can go to Sephora and get a make over for a $50 giftcard. I am sure there is $50 of stuff I would get a Sephora or I could use it as a gift. I am not going to do that for the wedding but thought about doing it for the engagement photos (which are actually going to be in October because I really want pictures of us in the fall and I am never going to ever get Craig to agree to pictures after the wedding). HA!

Today's theme is centerpieces. I am using the picture of the white pomanders as my inspiration sort of..I like the multiple balls. I am thinking of doing them in different colors though and different sizes (like the group of orange balls). These are all made out of tissue paper!! I love how they look and at about $5-8 a piece it is way cheaper than having them made out of real flowers and it gives me winter project :-) If I see you any time between now and then I might just recruit you to make some with me :-) You cut the tissue paper, and then fan fold it and tie wire around it (see the picture with the green, that is after they are folded and with the wire around it). Then you fluff it up and make it into a flower (see orange flower) and then you use the wire to stick them in the styrofoam ball and it turns out like the picture :-) Perfect. My mom actually used to make these flowers when she was young and they made floats out of them...she should have never told me that, HA! I am going to get the stuff to try a trial run at the beach in a couple weeks. I already ordered the tissue paper so I just need to get the balls and the wire. After we make the sample, I am just going to work on the folding until it gets way closer to the wedding...no need to have all those pomanders all over the house, I don't even know where I would put them!

Don't worry girls, I don't have the tissue paper with me in Atlanta so I won't have everyone making them this weekend at the beach...though part of me thinks it would be pretty hilarious to see what they would look like with all the liquor Molly purchased today! HA!

I also think that I know what the favors are going to be but I might want to keep it a secret...I can't decide yet.

Other than that, I emailed 3 DJs the other day, one is booked for our date so we have 2 to meet with and I have another one that we could meet with and a couple friends that know people who do it or have been married in Dayton. C has finally agreed to go meet with them so we will do that in a few weeks.

C also decided that he doesn't care about going to taste the caterer's food because "of course whatever they make for a tasting is going to be good, but that doesn't mean the wedding food will be good" HA! There are basically three choices for our location (there are 6 preferred caterers but one is just sandwiches, one is German food, and the other is something too casual too). Of the three left, one is a little fancier in the prep and the other sounds a little more like us so we will see. They are all basically the same price so that doesn't even really help. I guess I will try those out on my own and then we can pick out what we want.

Light at the end of the tunnel

I can finally see it...I think??

Work has been insane lately and by insane I mean that I work 10hrs a day and don't even realize that I have worked that much because I don't look up the whole time. I am not even sure I went to the bathroom today. I know there are lots of people who work more than 10hrs at a time but it just feels like this is so intense and it is the first time in a long time that I can't actually get everything done by the deadline...and that includes delegating out every single piece that I am allowed (sometimes it HAS to be me that does the work). Because of all the drama lately, they have me in Atlanta to help for the next few weeks. On the one hand, it is nice that they know I will figure out the problem but on the other hand, it sucks that I will be out of town for 6 weeks straight. Eating out that much certainly doesn't do anything for the waistline :-) I got to Atlanta on Monday and actually don't have a flight home but I think that I will book it for next Friday (was hoping to come home on Wed but it doesn't look like that is happening). That will be 12 days straight...it might be the longest that Craig and I have been apart :-( I thought that it would drag on but I have already completed two days and it seems like I just got here. I think that the saddest part is that we had a bad storm at home yesterday and lost power so all the food I bought C to eat while I was gone is probably bad now :-( It was out for 12hrs.

I have squeezed in a tiny bit of wedding planning, didn't get to post last week because it was Friday before I realized that I didn't post but I will save all that for tomorrow.

This weekend is a beach trip with some of my ATL ladies and I am pretty excited about it. I have to confess that part of me was sort of sad because it meant being away from home for so long but now I know that going to the beach with the girls will be way better than going home and trying to rush around and get stuff done in the 2 days I am home. I will relax so much more at the beach and plus, I haven't seen some of these girls in months (or years!!). I can't wait!! I think that work the way it is lately, I can appreciate a week of doing nothing (not normally my style at all, I get so antsy). Now to figure out if one of the bathing suits I packed when I came to Atl is actually appropriate to wear in public...yikes!

Wedding Wednesday

This way for the people who could care less about wedding stuff...you can skip Wednesdays :-)

The planning is FINALLY starting to be fun. I am starting to make some progress and that seems to be a bit helpful.

Hair and Makeup- I made my appointments while I was at the salon getting my hair done on Friday. My hair dresser told me to go ahead and do it...I think that our wedding is near proms here and I think that she probably just wanted me to make sure I got a time that I wanted because she has regulars that book up her Saturdays. I felt like it was a little premature but then again, I know I am going to have it done so why not. I was shocked when she said that I would need to do it at 11am as the LATEST. Ugh, I thought with a later wedding I would sleep in and enjoy my morning coffee...not so much. I am pretty sure that I want to wear my hair down but pulled back from my face and curled. She said I needed to wait until I got my dress cause what if it would look ridiculous with the dress...I guess I can't see how that it possible...maybe one of you could explain. I also was a little annoyed because she was engaged for 2 years and then broke off the wedding like 2 months before she was supposed to get married. She also bought a wedding dress about 1.5 before her wedding and then didn't like it (and couldn't fit into it anymore). Not exactly the person I want advice from. Oh well, I think I know the style I want so we will see...I can't imagine how my hair would look "ridiculous" just curled and pulled back no matter what dress I got.

For the makeup I was going to go with regular but she really encouraged me to do the airbrush (just foundation and blush). She said that it would look amazing in pictures. After some research it seems like everyone loves it so I might do that...has anyone done it before?

Venue - I finally got the lady to get back in touch with me (she ignored me it seemed after the contract was signed but she is back) and we are going to be allowed to get in 2hrs before the wedding...YAY. This means that we will be able to get the awesome pictures that our photographer wants to get. He was really concerned with us only being able to get in an hour before because he said people will start to trickle in around 45 mins before (not me, I am normally getting there like 10 mins before but whatever).

Dessert - We decided a while back not to do a cake. Neither of us really loves cake so it is just an extra expense that we didn't really want (buy the cake, pay to have it cut and served, etc) so I think that we are going to have the local custard (like ice cream only way better) come and do sundaes :-) Custard is pretty famous in Wisconsin as the birthplace (think this depends on who you talk to) and since Craig is from there and we LOVE custard, I thought it was would be a lot more appropriate...plus we only pay per sundae eaten (not that this was the deciding factor). I am pretty excited about this ...yes, I am a dork.

Music - this is the part that I am most concerned about at the moment. Craig is beyond picky about music and he doesn't seem to want any fun songs played at the wedding (and I am not even talking about the electric slide or the chicken dance (which will NOT be played)). He says that the music is the most important part for him (other than the marrying part) and I am trying to be really respectful of that but while his musical taste is really good, it is not appropriate for a wedding unless we want people sleeping. We chose to have a later ceremony time because we wanted the party to go to midnight...you have to keep people awake. He has a really good friend that is a DJ (or was one) and he is going to talk to him tonight at trivia and I am hoping that will help him realize that at a party/wedding you have to play what other people know and like. I know it will work itself out but it seems to be a tough thing right now...

Invitations - I am not crazy and ordering them now or anything but I was trying to find what direction we wanted to go in so I started looking around. I found some that I liked and then had to show them to C...he is the type that likes to see ideas and then let them roll around and think about them so you have to start early with him. I was so glad that when I showed them to him he liked them. He said that he doesn't want any "script or fancy" writing on them. I think that is about right...if we made them look fancy it would make the wedding look fancy and I don't think that is the case. Anyway, here are some pictures of ones that I like...what do you guys think? I think that one with the Y on it in the top right is my fav...I just don't know if it would look as good with our colors....oh, and C doesn't like the ones with borders...he says they look like certificates :-) HA!

Hair Pictures

I am not really sure you can tell and I don't have a lot of pictures of myself recently with the blonde hair but I found this one from our trip...to me it seems really different but I am not sure if other people will really notice. I am trying to grow out my hair a little bit and she cuts it a lot when I go and with the blonde I have to go every 8 weeks, hoping that with this color I can really stretch it out. I don't wash my hair daily and I don't use heat or product that much (hair dryer) so it doesn't really get damaged and need an inch and a half off every 8 weeks.

Summertime

I can't believe that it is already the last weekend in June!! Where did the time go?? This was the weekend that Craig and I were supposed to do the century (100miles) bike ride but since it literally rained EVERY DAY of April we got really behind on our training and didn't think it was the kind of thing we could just wing (pretty sure it would be the equivalent of just running a marathon with no training). Tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous though so I am hoping we can do a really long ride and make up for the fact that we can't do the century ride. Other than that, I am going to start working on some blurb books on Sunday when it is supposed to rain because I have Groupons that I need to use. I bought two and I am a little worried that I won't get two books done so if anyone needs one, let me know and we can work it out.

I have been doing the whole exercising and eating right thing...trying to drink all my water and eat all my veggies. I can definitely tell a difference in the running. I really need to start training for my first half marathon of the season :-) I have 4 (!!!) scheduled between now and the wedding. If doing that doesn't get me in shape, I am not sure anything could. HA! I guess I actually have to train for them though, huh! Maybe I will try to get in a long run this weekend. I have been running more in my neighborhood (which is really hilly) so I think that is helping me to get faster when I run on the flat places...

Today I went and got my hair done. I was a little bored with the blonde...feel like I have had it forever and I didn't like the way it was growing out because it just looked yucky. I wanted to go dark, Craig wasn't really a fan but I think it is just cause he can't picture things. All my OH friends were all on board. I went today and she said it would take too long (longer than our appt was scheduled for) to dye it all one color and then do some highlights so she gave me the option of coming back another day for color or just putting in low lights instead of highlights and then touching up the highlights on the top of my head. I went the second route since it was more economical :-) I really like the outcome. It is more like my natural color but a little bit warmer and there are still blonde highlights but they are actually highlights and not just blonde all over...I think it is a nice change because it isn't really dramatic but it still feels different to me (pretty sure no one else will notice).

Wedding planning is coming along...it still feels a little overwhelming at times but I got the hotel blocked out and I am working on the colors and music and other stuff. Drena and Morgan have been sending me little ideas and it is so fun because they know me so well that literally they send me the exact ideas I was thinking of...ah, warm fuzzies. I think that in order to not only talk about wedding stuff (since I am sure some of you could really care less), I am going to just sum it all up on Wednesdays and have Wedding Wednesdays...how fun :-)

I have a new little craft project that I need to share with you guys...it is super cute and has been EXTREMELY popular here in Ohio!! They are little headbands for exercising (or running errands) that are nonslip and made of ribbons...you can seem them in my Etsy Shop HERE. The girls that ran the Flying Pig with me and I bought some for that race (we all had pink ones in different patterns) and then I figured out how to make them so I started making them for my friends here (all runners and all play soccer) and their teammates starting asking for them and they really just took off...highly recommend them if you exercise or just want a cute way to wear your hair while running errands (I wear them on some of the days when I don't wash my hair). I even recommend them even if you buy them from another person on Etsy...they are just awesome!

That is about it for me lately...work is starting to get crazy so I am going to try to relax this weekend and just chill.

Hamvention

What is hamvention you ask?? Well, here is link for you. Also, it has completely booked up and sold out the hotel that we were planning on blocking rooms at for our wedding. I just happened to decide to check that off the list since there are two hotels that are within walking distance of the venue...no driving...yay! I figured since it was something I knew I was going to do, I might as well get it done since pretty much all of our guests are from out of town. I am really sad about the hotel being booked up because it was such a good price ($89 a night) and it was where C and I had one of our "dates" when I was here on business...thought it would be fun to stay there again when we got married...no such luck. I guess I will go ahead and block out the other place that is downtown (since there are only two). It isn't like it is ridiculous or anything, only $115 but still, it just makes me sad...oh well.

Other than that, not much else has been decided...my mom and sister are coming in August to look at dresses and we are going to try to look at bridesmaid dresses then too to get some color ideas :-)