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 :-)

Wedding Plans...Help!!

So, to start with, the above picture is of me after Warrior Dash...I am completely covered in mud and this is after the rinse out...that shirt was a pretty pink color before the race...ewww
. It did some clean!

Now for some pictures of the wedding/reception site for Craig and I...I need help with deciding on some colors. There are a few colors in play already and I don't necessarily have to match them but I also don't want to pick out something that will completely stick out and look bad. My sisters and I were discussing light blues and yellows. There are just so many great places to take pictures there so I don't want to miss out on that...


These are the doors that the guests will come in and the main entrance way...outside those doors are the columns that are on the front of the building. I LOVE these doors, they are so tall and full of detail (on the other side).

If you turned directly around you would be facing this staircase and these walls are really more yellow than they are showing up on the computer for me but I am not sure how they are showing up for you...the photographer has some amazing pictures of some of his clients on these stairs...
As you can see in the picture above, if you keep walking you will be in the room where we will be getting married and have the reception. For the ceremony everyone will be sitting at their tables and the aisle will be the dance floor after the ceremony...it was a little weird to me at first but I got over it. So, you can see that there is a yellow and blueish/greenish/grayish color on the walls...the carpet is dark green with a pattern on it (and a seal in the middle of the room...you can see a better pic of it down below). There is also a balcony above and a big rotunda. The bench is permanent so it will be staying. We have the option to cover it with a drape in front of it but I am thinking we will either just leave it or put something on the front (not on it but like fabric or lights that are hanging down in loops...omg, I am bad at describing). The rotunda is the next picture with the same colors.


This last picture is the room where the buffet will be for everyone (bar will be at the bottom of the stairs). This carpet is the same as the other room and you can see the yellow on the walls a little better here too.
So, who is good at all this and can help me...we aren't going for super formal or anything...it will be under 100 people (still working that out from 50) and it will later in the evening because we want the party to go late but it will not be formal just because it is late so we want to sort of keep that less formal theme. Less formal doesn't mean it shouldn't be nice though :-) I will probably do my own centerpieces so I have a couple ideas there but I think that I want some suggestions on colors...will the yellows and light blues work?? What won't work??

Craig said that I am planning way too much in advance and he is probably right but my work schedule is about to get out of control and I will not have time for anything so I think that I am trying to get a head start on it all so I won't be stressed about it later...I know I will have all boring, cold winter to do stuff too, but I can't help it...it is fun now that we have a place and everything :-)

Date, Place, and Photographer

I feel like I might jinx myself a little bit because I haven't signed a contract with the location and I haven't actually talked to the photographer because he had weddings all weekend but hopefully if both places were busy that means that no one else could book either :-) I am so excited about the place and the photographer!!!

The place is called the Old Courthouse and here is a link to it. It is a Greek revival courthouse that is located right downtown. The inside is gorgeous!! It means we will have to stick to a small wedding but we were sort of planning on that anyway. I love all the fantastic places to take pictures. It is also located about a block from a couple different hotels so all out of town people will be within walking distance if they stay at one of those hotels...and why wouldn't they when it is under $100 a night :-) I also love that it is only a block from the paper's old building where we met at work...it has an awesome front and even though the paper has moved, there is still a sign that says Dayton Daily News so I want some pictures there...I think that is cute.

Photographer will be Mark Garber. He showed me a whole album of beautiful pictures that he took at the courthouse and he was the one who recommended it to me when I was telling him that I was looking for :-)

I feel so relieved to have all of that done! There are a couple more things for day of...like the DJ and Caterer but at least the courthouse provides the alcohol so worst case scenario is that we will have drinks and no food. HA!

I took a break from all the wedding stuff this weekend and did Warrior Dash and then went on a bike ride with Ali today. It is so nice to have the hard parts done and get to relax a little bit!!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Let me know if the links don't work because I am on my iPad and still learning how to do the links :-)

Locations, Part 2

So after you guys responded yesterday I was feeling better about the farm (by the way, there is a barn but it is a working barn, as in animals in it, so there is no wedding in the barn). There is also not really air conditioning but we could have window units that she will provide if it gets hot in the house...other than that it would be an all outdoor wedding with a later ceremony so the sun is not beating down on people (though not black tie or anything, just later to work with the light and heat and blah, blah, blah). Here is the link to the website for it. There aren't that many pictures of it and I am actually thinking of offering to go to her farm a couple times this summer and take pictures for her (maybe she will give me a discount, maybe not) because I think that it would help her and I think that I would like to see some of the different ways she sets it up. Anyway, I was feeling good about it and then when I came home last night and talked to C, he was a little iffy on it...UGH. He said he wasn't sure it was as refined as he wants...what???? This is the boy that didn't want anything fancy. I think he is doing it to drive me insane...every time I decide on something he changes his mind :-)

Before I was at peace with the farm yesterday I sent a few more emails and made some phone calls so we will see if I hear back from them.

I did get one response yesterday and I like the place...I thought it would be way more expensive than it was so now it has entered the race :-) We are going to see it tomorrow. Here is the link to them. It is an old car dealership from the 1900s :-) They only have the 26th available so we would have to do it Memorial Day weekend.

I talked to my Dayton girls last night and they said the photographer I was meeting with tomorrow is the shit! I know he is going to be expensive but that is where I want to splurge on the extra money. Plus, one of my friends here used to date his son so I am going to see if mentioning that will help me out at all...I doubt it but it can't hurt. Here is his website...AMAZING!!

Thanks for listening to all my rants...it is a little harder when it is just Craig and...it is much more fun to talk to your girlfriends about stuff like this.

Wedding Planning

So far, I pretty much hate everything about it...seriously everything!

We went and looked at 3 places this weekend and this is after I feel like I have been to every website and list of locations to get married in Dayton (and some toward Cincinnati) and have asked people who live here for suggestions. The first place we loved...it is totally me...very urban with exposed bricks, beams on the ceiling, etc. BUT, the upstairs rooms that we would have to use for our small wedding has blue carpet and it has HUGE stains on it...gross. In the reception room I think that the stains would be covered by tables, chairs, the bar, and the buffet but the other room was open while we were there and there were quite a few stains in there. That is where we will be having the ceremony and since our wedding will be small, there will not be that much to cover it all up. UGH! I don't know what to do about stains on a carpet and I have no creative ability for that kind of stuff.

The same place has a downstairs space with concrete floors that we also love! BUT, it is made for weddings that would be twice the size of ours so we would have to pay a lot more for it (if they even let us do that). So much for saving money by having a small wedding. :-( I have an email in to the coordinator there to see how much more the bottom room would be.

Then there is the second place...yeah, so no one even showed up for our appointment for that one...not very professional so I left them a not so nice voicemail about that but said they could call if there was some sort of emergency and that is the reason no one showed up (which they should have called) so we will see. I have heard nothing but good things about this place but I am not thrilled by the fact that they didn't show up when they should be on their best behavior (before we signed the contract) so how will they act later?

The third place is a family farm that is sort of out in the middle of nowhere. C really liked it. I liked all of the outdoor stuff...they set up tents on a big patio and gazebos and stuff and have lights in the trees and tents. They actually have real animals and they will give tours. The farm is a real farm from the 1800s so that is really cool. BUT, with that one you have to use their house to use the bathroom and the their decor certain leaves something to be desired. It is sort of a rustic, southwest theme. I can't even explain it. Like the room I would get ready in has that southwest diamond pattern bedspread with a buffalo on it. It isn't like we would be hanging out in the house or that the decor reflects on my decorating skills but I just don't love it. I don't know though because the rest of the grounds are so nice. Does the house matter that much since you only go in to pee??? Oh, and there is a port a potty that will be back around behind the barn but I just don't plan on telling anyone about that (other than you guys) cause you won't see it and I don't think we would need it with such a small wedding. She told me that usually the boys use that and the girls use the house...so that is another small thing too.

So, in all that typing the place that didn't show up called me and said that she is sorry, she was really busy and just missed the appointment...um, hmmmm. I guess I will see what Craig says about that one...she offered to let us see it again this weekend right after an event.

Other than the places, I met with one photographer yesterday and I liked him. He edits stuff a little more than I like on some of his stuff but oh well. I have another meeting with one on Thursday and I have one more that I am going to set up a meeting with. The problem (I guess) with them is that being the photography snob that I am, I want someone really good and as we all know, someone really good costs a pretty penny. I know that it will be worth it in the end but when you add up the venue being more and then the expensive photography, I feel like a budget is going out the window.

I would love opinions. I know I sound like a psycho person planning this far in advance but a lot of the places are already booked (I started with 5 places on my list and one of those final 3 only has one Saturday all spring) so I just want the place, the date, and the photographer. The rest of the stuff is fun to look at but I don't need to do any of that until the end.

Anyone have good DIY ideas for other places to cut money on things that don't matter as much (I don't mind paying for things I care about but I hate paying for things that I could care less about).

Ahhhhh...I'm Engaged!!

I am not sure it has totally set in yet...we have been in this little vacation bubble for a week do I don't think I have realized it. We spent a lot of time hiking on this vacation! A LOT! I think that we estimated today that our total miles had to be around 30-40 so far! One more day. When you do that much walking you need downtime at night so i used that time to do a little research on photographers and wedding locations in Dayton. I think that Craig thinks I am crazy but give a girl who was surprised by a ring some downtime and a best friend also planning a wedding and I am not sure what he expected :-). Plus, I just don't want us to have to settle and if I left it up to him then he wouldn't even think about it until 8 months from now :-)

Found out some more things about the planning of all this (some I knew the other night but forgot to write about them). Apparenty Morgan was in the know about all of this because Craig emailed back and forth with her. I have to say that I talk to Morgan daily by a least text if not email and she never let me know anything. Then there was the time after the Flying Pig race where he kissed me goodnight (at like 9 because I was to tired) and he kept telling me tomorrow was the big day....I was so tired but I remember thinking that was weird and asking what he meant. He just kept telling me not to worry about it. The next day was the day he picked up the ring. There were two times when he talked to someone and was telling me about it and would say "and then we talked about other stuff" and would laugh...once was his mom. Later he said that he had told them. He thought it was funny to have these moments that he could laugh at later. Ha!

I have tried to ask little questions to see what he is interested in doing for the wedding...one of the things was the number of people..he was thinking 50 TOTAL! I have a close family and the minimum there is 33. Guess I am going to have to figure that out. I think that I got it up to 75 but it will not be a big wedding at all I don't think...we will see if he changes his mind!! I am sort of hoping that he just doesn't realize how quickly people add up....