Meg{moir}

Goodbye, See You On The Other Side!

2009-11-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

Tonight I did something scary and kinda big and totally outside of my comfort zone. I migrated my blog over to WordPress, it has its own domain name and web host and everything. It's all very BIG GIRL and I couldn't be more excited. Please come over and say hello (and maybe even stay a while!)

http://meg-moir.com

2009-11-17T15:41:00.002-05:00

We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by.

Weekend in Review: Finally.

2009-11-16T10:14:00.003-05:00

Finally, Patrick is home to stay. Finally, finally, finally.

I managed to check off everything from the list I made on Friday, with the exception of bathing the dogs and finishing the thank you notes. There are only about 15 left and Patrick wanted to write some of them. We'll get to them soon though, I want them off my coffee table and in to the hands of those wonderful people who made our wedding such a blessing to us.

Not much else to report. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well!

Blog-Curious: Wedding Pictures!

2009-11-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Like I would post anything else today. If you haven't seen them already, click fast here to see some of our wedding pictures from Cheyenne & Geoff Shultz, photographers extraordinare.

Anyone have big plans for the weekend? Patrick is finally coming home to stay Saturday night, we are both so relieved. 4 weeks apart is a hard way to begin a marriage.

Other than a ride to the airport, here are some things I hope to do this weekend:

Clean the house!
Wash those stinky dogs
Read for hours
Craft?
Library Book Sale
Hem pants
Finish thank you notes!

If I can finish up all that, I will be one very happy girl come Monday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 9: Disneyland Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

2009-11-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Well, were you able to guess why Patrick and I were so excited the day before despite our incredibly long day on the road? Here's a hint:

If that plaque has no significance to you, we probably can't be friends. We were in Disneyland, and we were PUMPED!

Since it's our last "day" of the honeymoon (it was a day in a half in real time), I thought I would do something a little different. I've been to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World about a million times (close enough), and couldn't help but make mental comparisons through out the day. It became a bit of a game between Patrick and I, rating things "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" based on a totally subjective comparison to WDW. Here are our ratings:

MEGAN & PATRICK'S DISNEYLAND THUMBS UP/THUMBS DOWN

Castle: Thumbs Down

Don't get me wrong. The castle is the original, and that absolutely means something. But come on, this is a castle. Size matters. At almost half the size of the Orlando castle, this one does not stand up. However, the Sleeping Beauty walk through is fun, but it's not enough to put it over the edge.

Walt Disney's presence: Thumbs Up

You can feel Walt Disney's presence when walking through Disneyland. This photo is blurry, I can't take a night shot to save my life, but any Disney fan should immediately recognize it. Walt's lamp was a sign that he was in the park to cast members when we was still alive, and now the lamp is perpetually on. Disney is always there in his park. I'm not tearing up right now. I promise...

Matterhorn Bobsleds: Thumbs Up

The Matterhorn was our favorite ride at Disneyland. Patrick enjoyed laughing at me jump when the Abdominal Snowman appeared out of nowhere (!) and I enjoyed getting to snuggle in on the ride.

Cute, huh?

Holiday Overlay: Thumbs Down

I get why they did this. Disneyland is mostly a "locals park" with the large majority of guests being annual pass holders who live in the greater Los Angeles area. They do things over the year to keep those frequent visitors happy. One such thing is the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay on the Haunted Mansion and the Christmas overlay on its a small world. Well, that's fine for those who get the opportunity to see it multiple times a year, but I hated it. I just wanted my regular, old school Master Gracey. Not Jack Skellington.

On another note, I was also a notfan of the Halloween fireworks. I wanted to see the whirly white fireworks and the big chandelier explosions and hear a happy Disney medley, not some pop version of 'This is Halloween, this is Halloween.'

Fantasy Land rides: Thumbs Up

The Magic Kingdom Fantasy Land is pretty lame, to be honest. I've never been a fan of the Medieval Fair feel of the place. The Disneyland Fantasy Land is the absolute opposite. The architecture here is a mishmash of European styles. It feels a little Tudor, a little Swiss Alps, a little Barvaria. It feels like Fantasy.

The Disneyland Fantasy Land also has a number of great immersive rides that the Magic Kingdom is lacking. Mr. Toad (see above), Pichnoccio's Daring Journey, and Alice in Wonderland are all missing from MK. Point, Disneyland.

While we're talking about Fantasy Land...

Peter Pan's Flight - London Scene: Thumbs Down

The scene where your ship flies over London is my favorite scene. However, in this version of the ride it's totally 2D. What gives?

Peter Pan's Flight - The rest of the ride: Thumbs Up

That being said, this ride is mostly better than its Orlando counterpart. It is longer and had additional scenes. We especially loved the star field that you fly through on the way to Neverland.

Toon Town: Thumbs Up

Like Fantasy Land, Toon Town in Disneyland is rockin'. I have been known to call the Magic Kindgom Toon Town my worst nightmare, but I really enjoyed playing in the Disneyland version. Plus, they have Roger Rabbit's Toon Town Spin. Plus Plus Plus!

Characters: Thumbs Up

We saw characters everywhere! They seemed a lot more accessible than WDW characters, out in the open and not hid in Toon Town tents.

Indiana Jones: One of Patrick's favorite movies. We couldn't wait to get on this ride since it is a Disneyland original.

Scheduled Maintenance: Thumbs Down

However, that was not mean to be. It was closed the whole time we were there, we never saw past this sign. The Storybook Land canal boats were also closed for scheduled maintenance. Boo.

Quick-service food: Thumbs Down.

I don't know what is up with work flow processes in the counter service restaurants. We waited for 45 minutes in a line that was less than 10 people deep. The problem was that the person taking your order and handling cash was also the person fixing your food. It took FOREVER. This just isn't the way that things worked at WDW. I know, I because I did it. When guests were lined up for chicken nuggets and french fries before Illuminations, I wasn't handling their money. I was up to my elbows in grease. That's how it is supposed to work.

We had a BLAST in Disneyland. We had a BLAST on our whole honeymoon. It was the perfect trip for us, we had just enough planned and we left just enough up in the air. I will have wedding pictures soon and I'm sure I will recap that in even more excruciating detail. Excited? I am!

If you have been to Disneyland and the Magic Kindgom, I'd love to hear how they stacked up for you!

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 8: Pacific Coast Highway

2009-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

On our last day in northern California we loaded up the Camaro and headed out of the city. Our plan was to drive down Highway 1 to Big Sur, turn around and come back. For the uninitiated, this may sound like a strange way to spend a precious honeymoon day. But you just wait and see, because it was one of our favorite days of the trip!

First we stopped for breakfast in an adorable cafe on Main Street in Half Moon Bay.

We soon stopped again (we stopped a lot) at the beach to get a taste of what was to come.

We don't have nearly enough pictures of us together from this trip, but here is a good one with an epic background.

The famous Bixby Bridge. Absolutely beautiful, and I only freaked out a teeny bit driving over it. Both ways.

Patrick at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, another stop on the road.

And here I am on Carmel Beach. See that bluff in the background? That would be Pebble Beach. Yes, that Pebble Beach.

I can not figure out for the life of me why we don't have any pictures of Carmel by the Sea. It is the cutest town in the world, it looks like a fairy tale. Needless to say, I'm ready to pack the bags and move there today.
After watching the sun set, Patrick and I settled back into the car for a 3 hour ride back to San Francisco. We were super tired from driving all day, but ridiculously excited. Bonus points if you know why.

Weekend Round Up: Still Celebrating

2009-11-10T06:50:00.004-05:00

I had a great weekend with my mom! She came bearing football tickets to the NC State vs. Maryland game, and we actually WON. It was great. How good was it? We got to park here with our parking pass.

I know. You're jealous. I don't blame you. I don't know how I'll go back to trudging 2 miles (more or much, much less) through the student lots, dodging corn hole games, after parking a mere 75 yards from the stadium. Parking passes like this (and their corresponding sweet seats 30 rows back from the field) don't come easy. The owners first started buying season passes in 1979.

Here is Amos, to cool for school, helping me blow out candles. (Ok not really cause that would be kinda gross, he just wanted to pose).

Action Shot!

Martha Stewart Cooking School recipe #1 completed for the month! Before the game mom and I made spaghetti from scratch! It was a lot of fun and not really that much work. Messy, absolutely. Hard, absolutely not.

Caden decided to make "art" on the back patio. Just thought I'd share.

Sunday I completely blanked out and forgot my camera, but I spent the afternoon in Winston-Salem with my cousin, Wendy, at her baby shower and the night at Grace's house in Durham playing games and talking about all sorts of wedding fun with a great group of girls. I hope we get to do it again soon!

Blog Curious: Roundup

2009-11-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a good week! I am so excited for the weekend...mom is coming to town tonight, we're celebrating my birthday (again!) on Saturday and I have a baby shower in Winston-Salem for my cousin Wendy and baby Jackson, followed by game night in Durham. Who needs boys to have fun?

Here are some of my favorites from around the web this week:

Bald Bears Make Me Uneasy - The Awl. Have you ever wondered what a naked bear looks like? Me either, but hey, now you know.

Book Design: Beauty in the Details - Editor Unleashed. I love this article mainly for the discussion about the layout in the Harry Potter series. Ok...I love this article precisely because of that. Who knew so much though went into the design of the inside of the book?

FAQ: Camera + Photography - I am Style-ish. I am always fascinated by micro-businesses. How they work, what they do, and so on. Even more so for creative businesses.

Why Every Country Has a Different F*cking Plug - Gizmodo. If you have ever tried to plug in something outside of the USA, you surely feel the frusturation. This article is looong, but pretty intetersting.

Big Ideas - Seth Godin. Something to chew on over the weekend.

Happy Friday loves, see you on the other side.

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 7: Exploring San Fran

2009-11-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

There it was, the weekend, and we found ourselves in the City that Never Sleeps! Wait, that's not right. Was it the City of Lights? No, not it either. What happens in San Francisco....no. Oh, I remember now, we were in the City by the Bay. And just incase you had a hard time remembering where you were, you could simply climb the nearest hill and let the ocean winds smack you upside the head and the beauty of the bay area remind you why people put up with sky high rents and limited parking.

I'll let the pictures do the talking here, with minimal commentary from me (which is probably the number one way to improve this blog!).

We walked down California Street (hello Financial District) to the Ferry Building and from there to the Embarcardo. We took these pictures on a pier where they had just caught a baby shark. Notice the bird in the picture above is still hanging out on his perch below.

Coit Tower, this was the most backwards hike up a hill I've ever taken.

Looking out to the Golden Gate Bride from Coit Tower.

Lombard Street, the "Crookedest Street in the World." Three things here: 1. I can not believe that people live here and put up with all the tourist. 2. That being said, they obviously take pride in the street, the flower beds they maintain are stunning. 3. The grade on that hill is incredibly steep. I saw an old man walking down and wanted to put him on my back.

The Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate park looked really pretty. I wanted to see them after reading about them over at Emily Style, but wasn't paying $15 for the privledge.

Portraits in Golden Gate Park.

Hi, my name is Megan and I am that girl.

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 6: Driving to San Francisco

2009-11-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

On Friday, it was time to leave our lovely room at the Sonoma Fairmont and move to a new lovely room at the Fairmont San Francisco. I'm not sure how we will ever stay in a normal hotel room again. We took our time checking out, and when we could linger no more we packed the Camaro and began the hour long drive down into the city. Well, according to our GPS it only took an hour, we managed to stretch it out for most of the day.

First stop, Muir Woods, which I have heard described as the back yard of San Francisco. I'd take it!

I felt like I was walking through a fairy tale forest, like Little Red Riding Hood could come by carrying her basket, or we would stumble upon Hansel and Gretel's crumb trail. The light drifting down through the canopy cast a dreamy haze on the forest, and we couldn't help but talk about how much better our pictures would be if Cheyenne and Geoff were taking them.

A fallen branch was just my height.

Nice belly shirt!

We walked the 2 mile loop through the forest and headed out. We decided to stop by the beach, because my grandmother had requested a pebble from the Pacific Ocean. Once we got to the ahem, 'beach,' I realized this could be a problem. On this part of the west coast, this is what the beach looks like.

Right, so no pebbles from the ocean, a problem that plagued me the rest of the trip. But isn't it beautiful? I can honestly say that I'd never seen anything like it.

Hey, there's San Francisco! I still haven't figured out what that thing on the top of the hill is.

By now it was pushing 3pm and we still hadn't eaten. After a bit of a wild goose chase, we arrived at this California staple. I had high hopes since everything that I had heard about In-N-Out burger was something along the lines of,

"OMGBESTBURGEREVERCRAVINGITSOBADMUSTHAVESOMENOW!!!!!"

Well, I don't know what kind of lame burgers those poor Californians are being fed, but I can think of at least 3 fast food burgers that I would rather eat. Now, it wasn't that I didn't enjoy the In-N-Out burger, I thought it was pretty good, I liked my toasted bun and definitely appreciated the pared down menu. It's just that if I had the choice, I'd rather eat:

1) Cookout burger cheddar style
2) Hardee's Thickburger
3) Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger

Afterwards, we stopped in Sausalito. Love. And look, there's San Francisco again!

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 5: Wine Highway

2009-11-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Finally, we were ready to get to the whole point of visiting wine country, wine DRINKING! We stopped by the Concierge desk of the Fairmont for all the free tasting cards we get our hands on. You only get to honeymoon once, might as well make the best of it.

Mmmmm...vineyards.

Our first stop was Imagery, which was highly recommended by the guys at the Sonoma Wine Shop. We enjoyed a few different pours and walked out with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and a bottle of White Burgandy to call our own. The Arrowood winery shared a driveway with Imagery, so naturally that was our next stop.

We thought the wine there was "eh" but, this is the view from their front porch and it does not suck.

Our next stop was a place called Ledson and this is where things get interesting. First I want to mention that this was originally built as a private home. Over the top much?

Here we didn't get a free tasting but an "upgrade" to their standard tasting flight. This consisted of oh...15 different wines? I don't remember exactly, but we were bellied up to that bar for a bit. Long enough, in fact, to hear about the wine from the $175 million dollar vineyard. Apparently, the Mondavi estate had just paid that amount for a particular vineyard that the Ledson winery was currently buying grapes from. They were currently selling the bottles for $90 a pop and once Mondavi got a hold of the grapes it would go for around $160.

Once we had our fill from the reds and the whites and the ports and the orange flavored wine (do I remember that right?), we walked through the gift shop (yep, it was set up just like the Magic Kingdom). I noticed this chocolate wine sauce and lots of tiny little spoons to tase it with. In my slightly hazy state, I begin pumping the chocolate sauce in to the tiny spoons and tasting with a fury. I look over my shoulder and see Patrick in the check out line. Yep,$90 wine. Want to see what buyers remorse looks like?

We finished up at Chateau St. Jean with a few more tastes, but nothing struck our fancy. We did love the grounds though, seriously, how beautiful is this place?

Wineries are interesting places. They are built to look like castles, barns, Italian villas. They try to feel grand, or cozy, welcoming or elite. There has to be one for everybody, to suit every taste. At the end of the day, I felt sort of like I wished we sampled more, sort of like one more glass of wine would cause me to lose my mind. Luckily we hit the perfect balance. Here's to the rest of our lives together always doing the same.

Weekend in Review: Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know that today is my favorite holiday? Sure in Mexico they are celebrating the Day of the Dead, and that is pretty cool, but here at my house we are celebrating my birthday! By we, of course, I mean me, Amos and Caden. Patrick is back in California for two weeks, figures.

Since he knew he would be gone today, Patrick kicked off my birthday celebration Friday afternoon. I came home to flowers and the best card I have ever received. Later that night we went for burgers at Five Guys and Where the Wild Things Are. Good times.

Saturday we ran a bunch of errands and did the 1st Annual Loftin Family Last Minute Halloween Costume Scramble. I have been participating in this event for years as a single entrant but this is the first time Patrick and I went in together. Despite the fact that all we bought was duct tape, face paint and 2x4s, I think the costumes turned out pretty well.

The platform shoes really made the outfit!

Let's see, we have Kat Von Dee, Gang Green, Ace & Paul of Kiss, a Zombie and a Boxer. The other half of Kiss backed out at the last minute. Lame!

Sunday morning Patrick and I were up early to take him to the airport (BOO!). Afterwards, I went to church and then met up with my friend Erica for an early birthday lunch at the Flying Biscuit. It was awesome, and she made sure I had cheesecake. Now that is a good friend!

Best costume I saw: Rob & Big (complete with a minihorse!)
The one I didn't get at all: Reproductive tract of a mare (it was a vet school party, afterall)

What is the best thing you saw? How many balloon boys, octomoms and Michael Jacksons were at your party?

November Goals

2009-11-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

Remember how I said that I was going to spend October getting my house put back together after wedding madness and finish all my Thank You notes? Right, that didn't exactly happen like I thought it would. But no matter! Today marks the beginning of a new month and a fresh start. Feels good, doesn't it?

Curious as to what will be keeping me busy this month? Here are my plans:

1)Finish and mail all Thank You notes for wedding presents.
2)Practice daily meditation for at 10 minutes.
3)Cook 4 new recipes from Martha Stewart's Cooking School
4)Clean my sink nightly (see FlyLady)
5)Have Christmas cards ready to mail by Nov. 30th
6)Plan and host a dinner party for 4 friends (for 6 people total)
7)Read 1 fiction and 1 nonfiction book.
8) Start the 100 Push Up Challenge (this is a 6 week program, so it will carry on into December)

Want to put your monthly goals out there for all the world to see? Write about it in your blog and link to this post, or if you don't have a blog lay them out in the comments. Could be fun!

Blog Curious: Lame

2009-10-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Wow has this been the lamest week ever for posting or what? I promise that next week will be an improvement. Patrick will be gone again so I will have lots of down time. To make up for the lack of posts I have an extra long list of awesome people who actually did look at their blog more than once this week.

Eek! Halloween 2009 - Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone. The coolest Halloween decorations you will see this year.

Schwarzenegger Gives California Legislature a Hidden Finger - TechCrunch. Now this is funny.

Unitasker Wednesday: The Egg Cuber - Unclutterer. And this is ridiculous.

Going for a R-I-D-E - From Wedding Plans to Weeds. This reminds me so much of our boys, Amos and Caden. They love road trips. Plus, cute dog pics!

"If they hadn't been pushed, they never would have made the leap." - The Art of Nonconformity. How are you making lemonade out of lemons during this recession?

Dude drops his Kindle 2, convinces Amazon to replace it and pay him $200 for his troubles [balls] - Gizmodo. A long title of a short article about a guy with a lot of legal jaron floating around in his head.

See, all better now. Make sure to drop by on Sunday for my first ever monthly goal meetup!

And a very Happy Birthday! to my best friend, Danielle, who turns 25 tomorrow. Happy Halloween to everyone else!

Weekend In Review: A little late but with lots of love

2009-10-28T15:02:00.003-04:00

Yowzers, its already Wednesday? I have a million good excuses as to why the blog has been silent, but no one wants to hear them.

Here's all you need to know about my weekend: Patrick is home, and I couldn't be happier. Sadly, he is flying back to California on Sunday for another two week stint. I have been attempting to spend as much time as possible with him before he leaves again, he is lucky that I haven't followed him into the bathroom, yet.

Blog Curious: Longest Week Ever?

2009-10-23T08:55:00.003-04:00

For me this week has plodded along at a maddeningly slow pace, refusing to deliver the weekend. This is the first full week that I have worked since the middle of September (I know, poor me) and I never felt that the weekend would appear. Which is silly to say, because the weekend always comes. Now I must wait just one more short day before my darling husband (!!!) is back in town. He has been gone for the last two weeks and I have missed him so. Equally excited and frenetically awaiting his return are our two boys (I mean...dogs) who have dutifully listened to me count down the days each night as I crawl into bed.

Well, with all that sappiness out of the way, let's get into what you came here for...good reads from around the world wide web. And I have some really good ones for you this week.

Clean Up Your Act - Young House Love. I've been cleaning with vinegar, water and baking soda for a while now. Between those 3 ingredients you really can clean almost anything, and it costs just pennies. Bonus points for saving your lungs from all those noxious gases.

Top This! - Seth's Blog. And I quote, "Sometimes the work is the work and the goal isn't to top what you did yesterday." Take note, perennial overachievers.

The latest wedding trend - ...here we go... Birds are all over weddings now. If frogs were the woodland creature du jour, I would be having the exact same reaction. No. freaking. way.

Roger - My Life is a Piece of Cake. If you don't read anything else on this list...heck, if you don't read anything else ALL DAY, read this piece. It will touch you. I don't want to give away too much, but yes, I did sit at my desk and quietly weep.

Selective Listening & Selective Vision - The Hubby Diaries. These two go together so read them both. All the ladies in the house will be relieved to know that they are not alone.

Let's Get Those Phones Ringing! - Slate. Across the country Public Radio stations are asking listeners to call in and support the station. Here is a list of ways that you are convinced to pick up the phone and make a donation. Side note - I love hearing stories about unintended consequences (the Freakonomics blog is a great place to start if you are interested) and I finally have one of my own to share. Everyday at WUNC callers are entered to win a week long trip to some foreign location - Paris, Rome, London etc. You want to know why I haven't called in my pledge? I am actually afraid of winning the trip. Even though it is sponsored by the station, winners surely incur some cost - taxes must be paid on the trips value at the least - and Patrick and I are so broke that I don't call because I am terrified of winning. How could we turn down Paris if it was offered? No, we couldn't, so I don't call.

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 4: The Wine Train

2009-10-21T21:44:00.012-04:00

Ok let's make a promise to not read this post before, during or after eating, or while thinking about eating. Alright then, away we go...

So, the wine train. I know, I know, that already sounds bad, but the thing is, it wasn't bad at all. Except for the dining car. But I'm not ready to talk about that just yet. No, no, first I am going to tell you about the train.

The train! I love trains (I thought I loved trains) and when I read about the Napa Valley Wine Train I knew we had to go. Sure, it was going to be the most touristy thing we did (besides tour wineries, the Fishermans Wharf and oh yeah, DISNEYLAND) but how often do you get to ride an honest to goodness steam train (except for maybe when you are at DISNEYLAND)? We had to ride.

So basically what you do is you go to this building where they try to sell you all sorts of little knicknack crap, then you have a 2 glass wine tasting (weak). The waitress will try to make a joke about seeing your ID because you are the youngest person in there by about, oh...30 years.

Finally you get on the train after posing for one of those pictures in front of a barrell of grapes (later you will be expected to buy this picture on a keychain, as a Christmas gift, and hey honey should we get the canvas size to go over the fireplace?).

Sorry, where was I? Oh yes. After our whole lives of waiting, we finally get on the train, and we are in the caboose. There is a joke in there somewhere I'm sure. No matter, we're on the wine train after all. Let's get this party started! Actually it was only about 10:30 so Patrick and I drank Coke like good Southern children. That didn't stop others around us from putting down bottles of Champagne.

Here is Patrick in the caboose. I won't show my corresponding picture here because I already showed it to you for the before/after hair comparison. See, same background. Sneaky.

You know me, I love lanterns.

Patrick at lunch. I am also not showing you my corresponding picture here because I was turning a bit green. While the food in the lunch car was pretty darn good, the hard rocking motion was confirming that I am in fact, just like my dad. Prone to a little motion sickness. After fighting it for as long as I could it became obvious that 1)seafood bisque was a terrible idea and 2)this crap was not getting any better on its own. Action had to be taken.

Carefully I made my way to the front of the car so I could cross over to the next with the bathroom (where, mercifully, no one was eating). I forgot to mention earlier that a local PBS station was shooting a show aboard the train highlighting its vegetarian options (my filet, what I could eat of it, was wonderful). As would only happen to me, they are shooting in the front of our car, and until they finish the segment I am forced to stand there and watch PBS hippie man go on and on about flavors exploding in his mouth. Hey buddy, you and me both, so why don't you shut it or you'll be wearing some cow parts on your 100% sustainable organic locally grown non-hydrogenated hipster ironic tshirt. And thanks.

So, I must say, there is really nothing quite like it. "It" of course being trying to keep all your projectile vomit inside the toilet and off the seat and floors (always considerate, I am) while riding a violently rocking train. Not just any train though but one that has served copious amounts of wine to the early bird supper set, who were decidedly less dedicated about keeping it all in the bowl. Ahem. What's that all the teenagers are saying now? Oh yeah...fml.

Well, that was lovely. Back at my seat, Patrick was surely grossed out but did a good job of hiding it, the perfect new husband. We finished the trip much less eventfully than we began it, watching the sun dance across the vines. We decided against the canvas.

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 3: Sonoma Town Square

2009-10-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

In the battle between the valleys, I think that Sonoma beats Napa hands down. Patrick and I fell head over heels for the town square at Sonoma. It still feels very much like an old Californian town to me (not that I am an expert), with the park and its fountains, the old hotel, the soliders barracks, and the hidden courtyards.

Mmmmmm, cheese!

We loved the Cheese Factory, the Candlestick shop, the kitchen store and the tasting rooms sprinkled around the square. The number one place not to miss on the square? It's got to be the Sonoma Wine Shop. Now really, we loved the wine shop. While there are as many places to buy wine in Sonoma as there are grapes on the vine, the atmosphere and value of this place had us from our first sip.

Inside the back room of the unpretentious shop is where you can taste wine from many small producers around the region. The bottles here can not be found in stores. The guys running the shop are as knowledgeable and laid back as they come. We spent an afternoon talking shop with the owner, Brian, a gray haired hippie from Berkley who knew everyone in the grape business.

After getting fully tipsy from his picks, we wandered around the square, soaking up the sunshine and taking in the shops.

Patrick couldn't resist.

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 2 - Sonoma Mission Inn

2009-10-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

I can not say enough good things about the grounds and the staff at the Sonoma Mission Inn.

We truly felt like everyone wanted to make sure that we were happy and enjoying ourselves. When we checked in, it was well after midnight and I was tired. And cranky. After going to look at our first room, I was even crankier. It was a little small for a king bed, had a slight smell and was too close for the road. I trecked back to the front desk and asked about getting moved. Despite the fact that is was so late and I wasn't the happiest girl on earth, John (the night manager) was super accomodating, moving us to a room with a fire place. He was warm and friendly, never patronizing and we honestly felt like he just wanted us happy.

We were happier, but I still had my eye on the Mission suites at the back of the property. We upgraded the next morning, try and tell me it wasn't worth it.

Roaring fires morning and night. Yes, please.

Attached to the hotel was the Big Three restaurant. Patrick and I enjoyed breakfast here our first morning. It was the only thing that could have cheered us up after the sad news that our hot air balloon flight was cancelled due to high winds.

Also notable at the hotel was the spa. The Sonoma Mission Inn is one of the only hotels in the country built on natural hot springs. We enjoyed a day participating in the bathing rituals, getting a massage and then hanging out by the pool.

Weekend in Review: Bienviendos a Miami

2009-10-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

What a wonderful weekend! As I mentioned Friday, I spent the weekend with family on Miami Beach. My cousin was married in a beautiful ceremony at the Smith & Wollensky steak house on South Beach. We stayed at the Ritz Carleton. The weather was beautiful. It doesn't get much better than that. (If only Patrick had been there, it would have been perfect!)

A frozen mojito a the Ritz bar. The perfect Miami cocktail and a great way to kick off the weekend.

My cousins, Sara and Ben.

Dante, the adorable ring bearer, during the ceremony.

Rain over downtown Miami, as seen from South Beach.

Congratulations Ben and Natalie!

Blog-Curious: The Jet Set Life

2009-10-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! This weekend I am flying down to Miami Beach for my cousins wedding. I hear the weather is still hot in South Florida, so it will more than make up for this dreary, drizzly cold that we have been having here in North Carolina. Lots of celebrating and wine (LOTS of wine) look to be in my future.

While I'm busy leading my totally unglamorous jet set life (don't worry, Patrick is logging plenty of miles as well, unfortunately they are all to the west coast, in fact he is there now), here are some thoughts to keep you thinking...

I think I need new friends (Being Carly) - Girl, I know exactly what you mean. I love love love my friends, but they all moved away. Who wants to be this Raleigh girl's friend?

And for my nex trick... (i suwannee) - So so so excited for this new addition to Glenwood Ave, brought to you by Jamie Mears.

The "Local Store Premium" (The Simple Dollar) - buying local isn't always the easiest or cheapest method, but it usually does the most good.

Mirror Neurons: Why Watching Others Succeed Won't Help You Succeed (The Simple Dollar) - Yeah Trent was hitting on all cylinders this week. I especially relate to the Food Network example. It is the only way to explain why I am watching more of that station than ever, but eating cereal for dinner.

PWC

2009-10-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last night I participated in a bridal ritual almost as ubiquitous as the bouquet toss, PWC, or the Post Wedding Chop.

I wasn't really one of those girls who grew out their hair specifically for the wedding, I had been letting it grow for the better part of 2 years. However, in the last few months my hair was getting seriously out of control. The ends would split within a week of a trim, curls would never hold, and the weight of it kept it perpetually plastered to my head instead of its natural poofiness (wait, was that a pro or a con?).

Well, let's get on with it, shall we?

Basically, my hair went from this:

To this:

What do you think? I think it's kinda sassy and I'm digging it. It's a little shorter than I would have liked, but haircuts always are. Give it a week or so and I think it will be just right!

Wow, these last 2 pictures are really dark but its all I had to work with. Also rocking Patrick's NCSU hoodie here, it is cold in this house!

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Mickey Mouse - The Honeymoon Part 1: Getting There

2009-10-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Note: We are going to talk about the honeymoon first since I have pictures already, and I'll finish up with the wedding once we get delicious photos from Cheyenne.

The day after our wedding dawned just as overcast as our wedding day, but instead of the light rain of the day before, the clouds eventually rolled out to reveal one of those perfect September days that, despite the 99% summer humidity and snowless winters, make you love living in North Carolina.

Patrick and I joined friends and family for breakfast at a nearby Starbucks before heading up to our house (OUR HOUSE!) to relax a little before getting on the plane. After a late lunch with our parents it was time to head to the airport.

We had to make a quick detour to pick up my engagement ring (I had dropped it off earlier that morning, the stone was coming loose and needed to be tightened), and got on the road. It wasn't long before we realize that...oh crap...we were cutting it close. I tend to not get to worried about things like this since the Raleigh airport is pretty small, but this was one flight I did not want to miss! Finally, we arrived at the terminal, and mom jumped out to take a picture of us headed off to catch our flight.

See, isn't it cute? Hmmm...so I'll confess. I accidentally deleted it later in the trip when my memory card was full. I was trying to delete some of the approximately one hundred million photos of Amos on my camera, and this photo somehow became an unwilling victim. Sorry mom! You'll just have to imagine it: 2 super cute kids with stars in their eyes, posing for a quick photo, still a little dazed from the events of the day before but also terrified that they are about to miss their flight.

After some issues at the Delta desk (they changed out ticket, but didn't reissue a new one...nice work), we pretty much ran through security to the gate just as they were boarding. It was just like in the movies, only much more stressful.

Once safely on the plane, we settled in. Patrick fell asleep almost immediately, I amused myself with taking pictures. The first flight to Detroit and the next one to San Francisco were just how I like them, nice and boring.

Dear Litigious Society, see what you have done? How stupid as a country are we that we need a warning that peanuts have been processed and packaged in a peanut factory?

After arriving in SFO we made our way to the rental car counter. After finally getting to our car for the next 8 days, we discovered it was a PT Cruiser. You're kidding me right? Patrick heroically managed to avoid having a melt down (cars are important to him, and a Cruiser was not going to cut it) and we worked our way back to the counter to see what we can do. After a lot of back and forth (a ridiculous amount, considering how tired we were), we were finally on our way to Sonoma in this bad boy.

Goals and Such

2009-10-12T14:00:00.001-04:00

Wedding and honeymoon recaps are coming - I promise - but the pictures are still waiting to be uploaded, the memories are still simmering, and I'm afraid, like many brides before me, to shake the glitter off.

The remainder of this month is going to be focused on writing a mountain of thank you notes, organizing and putting away all our lovely wedding gifts, merging Patrick's belongings into the house and re-cleaning the whole thing (thanks mom for round one, but somehow all this shuffling of things around has redirty-ed it right back up).

So, that will be October. But once November comes around, I'm going to being participating in various goal setting activities. Things that will not only take up some newly created free time (hallelujah!) but also that will expand horizons, teach new things, and create new adventures. Check back November 1st for month one of my goal setting exploits.

Curious on about creating your own goal list? Have a look at these lovely blogging ladies who share their goals (and thereby create accountability) with the world every month. They were my inspiration, maybe they can be yours as well?

Cheyenne Schultz
Nancy Rae
Rebecca Thorman
Jena Coray

What I Wore

2009-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hello! I'm back and I have so much to share! More DIY projects, wedding highlights and a million pictures from travels during our honeymoon. We have truly had the time of our lives and I can't wait to share it all.

Before we get going, here is a recap of what I wore when I got married by special request.

Hair Fascinator: etsy seller WhichGoose
Pearl Earrings: Gift from Patrick
Pearl Necklace: Gift from Mom and Dad

Dress: Watters&Watters Genova style, fit changed from A-line to mermaid

Ceremony shoes (not shown): Nine West blue suedes (not sure of the style name)

Dancing Shoes: Custom designed Chuck Taylors

P.S. Top 2 pictures by the wonderful Cheyenne Schultz, bottom picture by bridesmaid extraordinare Tiffany.

DIY Table Numbers

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite details from the wedding were our table numbers. They were a lot of work, but I think they turned out great, see what I mean?

I could give you the play-by-play of how to make them, or I could point you to Vintage Glam Weddings, where I ripped this from. Hey, I'm on vacation!

Hello My Pretties

2009-09-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

Classic literature wrapped up in modern design, what's not to love? These babies have style.

From Penguin Books.

Blog-Curious: Bon Voyage (to me!)

2009-09-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

So it's Friday again (time flies when you're having fun!) but this is a very special Friday. I'm spending the day enjoying lunch with my bridesmaids, turning cartwheels in the bridal suite of the Renaissance, and practicing for tomorrow with a ribbon bouquet and 5 mile wide smile.

Here are some of my favorite articles from my blog reader this week:

Perfect vs. Good Enough from Make Under My Life
Business Card Doodles from The Simple Dollar
The Living Room from The Old Painted Cottage
Entrepreneurship Classes are on the Rise from Small Hands, Big Ideas
How to be a Customer Service Superstar from Modish Biz Tips
Linen Cabinet Makeover from Just beachy
Unscripted from Cheyenne Schultz

While we're talking about Cheyenne, check out her blog early next week, she usually posts bridal portrait sessions soon after the wedding takes place, so maybe you'll see a familiar face!

Oh and please do check in a few times over the next two weeks, I have a few posts scheduled while I'm away.

See you on the other side loves!

Fall (insert contented sigh here)

2009-09-23T10:31:00.005-04:00

Can we just not talk about that extremely big and life altering thing that is happening this weekend and talk about how Fall is my most favorite season of all time ever? Cause it is.

Things I love about Fall are

Colorful leaves

Wolfpack Football

Apple Cider

Lightweight Sweaters

And a roaring fire (not so much in NC, but in my dream world, yes)

Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Weekend In Review: CRAZY

2009-09-22T06:59:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure that I'm feeling 100% yet but since I do have some work to do this week, I better get my butt of the couch and go in to work today.

This weekend was slam packed with stuff. That's the best way I know how to put it. Friday afternoon Patrick came over and we did some shopping for things we need to finish up over the weekend.

Saturday I got to work on table seating arrangements and place cards. Patrick came over to help but some how this project still managed to take all day. Seriously. That is all I did on Saturday.

Sunday morning was church and then we ran errands. I drove to Patrick's house and we loaded up our both our vehicles with his clothes, a dresser and tools (yes, there are now BOY CLOTHES in my closet). Back at my house, we brought everything inside and it was instantly a DISASTER AREA. My house doesn't have that much built in storage so trying to find a place for everything was a little bit of a nightmare. It doesn't help that the office, where a lot of these things will go, is so full of wedding presents that you can't shut the door. While Patrick set up a shelving unit in the outside storage room and sorted through his things I tried to make the guest room livable (it was also overflowing with wedding presents, we are blessed, I know) since there will be a rotating door of guests staying there over the next week. Before bed I cleaned the house and then collapsed into bed.

I have always been a bit of a wuss, I think all this activity (I didn't sit down, even to eat, from the time we got home from church until I got into bed at 11:30) combined with a general lack of sleep and a sore throat that did me in yesterday.

So over the last few weeks, Patrick has taken to proclaiming everything that he does as the last time, like when we were signing the friendship register in church, he says that it is the last time that he gets to put his name on it's own row, the last time he starts a new rotation at school, the last time that he gets his hair cut.

Of course he means that it is the last time before he gets married, but he could just say that. It's not like he will spontaneously combust on Saturday around 4:30. But anyway, with that in mind,
this is the LAST TIME I write a weekend in review (as a single lady).

Sick Day

2009-09-21T09:38:00.003-04:00

Here I am, 5 days before the wedding and I feel terrible. Better today than the wedding day though. I'm going to spend the day resting, hopefully that will do the trick, but that means a day off from blogging.

In the meantime, anyone want to bring me soup?

Photo

Blog Curious: It's the Final Countdown!

2009-09-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that in one week (and one day) I'll be getting married? Cause I kinda can't. I can't wait for it though, it's just that it doesn't feel real yet. When does that happen? Brides of the past, let me know!

The Art of Non-Conformity: The Case for the $100 Business

Nancy Ray: My Workspace (love peaking at these!)

Being Carly: {title unknown} (but it's about oatmeal)

...here we go...: Engagement photos (I love shout outs, but I love Hey Mel more!)

Life in Translation: Doing Normal Things Like a Real Life Italian

Busy weekend wrapping up loose ends, see you on the other side!

Picnic

2009-09-17T20:44:00.002-04:00

To celebrate our 4 year anniversary I planned a surprise picnic. Way more low key than dressing up for a fancy dinner, and way more budget friendly to boot. It was the perfect relaxing dinner and a chance to hang out and relax before the hoopla (HOOPLA!) begins.

Horseshoe Farms Park

Our feast!

Champagne, Italian bread w/herb infused olive oil, cheddar and brie, ham, turkey, and strawberries with chocolate sauce.

Isn't he good looking?

Classy too!

Weekend in Review: Caution: Wild Girls

2009-09-16T10:08:00.014-04:00

This weekend was one of the most fun weekends. EVER. For real...when you walk into a house and you are greeted by this:

It's going to be a fun night.

First up, we had a little girly time over at Spa Vouge. This place is swwwannnkkkyyy. Loved the chandeliers, zebra stair runner and mostly naked man poster in the bathroom. Wait, what?

After nail pampering, and mimosas, and cheesecake, it was back home for peach Bellini's, lingerie and party games. P.S. Patrick I love you but I know nothing about you and have a monster wad of bubble gum to prove it.

Before long it was time to get all dolled up (don't you just love that phrase? cause I do) and head out to dinner.

Danielle and I could totally pass for co-joined sisters here and tour as a freak side show act, but I digress.

Dinner was amazing (the Black Pelican always is!) and after yawning through dinner (you try drinking champagne all day), we perked back up when we hit the house. This time the girls were not going to let me leave the house with out the accessories I had snuck out without before.

I gave the veil some extra poofing through out the night to keep it Southern style.

We headed out to Kelly's which is the place to be on the beach (I had no idea!) and got our boogie on. There were so many bachelor/ette parties going on that night, it felt like we were in Charleston. By the time the 4th group of "hey we're here with a bachelor party, you should come over" guys came around, I was all "honey, that's what they all say."

3 things I wish I had pictures of: the longest mullet I have ever seen (and I live in North Carolina), the lead singer in the band who was a dead ringer for Vince Neil, and this energizer bunny of a dude who would not stop his ridiculous gyrating dance moves for a good half an hour. That may have been my fault, as I'm pretty sure it began when I said, "No, let me see you really break it down."

Other highlights of the night were when the DJ came up beside me because he was trying to give me a shout out (sweet!) and I asked him if he was security, the quote, "Erica, I'm not saying you are one, just sometimes you have to be one" and seeing someone instantly stand up straighter when I told him who my dad was. Oh and cake!

Cake that did not get eaten that night, but isn't it just the cutest thing?

Finally we made it home and to bed, only to get up 3 hours later for pictures on the beach. They turned out pretty nice though, huh?

Finally it was time to eat, and I was huuungry. The perfect antidote for no sleeping mixed with lots of drinking is a greasy spoon breakfast, which is exactly what we had. I also distributed my "look how anal retentive and obnoxious I am" 10 page wedding itinerary.

Before I knew it, it was time to go home. Erica and I putzed around the Grandy Farmer's Market, visited with Grandma Faye, and I was back on the road to Raleigh.

Oh and can I get an "amen" for this sign:

4 Years of Us

2009-09-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here we are...just 11 days before we get married, and we are celebrating already. Four years ago today, Patrick and I went out on our first date.

He had just shaved off all his curls and he took me to Ruby Tuesday's. And I agreed to see him again. I know.

It's amazing how that time has flown by. Here's to many, many, many more!

2006

2007

2008

2009

Blog-Curious: Hodgepodge

2009-09-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Tonight I'm headed home for my bachelorette party. The actual plan of events are a mystery to me, but nonetheless I'm so excited to see some of my very favorite people, my bridesmaids! Check back Monday for a recap with lots of pictures ( I hope!)

In the meantime, here's your weekly reading assignment, with love:

White After Labor Day?: Could you do it? I'm not convinced...

Unemployed or Between Jobs?: 4 Ways to Keep Moving and Grooving : Great advice on how not to go stir crazy, and expand your horizons at the same time.

Low Budget: San Francisco on the Cheap: I'm loving EmilyStyle's SF guides. Is her timing perfect or what?

In-Front-of-TV-Clutter-Tray: DAAANG I can't wait to get this wedding planning stuff over with so I can find time to decorate my house and be crafty.

What's Wrong with the Work Place and What's Next: Rebecca always makes you think.

Prepaid Cell Phone Plans can Save you Money: Interest, consider yourself peaked.

Working Vacations Rule: I can totally see myself doing this if/when I own my own business, but while I'm working for THEMAN, my vacation is strictly my own.

Are you a Success Junkie: Wait, is that a bad thing?

Labor Day

2009-09-10T08:31:00.002-04:00

So, the weekend.

I've been trying to wait to get pictures from Patrick before writing up this post, because how boring are weekend recaps with out pictures? Since it is now Thursday and becoming extremely apparent that somebody isn't going to load their pictures anytime soon, I thought maybe I should at least write down what we did before I totally forget. Hey love, I'm giving you the stink eye from all the way across Raleigh. (Of course, you could say this is my fault for forgetting my camera yet again, but this is my blog, so you won't.)

Friday night was uneventful and mainly consisted on cleaning the house.

Saturday morning I got up and packed my bags. Patrick came around 11 and we got on the road a little while later. We had a great drive down to Surfside Beach. Finally chose a song for our first dance. Once in Surfside we took the dogs for a long walk, enjoyed cooking out with the family, and eventually crashed, ready for the beach the next day.

After a big breakfast of pancakes and bacon Sunday morning it was time to head out on the beach. It takes a long time to load up 9 people, even if we are going less than a quarter mile. Finally on the beach, we claimed our spot and got ready to soak up some rays. Instead we got rain. Not too much, but I certainly wasn't worried about getting burned. Oh well.

Monday was more of the same, it was so cold on the beach that I laid under my towel. I know I'm a wimp, but it was a little ridiculous. After showers Patrick and I headed up to the outlet mall in North Myrtle Beach to take advantage of the Labor Day sales. We loaded up on good stuff for the honeymoon. Back in the car, it was a late night getting into Raleigh.

All in all, it was a great, relaxing weekend with soon-to-be official family. This coming weekend (which starts um, tomorrow) is going to be fun, but in a whole different way. It's my bachelorette party, and I have no idea what is in store, except that it's at the Outer Banks and I need an 80s prom dress. Lot's of pictures next time, I promise.

Etsy Love: Necklaces

2009-09-10T08:00:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I have showcased Etsy goodness. Here's a roundup of what I am loving to wear around your neck.

You know I love this peace and love necklace from Lavalleygirly.

I can think of so many sweet situations for this necklace by Chocolate and Steel.

A cage with no bird to hold it in by QuietLove.

I'm loving this lifelike bumblebee. No room for being cutesy here.

Finally, I love this fabric rose necklace, but where would I wear it? I'm afraid it would overwhelm me. For someone out there, it is the perfect statement piece.

Bride Diet

2009-09-08T15:48:00.003-04:00

Any good bride will tell you that it is absolutely imperative that you go on a strict diet and exercise regime between 6-9 months before your wedding, and for the last month you should be on a steady meal plan consisting of cabbage soup and diuretics (got to get rid of that water weight!) Well you already know what I think about good brides...

I'm not usually this bad, but this is what I ate on Monday, September 7, 2009....a mere 19 days before I wed.

Breakfast:
3 chocolate chip pancakes, coffee

Lunch #1:
2 chocolate chip cookies, Sprite

Lunch #2:
Whopper Jr. no onion, no tomato, extra pickles, water

Dinner:
Little Thickburger w/cheese
french fries
Coke

All of it, delicious.

Labor Day

2009-09-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

The markets are closed today and I'm still down on the beach. Most likely with a magazine in one hand and a cold beverage in the other.

Check back tomorrow-ish for a recap of the weekend!

Happy Labor Day!

Photo Credit: Mrs. Broccoli Guy

Blog-Curious: Beach Brain

2009-09-04T09:40:00.003-04:00

Labor Day weekend is thisclose, and soon Patrick and I will be loading the boys into the car, packing up our lounge chairs and sunscreen and driving down to Surfside Beach to spend the weekend with his family. My body may be sitting in my chair today, but I have the beach on my brain.

How about some good reading to help pass the day? Here are some posts to make you smile, to make you think and to make you dream.

Interesting Facts about Off-Priced Retailers - Well Heeled Blog

Moving to Paris without Quitting My Job: A Lesson in Becoming A Nonconformist - The Art of Nonconformity

Two Ways to Hire (and a wrong way) - Seth's Blog

Q&A: Designer Shoes on Sale - I am Style-ish

4 Lessons that Helped me Optimize my Workflow - Freelance Switch

September Goals - Cheyenne Schultz

Spotted - i suwannee

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

Link Updates

2009-09-03T08:01:00.000-04:00

Just so ya know...I tweaked a few things around here.

First up, I removed a bunch of blogs that slipped up on their posting frequency. Seriously, I have an awesome track record of finding a blog, falling in love, adding it to Google Reader, and then the next post that pops up says that they are no longer blogging. Not to worry though, because I have a new crop of superfun and interesting might-even-make-you-think blogs to persue at your leisure. Namely I have added i suwannee, Young House Love and Zen Habits. Go, and persue.

Also, I updated the Popular Posts at the bottom of the page. Our inviataions were quite popular, no? Like they were the not so cool kids in high school who reinvented themselves freshman year, and next thing you know they are student body president. In other words, so good I'm not even sure I deserve them.

To thine own self be true...

2009-09-02T17:50:00.000-04:00

Planning a wedding is a daunting task. There, I said it.

Never did I imagine that it would be so. We knew what we wanted, what we were working with, and what the final vision looked like in our heads.

All we wanted was to throw once heck of a party for our family and friends. Lots of laughing, hands in the air kind of dancing, people eating so much that they couldn't make room for cake (but how could they not?).

Then I discovered wedding blogs.

Style Me Pretty

Snippet and Ink

Martha Stewart Weddings

Wedding Bee

And then things got complicated. Maybe I was to hasty. Maybe I didn't want slightly formal with purple and green and paisley everywhere.

Maybe I wanted an intimate backyard barbeque.

A breakfast wedding with Beligan waffles and mascerated strawberries.

A garden party with ladies in hats and garden roses.

A rustic picnic with mason jars and fireflys and bunting.

But you know, the funny thing is I soon realized that these things aren't what I wanted. I wanted lots of laughing, hands in the air kind of dancing, and people eating so much that they couldn't make room for cake (and really, how could they not?).

And that will all happen, with or without oversized waffles, pretty hats or bunting hung from the rafters.

The place doesn't matter, the decoration doesn't matter. Having the people that mean the world to you there to celebrate is all that matters. And that makes it seem not so daunting at all.

Weekend in Review: Patrick's Home!

2009-09-01T07:00:00.004-04:00

I have two words to explain why I am just now getting around to writing this up: Mario Kart. Ohhh, it's fun.

Anyways...this weekend was fun as well. It started Friday afternoon with a menu tasting with mom at the Renaissance where we are having our wedding reception. We got to try 4 different salads, 4 entrees, and 4 desserts. And it was all delicious.

After a rainy drive to Hertford, we woke up the next morning and got dolled up to go to a bridal luncheon given for me and 2 other girls that are daughters of mom's co-workers. Erica and Tiffany were able to make it, and we had a great time hanging out. Erica was reunited with her Betty Ford Clinic towel.

After the luncheon we stopped by a shower given for one of my cousins (he is getting married on the same day I am) and then headed to Elizabeth City for a makeup trial with Leslie. Back home, exhausted, we hung around the house for a lazy Saturday night.

Up early for church, once we got home we went to work fixing a huge lunch. Mustard fried trout, Cajun blackened red fish, hush puppies, potatoes and broccoli. All delicious. After a quick clean up I was on the road back to Raleigh.

Patrick met me at the house, and I was so glad to see him! He had been gone for 2 weeks and it was great to have him back home. After catching up a bit we went and bought Mario Kart for Wii. And that's pretty much all I've done since.

Blog-Curious: Martha Love

2009-08-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have *ahem* two monster Martha books. The first one I bought is Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook and the second is Martha Stewart Cooking School. And I love them.

The new movie Julie and Julia, which I will never convince Patrick to see and therefore will be showing up in my Netflix queue soon, got me thinking about the Cooking School book. It is really more than a cook book, it is a primer for a semi-beginner chef who wants to learn how to do things right. I've been drawn to this book a lot in recent weeks. Maybe its because I've been having ice cream for dinner. Don't judge me. Ice cream for dinner is an inalienable adult right. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone took on the Martha challenge like Julie Powell does in the movie (and the book). A quick google search confirmed my answer...

Jeff and Martha: My Year of Cooking Fabulously

Jeff took Julie's idea to heart and is making his way through all of Martha's recipes and technique lessons over the course of a year. I have really enjoyed following his journey and can't wait to see it through with him. Because as much as I can't wait to have more than one mouth to feed at night so I can justify spending inordinate amounts of time on dinner, this girl will be eating no such thing as calf liver. Or, let's be honest, mushrooms of any sort. Or beans. Unless they are green beans. Jeff, I am eating vicariously through you, that way I don't have to eat the icky stuff.

In not-Martha news, another really great food blog that I enjoy is The Delicious Dish, by Kathleen. Actually, I know her as Lusher, you'll know her as the girl who makes the fabulous looking food. She is on a hiatus right now (girl is planning a wedding after all!) but check out her archives and you, like me, will be impatiently awaiting her return.

On a side note, did you know that Martha has a blog of her own? Did you care? Don't answer that. Just go to The Martha Blog and check it out.

Ceci n'est pas une carte.

2009-08-25T13:23:00.005-04:00

One more thing on the list of things I absolutely will not be doing for the wedding.

But oh, aren't they lovely?

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3

Weekend In Reveiw: Resting Up!

2009-08-24T11:11:00.003-04:00

So this weekend was so blissfully low-key that I won't even bore you with the details except to say the following:

- Confessions of a Shopaholic was surprisingly hil-lar-i-ous.
- The dogs could not have been less interested in the dog park.
- A trip to the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon is almost never a good idea.
- Harry Potter weekend on ABC Family has entertained me more than once.
- I had not one, but two DIY fails this weekend.
- The boys need their own beds in my room. It was cute the first time they slept on my sham pillows, but now they are starting to smell.
- Thought about going out Saturday night, but it was raining so instead I had a huge bowl of ice cream. It was the perfect call.

Ohh and how could I forget...the R.S.V.P. deadline has come and gone, and we still have 95 outstanding. Here's the round up of those we have heard from:

Total Yes: 109
Total No: 46

Team Stallings Yes: 55
Team Stallings No: 27

Team Loftin Yes: 54
Team Loftin No: 19

Ohhhh so close! It's getting juicy.

Blog-Curious: Find Your Style

2009-08-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

First and foremost: Happy Friday!

Secondly, I am totally cheating this week. As a follow up to last weeks "nesting" edition, I wanted to share some of the many addicting quizzes out there in internet land that claim to "show your true style" or "express your design viewpoint" or "release your color aura." Um...

Here are some fun ones, along with my results:

Find Your Style - Ikea Business
My style here is Country Original

Celebrity Decorating Style
I got Jennifer Aniston - love her!

Decorating Personality - Better Homes & Gardens
I got French Country (but the choices were only Formal, French Country or Vintage)

What's Your Design Style - HGTV
They say I am Rustic Comfort

What's My Style Quiz - Merillat
Here I got Formal Traditional (???)

Have fun playing around...while I don't think any quiz can really reflect you by picking lamps out of a line-up, it is a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Cozy Friday Night

2009-08-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here's my recipe for a cozy Friday night:

1 Petite Loaf of fresh baked Sourdough break
1 pretty dish filled with olive oil infused with herds de Provence
1 bottle cheap red wine

Munch and sip through the night while exchanging foot rubs and stories about the week with someone special.

Note: I recommend eating first, foot rubbing later.

Weekend in Review: She's Crafty

2009-08-17T20:02:00.004-04:00

And we're back from the weekend. This weekend was full of shopping, food and fun.

Friday night Patrick came over with Caden to hang out. After working on a petit loaf of Sourdough bread we sat around and enjoyed some general laziness while we decompressed from the week. About the time we started cooking dinner, Patrick got called into a surgery. He headed out (Caden stayed, he'll be here for the next 2 weeks anyway) and I sat down to watch a netflix movie.

Saturday we met at the Flea Market to do some shopping. I was looking for 5x7 picture frames, and a few larger ones for another project. We didn't find as many as I needed, but we rounded up 4 or so at $1 each and a poster size frame for $5. We checked out lots of pure junk and some fun items (Mickey Mouse cookie tins!) along with some that I can't imagine anyone buying (a swatiska flag???). On a whim we stopped by Big Lots and managed to round out the rest of the frames that I needed for my table number project for $2 each. Not bad!

I also dropped by the Target in Cary....BIG MISTAKE. It was move-in weekend for NCState, and the Cary Target is where all the parents go to load up their kids on Easy Mac and tv stands. It was a nightmare. I did snag some sweet outdoor chairs on sale for $10 each outside the neighboring Home Depot though, so I'll call it a draw.

Saturday night we headed over to a going away party for one of Patrick's friends. There were crab legs, hamburgers, hotdogs, and homemade salsa that was out of this world. The highlight of the night for me was talking soap with another girl there who also dabbles with a soap pot.

Sunday morning I drove Patrick to the airport (again! boo!) and he is now in Colorado for the next two weeks. Once I got home, I got to work. I spent the afternoon making favor tags and prepping for my table number project. I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I'll give details (and maybe a tutorial) after the wedding. Here's a little something to whet your appetite.

After a butt-kicking workout (I did kickboxing for cardio and slow & heavys with weights) I hit the showers and relaxed a bit before calling it a night.

So that's how I spent the weekend, but if you actually read all that, I know what you are really here for....the Race to the R.S.V.P.! I have to say, my trash talking must have worked, because Team Loftin really stepped it up this week. Of course, Team Stallings is still in the lead, but Team Loftin made big strides. Keep them coming!

Week 3 Results

Total Yes: 51
Total No: 25

Team Stallings Yes: 27
Team Stallings No: 17
Team Stallings Total: 54

Team Loftin Yes: 24
Team Loftin No: 8
Team Loftin Total: 32

Blog Curious: Nesting

2009-08-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

With the wedding only 6 weeks away (eek!) I can feel myself getting into a serious nesting mode. All of the sudden I have the urge to clean and purge, paint and organize. I might even finally put some art on my walls if I get feeling crazy.

Here are some of the blogs I have been reading to feed my cravings.

Chez Larrson

Young House Love

The Inspired Room

SimpleMom

I Suwannee

Go get lost in them.

Our Invitations

2009-08-13T07:15:00.004-04:00

The R.S.V.P.'s have been pouring in for a week and a half now, and I have to say that I never imagined how overwhelmingly positive the response has been for the design of the invitations. This was a team effort in the truest sort, with Patrick and I initially deciding on a design, mom and I double checking to make sure there wasn't an easier route, me setting up the text in Power Point, Allison having a panic attack and re-doing it for me in her fancy-schmancy design software, setting up the printer, Grace, Cicely, Mom, Cheryl, Patrick and I putting them together, Patrick doing the wax seals and finally me addressing all 250+ envelopes.

Whoa run on sentence.

What I mean to say is that these babies were a monster, and I'm very glad you like them.

If there are anymore daring souls out there looking for some inspiration, here is the (mostly) step-by-step on how to create them:

Step 1: (not shown) Don't be fooled, this is the hardest part. First you have to come up with your design. Budget lots of time for this.

Step 2: (not shown) Price everything out and layout your design. Here's a thought, if you are buying pre-cut mats, make sure that they fit your pocket fold, or you will have to make a million tiny cuts.

Step 3: Measure and cut any paper that you need to "make work." Measure twice, cut 250 times.

Step 4: Finalize your text, double check it, have your fiance check it, have your mom check it, have your neighbor check it. Due to the large number of invites, we had a printer do our work for us, but for a smaller wedding you can probably do this on your home printer. Check out our goods.

Step 5: (not shown) Tape everything together, assemble per your layout.

Step 6: break out the wax seal and play. When you get the feel for it, go to town on your invitations.

Step 7: Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Step 8: Sit back and admire your work. Get a hand massage, then send your babies into the world.

We used the following products:

Pocketfolds: Archivers Yours Truly in Blackberry

Invitation Mats: Archivers Yours Truly in Moss

Paisley Sidebar: Archivers Scrapbook Paper

Invitation, Inserts, Envelopes and Printing: Sir Speedy

Fonts: Trajan Pro and Zapfino

Font Color: Pantone color-matched to Blackberry (I have no clue what number that was, sorry)

Papercutter: X-ACTO Heavy Duty 12" Laser Trimmer

Things That Make You Go Swoon - Dresses

2009-08-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

In an effort to prove (mostly to myself) that this is not strictly a wedding blog, but a blog about me as a whole entire person I decided to give the wedding stuff a rest and concentrate on something else entirely...cute dresses!

The quality of this photo sucks, so you'll have to check out the details on the website. But trust me, the ruffles are to die for!

Dress Details
Look For: Striped Shirtdress
Find It At: Ann Taylor Loft
Will Set You Back: $79.50

I have absolutely nowhere to wear this dress, and that makes me very sad. Quick! Someone invite me to the Oscars!

Dress Details

Look For: Strapless layered gown

Find It At: BCBG

Will Set You Back: $398

Can you believe I made this whole list with only 2 dresses from Anthropologie on it? It took some serious will power. This one made the cut.

Dress Details

Look For: Mixed Media Dress

Find It At: Anthropologie

Will Set You Back: $158

French Connection, how I love you. Remember when I thought it was so cool to wear my "Lucky as FCUK" shirt? Scandalous when walking around Elizabeth City.

Dress Details

Look For: Mary Dress

Find It At: French Connection

Will Set You Back: 60 quid (that's similar to "greenback" for you Yanks)

Too cute for a Sunday brunch. Too cheap to pass up.

Dress Details

Look For: Jinny Floral Knit

Find It At: Forever 21

Will Set You Back: $22.80

Patrick, please buy me this dress and a big floppy hat and take me to the Farmers Market.

Dress Details

Look For: Damask V-Neck Dress

Find It At: Ella Moss

Will Set You Back: $198

My second Anthropologie dress to make the cut. I love the pleating, the petals, the pretty, pretty details.

Dress Details

Look For: Clustered Petals
Find It At: Anthropologie

Will Set You Back: $188

Perfect for walking down the beach in Mexico. Man I need a vacation!

Dress Details

Look For: Chiffon Blurred Bust Maxi

Find It At: Forever 21

Will Set You Back: $29.80

So spiffy for work.

Dress Details

Look For: Belted Jersey Dress

Find It At: BCBG

Will Set You Back: $108

This color is georgous and the pleats are perfect. Not too many, not too few.

Dress Details

Look For: AE Pleated Dress

Find It At: American Eagle Outfitters

Will Set You Back: $34.50

Time For a Change? Blogger Templates

2009-08-11T11:54:00.005-04:00

When I created this blog, I put exactly zero effort into its layout. I chose a generic blogger template. I came up with name in 3.75 seconds and I quickly wrote 2 posts so that it wouldn't look so empty.

Thought process:

I should have a blog. Ok, done. Hmmm, it needs a layout. Black is always stylish, yes? Yes. Ok clickety-click. Done. Hmmm, what should I write about? Amos, lay down. Flash. Upload picture. Done. Now what?

So I was thinking, maybe I need to put a little effort into this whole layout thing. What I really need to do is learn how to create my own templates, but I'm a little busy now you know, so another template is going to have to do the job. Free is always good too.

So far I have managed to scrounge up a few templates that could work. I'm noticing that I like the cartoony layouts a bit, and until I learn how to upload pictures into the layout, it just might work. Should I cartoon-ize myself? Could be fun!

All layouts courtesy of BTemplates.com

Cute, but not me:

Girl with Music

Puppets

Vintage Paper

Could be fun:

Ligneous

Limbrete

Kinda loving it:

Retrograde

Lay Simples

Girl Lay Down

So guys, what do you think? Am I way off the mark here? Anyone want to design me something sweet?

Race to the R.S.V.P. - Week 1

2009-08-10T21:19:00.003-04:00

The results for our first full week of R.S.V.P.'s are in. Let's see what has come in:

Total Yes: 26
Total No: 11

Team Stallings Yes: 17
Team Stallings No: 5

Team Loftin Yes: 9
Team Loftin No: 6

Yes, we have comfortably extended our lead. My side of the family is awesome.

(For any members of Team Loftin that may be reading...you guys are awesome too, but this is a race! We need a little trash talk.)

Weekend in Review: Mom and Dad meet Belmont

2009-08-10T16:09:00.003-04:00

This weekend was our second wedding shower, this time in Belmont. It was a fun weekend of Barbecue, presents and friends.

Friday night we got on the road after a late start. We didn't get to Patrick's parents house until a a little after 11, but that didn't stop us from all hanging out for a while and catching up. Eventually every one was off to bed to rest up for the big day!

Saturday we had our usual Belmont breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes! After we were well hopped up (as Grandma Doris would say) it was time for showers and Saturday morning laziness. Once everyone was ready to go we headed to downtown Belmont for a barbecue cook off. I have never eaten so much western NC barbecue in my life! (Yes, I am a purist.) There were people from all over the place set up cooking their pigs. It was a hot day and the asphalt and cookers only added to the heat. I wouldn't be surprised if the one tent handing out bottled water won!

After about an hour it was time to head back home and get ready for the shower. We arrived at the church half an hour early and my bridesmaid Jackie was already there and helping set up! She is too good to me. We had a great time catching up and visiting with the rest of the family. I got to see Ashton's dress, her "princess dress." A girl after my own heart! Soon it was time to start opening presents and once again we were overwhelmed by everyone's generosity.

After the shower, mom, dad and I decided to drive out to Ikea (how could we resist?). Mom and I had a great time walking around and exploring everything, dad got lost and sat on a bench outside for the remainder of the shopping trip. Typical.

While we were shopping, Mr. Benny was getting the grill hot. We had a huge dinner with filets, grilled corn on the cob, broccolli, cheesy rice and garlic bread. Because we hadn't been eating all day.

After dinner Patrick and I headed downtown to a tavern to meet up with some friends. It was nice seeing everyone, but that is about all you could do due to the dude with the guitar and HUGE speaker on stage. Seriously, we all love live music, but if you can't hear anyone else talking then it makes your night out a little pointless.

At church the next morning our crew took up a whole pew and Patrick's Aunt Myra called us out to the whole church. That was fun. We had a nice lunch at a new restaurant in Cramerton, Center Street Meeting Place (I think) before getting back on the road.

Once back in Raleigh, my parents took off as fast as they could for the second leg of their trip while Patrick and I settled in to work on Thank You notes. We are almost finished with the ones from last weekend, it has been quite a project. Before long I was in bed, sleepy but happy after another great weekend.

P.S. I know, another weekend with NO pictures. I hands have been to busy for a camera. My bad.

P.S.S. I'll update our R.S.V.P. race when tonight, but rest assured, I am still winning. :)

Blog-Curious: Say My Name

2009-08-07T08:17:00.000-04:00

Note: I've been sitting on this post for about a month in a half looking for more blogs that are written by a Megan. No luck so far, so I decided to go ahead and post it. Where are all the Megans at, yo?

A short list of blogs by girls named Megan (or some derivative of it) for your Friday.

A Pratical Wedding: Love this Meg for keeping me centered during the wedding planning stages.

...Love Maegen: I just found this blog a couple of weeks ago. I love Maegen's style and DIYness.

Invitation Sneak Peek

2009-08-05T21:18:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I had 15 R.S.V.P. envelopes in my mail box. 15! Oh, and one envelope that I forgot to put postage on. 1 out of 250 isn't so bad, right? Yesterday was the earliest possible day that they could get here, I put them in the mail at the post office at 4:30 pm on Friday afternoon and approximately 25 seconds later the first one arrived at someone's house. That may be a slight exaggeration, but in all honesty I had no idea they would arrive so quickly.

Since (mostly) everyone has had the opportunity to see their invites up close and personal, I will give a quick sneak peek, but there are a few that may still be in transit so I'll hold off from posting the whole she-bang and tutorial for a couple more days.

The current R.S.V.P. count (because I can make anything into a competition) is as follows:

Replied Yes - Team Loftin: 3
Team Stallings: 7
Total Yes - 10

Replied No - Team Loftin: 4
Team Stallings: 1
Total No - 5

Team Loftin total: 7
Team Stallings total: 8

It's going to be a close race, but not only am I winning with over all numbers, I am kicking butt on getting the Yes checks back. Woo hoo GO TEAM STALLINGS!

Note: Numbers are based on R.S.V.P. cards received, not number of people coming. This will keep the numbers more fair as an equal amount of invitations were sent to both sides.

Weekend Review: Chance of Showers

2009-08-04T21:30:00.001-04:00

Whew. I am still recovering from the weekend. It was fun, exhausing, relaxing, and completely overwhelming.

Friday night Patrick's parents arrived in Raleigh and we loaded up my Envoy with 4 people, 2 dogs, 3 suitcases, 2 Pottery Barn presents (!!!), and about 5 dress shirts and 13 dresses. I'm surprised that a police car didn't pull us over on suspicion of carrying drugs. After a long, rainy drive we finally made it to Hertford, had a few snacks and called it a night.

Mom made a big breakfast of eggs, sausage, fruit, yogurt and coffee the next morning. After quick showers, we rode down to the lot to show Mr. Benny & Ms. Kim. Back at the house we had a few hyper-competitive games of foosball before lunch (really, all we did last weekend was eat). After a nap on the couch everyone headed over to Karen & Wayne's house on the Pasquotank River for swimming and sailing in the Sunfish.

Once the storm started to blow up everyone came inside and got ready for the dinner party. The plan was for the party to be outside, but the incessant rains that have been coming down for a week now didn't let that happen. Karen and Patricia planned this party for us and I think everyone just had THE BEST time. I know I did. Dinner consisted of pork tenderloin, london broil, crab dip, steamed veggies, shirmp cocktail, and lots of wine and mojitos. I am probably forgetting something, there was so much on the table, but I know that is what I ate. Patrick and I spent the night surrounded by family and friends and it just could not have been any better. There is no better feeling than looking out at a room filled with people that you love and seeing everyone talking and laughing and having a good old time.

For some reason there are no pictures of Patrick and I together!

We got to sleep in a bit and went to the second service at church, followed by lunch at Montero's. I got to see people there that I haven't seen in years, it's always so nice to catch up. After finishing up there, it was back to church for the grandaddy of all showers (both inside and outside). When we arrived there was already a table full of gifts, and our hostesses told us we better start opening right then. I thought it was a little early, but they have bridal showers down to a science so Patrick and I sat down and dug in! When we finally popped our heads back up over the wrapping paper, it was over 2 hours later and we were exhausted and overwhelmed by the sheer scope and amount of presents we opened, but also by the outpouring of love and well wishes. I got to see women from all different parts of my life as well as meet new ones. I am now working my way through a massive pile of thank you notes, which is a great problem to have. I only hope that we can truly express how much everyone's thoughtfulness means to us as we start our new life together. Knowing that we have so much support from our family and our community will give us strength to always make it through.

Back home we quickly determined that there was no way all those gifts were making it back to Raleigh that night. They filled up mom's Acadia and my Envoy. Wow. We sadly packed them away upstairs for mom and dad to bring to Raleigh this weekend before we head to Belmont to be showered all over again.

Slow Down

2009-08-04T09:28:00.004-04:00

My weekend in review post will be up tonight I promise. I actually have it written I just keep forgetting to upload pictures from my camera. Bad Megan. I am sorry.

In the mean time, I want to direct your attention to the blog of Laura Bacon & Emira Mears, known as The Boss of You. In a recent post called "The Slow Growth is Smart Growth Manifesto" they talk about their business philosophy and how it is leading them to a better work life.

For me, it really outlines the way that I am beginning to look at life. I want a mindset of abundance, not scarcity, meaningful (or...more meaningful) work, success that I can define, not that my boss determines for me.

Go give it a read, and if you're feeling spiffy, check out their book of the same name.

Photo credit: CarbonNYC

I Love Lantern

2009-07-29T10:16:00.006-04:00

Continuing with things I find absolutley drool-worthy...here are some lanterns to fall in love with.

So, yes. I love lantern(s).

I love them big.

I love them tall.

I love them skinny.

I love them small.

I love them old-fashioned.

I love them outside.

I love them Moroccan.

I love them times five.

I love them hanging.

And on a street post.

But I think at weddings

I love them the most.

Photo Credit:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Note: I am having trouble with Blogger's formatting, please excuse the random picture stuck to the middle of the page!

Weekend in Review: Invitation Intensive Week is over!

2009-07-27T07:15:00.003-04:00

Hello loves.

It's early Monday morning, and while I'd love nothing more than to crawl back in bed, I suppose it's off to start another week in the working world. But first, let's relive the weekend! Shall we?

Friday afternoon I left work a little early and went to pick up my parents from the airport. They had just got back from a fishing trip down in the Lousiana bayou. My gift for being their chaffeur was a bag of trout and a bag of red fish. Yum!

For dinner that night, I cooked Patrick and I fried trout, potatoes fried in olive oil with vidalia onions and caesar salad. It was very very yummy. After working on invitations for a few hours, I was zonked out on the couch.

Up early-ish on Saturday for the beginning of a very busy day. Patrick and I met our "church lady," Lib at Hayes Barton at 11 to go over ceremony details. After that, we picked up Cook-Out trays (with milkshakes, no less) and headed over to Jared's to pick up Patrick's wedding band. We've been trying on our bands all weekend and looking at them in this shell-shocked amazement, like, "are we really doing this?" Heck yes we are!

After a few more errands around town, it was back home to really settle in and finish up invitations. We decided to close them with wax seals, which looks sweet but takes forever. Patrick was on wax seal duty while I assembled the last parts on the invites and stuffed them in the envelopes when we were finished with them.

We could have finished them all that night, but we got a call from some friends asking if we wanted to go out for putt putt and go-karts. How could we refuse? It was an awesome night, we rode go-karts, got almost the full time and then they brought us in a little early because of thunder and lightening, so we got a rain check. Next we shot each other up in laser tag. Finally, we headed out to the putt putt course and got all the way to hole 15 before the rain really started coming down...so we got another rain check! Not too bad, paying for 3 activities and getting 5. We couldn't figure out a way to rain out laser tag though. Oh well.

Church was Sunday morning followed by a quick lunch and FINALLY finishing those stinkin invitations. You better enjoy them! After some time in the sunshine, Patrick headed home and I was extremely lazy. It was awesome.

Hope you guys had a great weekend too!

Wedding Planning makes You Crazy: The Proof

2009-07-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

After making 250 quarter inch cuts with my new paper cutter, I ended up with 500 strips of green paper. It was just kind of sitting in a pile on my table. One night I absentmindedly picked up a few and started folding them together, like I used to do with the edges of paper from the old dot-matrix printers. Before I knew it, I had this:

Still not sure what I'm going to do with it, I half about half of the pile left and I figure that since I've started it I might as well finish. Maybe as filler in the bathroom baskets? I can see it now, bobby pins and tampons nestled amongst 500 hand crinkled strips, perfectly coordinated with the invitations.

Eat your heart out Martha, and someone, please give me my sanity back.

Be Still, My Heart

2009-07-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

There are a few things that can make my heart skip a beat. A bacon cheeseburger, a snowy morning, my Amos Moses and a well organized closet. Any closet is good, but the two that really get me going are linen closets and kitchen pantrys.

If my closet looked this good, I'd always leave the door open. Look, even the toliet paper rolls on the top shelf match the color scheme!

Swoon.

I can't imagine having so much space that I could dedicate and entire shelf to a pillow.

This beatuy is ready for its close up.

I want to live in this picture.

Everything is so neat and tidy, I hate my wire shelving that doesn't let anything stand up straight!

A container for everything? Yes, please!

Finally, the granddaddy of all perfect pantrys.

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Weekend in Review: Paper everywhere!

2009-07-21T06:41:00.002-04:00

My apologies for not getting this up earlier. Yesterday was Syngergy at work, which always requires a lot of work from me so I've just been busy, blah, blah, blah tired of excuses yet? Good, let's move on then.

Friday I was so excited to get home. Mom and dad, along with their fishing buddies Mike and Cheryl were coming to stay the night. On Saturday they were flying down to the bayous of Louisiana for red fish. Mexican for dinner, followed by invitation making once we got back home. Between Cheryl, mom and myself, we busted through 125 of those bad boys. Soon though we were worn out, and if was off to bed.

Up early on Saturday to cook a big breakfast before taking everyone off to the airport. Once back home I tidied up around the house, and sat outside for a couple of hours while re-reading the last Harry Potter book (Deathly Hallows). Before long, it was time to go back to the airport for the highlight of my weekend....Patrick was finally coming home! After waiting about 45 minutes for the plane's luggage to be unloaded (we always have a hard time with luggage at the new terminal), we headed home and began working on invitations. I know I sound like a slave driver, but we have 250 very involved invitations to make. Give me a break! Patrick assembled while I addressed.

We decided to head down to North Hills to see if we could get into Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Of course it was sold out, but all was not lost, because we discovered Five Guys! For those of you not in the know (which I was a part of before Saturday night), Five Guys has AMAZING burgers. The kind your neighborhood grill master makes.

Sunday I slept in. I meant to get up and go to church, but I didn't wake up until almost 10 and it was too late then. I kinda knew that was coming, I had been feeling only half alive for almost a week. Still, I had a bit of alarm shock when I finally opened my eyes. Patrick and I hit up the HP matinee, and we both really enjoyed it. I can't wait for Movie 7 part 1 and part 2. 16 months!

Back home, it was time to prepare for another week.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Reflections, One Year after our Engagement

2009-07-17T13:12:00.005-04:00

One year ago today, I was walking along the top of Jockey's Ridge, buring my feet off, struggling to keep up with Patrick and trying hard not to cry or throw up because I was so hot.

Mintues later, I found myself standing in front of Patrick, who was now down on one knee, trying hard not to cry or throw up because I was so excited, so surprised and so incredibly happy. We were engaged.

I remember how excited I was to buy my first bridal magazine, check out venues online, and yes, even set up my account on The Knot.

I remember how hard it was to come up with a budget, to gather ideas and organize my thoughts, to think concretely about an event that had never seemed like something more than a distant dream.

I remember the ease with which I chose my bridesmaids. These girls are my best friends and there is no one else I would rather have standing up there beside me.

As we are closing in on the two month mark until our wedding day, I don't think so much about the pretty dresses, the reception halls, the fabric swatches or the fancy flowers.

I think about how at ease I am around him. How he doesn't mind when I'm silly, or unreasonable, or hard-headed (and I am often all three). How he always cooks the chicken, because I always messed it up. How we used to write each other the longest letters. How one rainy day in England, I just knew it was him.

I imagine how I will feel on that day in September. I will be surrounded by friends and family, and yet there he will be, standing at the end of the aisle, the only thing I see. I imagine us saying our vows to each other, accepting each other, just as we are, as husband and wife.

Photo Credit: Patrick

Obsessed with Fonts

2009-07-16T09:49:00.007-04:00

I've always been a pretty simple girl. In middle school, I was in love with Courier New (bonus, it made your papers longer due to the wide spacing), and settled into a comfortable relationship with Times New Romans during the many papers churned out during high school and college.

I had no idea that there was anything available besides what showed up on the drop-down menu in Microsoft Word. Turns out, there are these things called foundrys that create new fonts every day. I can't help but imagine a little workshop filled with serifs and ampersands and debates about the differences between Arial and Arial Narrow. Huh.

If only I had broadened my horizons a little early. If the gloriousness that is Weddingbee had entered my life, if I put any effort into this wedding stuff sooner, if I had any artistic capabilities at all...my paper products would be glorious. Angles we have heard on high type stuff.

For all you ladies who are still in the process of designing your invitation suites, here are some examples of the wonders of font.

From DaFont

Imagine sending out your invitations written in Jane Austen's handwriting. Swoon.

I don't know what it is about Saint Andrew's Queen exactly, but I am in love. This is my favorite.

I'm not a huge fan of Chopin, too swirly for me, but I know that lots of people love the fancy.

One Fell Swoop is super cool. It kind of reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe for some reason. Bonus points: It is the name of one of my favorite records.

From 1001 Free Fonts

I love the Albemarle as an alternative to script type. We went with Trajan PRO, but I am a big fan of this one.

From Fonts for Peas

How perfect is Pea Squeaker for a casual summer wedding? Fonts for Peas has a really cool feature where you can send in a sample of your handwriting and they will turn it into a font for you to use. I wish my handwriting was as cute as the Squeaker!

Packages!

2009-07-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things about doing wedding stuff is getting packages in the mail. A couple of days ago I came home with all this waiting at my door step and I was downright giddy.

So what's in them? Well, excuse me while I revert to third grade for a minute and tell you, "that's for me to know and you to find out!"

Weekend in Review: A little of this, A little of that....

2009-07-13T20:39:00.007-04:00

With Patrick out in Arizona, I spent this weekend all by my lonesome, and it was some kind of awesome. Not that I didn't miss him, but I am just so content to spend time alone.

Friday night I spent way to much time checking out my favorite new website, WeddingBee. I mean, WAY too much time. A little mindless TV and I was off to bed.

Saturday morning I woke up with the worst headache I've had in years. A couple of years ago I got headaches every day, like clockwork, and this one felt just like that. It was like having someone from high school come to visit you, which is great except for the fact that you never liked them that much. After I finally recovered from that it was around noon. I did a quick workout and then went out to run some errands. After dinner I watched a Netflix dvd about Windsor Castle (I know, I'm a nerd) and ended up reading Harry Potter (book 7) until about 2 am. That's crazy, I never stay up that late anymore. Amos fell asleep hogging the remotes. Typical man.

Sunday morning was church, followed by some walking around at the flea market. I was looking for something specific, a 3 tiered fruit bowl. Something like this, but solid-er.

Luckily, fruit baskets are kinda tall, so I was able to mostly walk by the tables and tables of stuff while scouting. I found a few options, but nothing close enough, so I let it go. Next I rode over to Yates Mill Pond and checked out the location as a possible bridal portrait shoot. I think it will work, the old mill there is really cool.

I spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy and went to meet Jessie at the dog park around 6 to let the boys run. We had a good chat, then it was back home to get to work on invitations. 250 quarter inch paper cuts later, my green mats are ready to go. Thank God for my new paper cutter!

Blog-Curious: Engagement Pictures

2009-07-10T10:34:00.004-04:00

This is the blog I tried to write Friday, but I was so excited I was having trouble writing anything besides OMG OMG OMG I LOVE OUR PICTURES! It is a such a thrill to see yourself on a blog that you stalk um....multiple times a day.

After a few days of cooling off, I still LOVE our pictures, but I think I may be able to write about them slightly more intelligently.

A few weeks ago, Patrick and I spent the evening with our wedding photographer and her husband, Cheyenne & Geoff Schultz. We took pictures all around and in the Free Expression Tunnel at NCSU, and then headed down to City Market downtown. We had so much fun, which I really think you can tell when looking at the pictures.

Cheyenne did a great job capturing us. I can't wait for my bridal portraits at the end of the month, and of course our wedding! See you soon Cheyenne!

Photo credit: Cheyenne Schultz

Why I Love Getting Naked

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post, but it would be awesome if it was.

I remember the first time I got Naked. It was during my internship at Disney, and Ken and I had gone on one of our shopping trips to Super Target. There, among the bags of salad, sat a row of juices simply called, "Naked." We giggled our way through reading the desciption on the label before realizing that this was actually good stuff.

There is actually about 2 lbs. of fruit in every bottle of Naked. I'm working on a bottle of Red Machine Superfood right now. Look at what is inside:

13 Raspberries
11 Strawberries
3 Cranberries
1.5 Apples
0.5 Pomegranate
0.3 Orange
0.5 Banana
7 Red Grapes

When else do you eat that much fruit all at one time? Or even have access to it? Unless you live on a fruit farm or inside a Whole Foods, I'm guessing not that often.

At over $3 a pop, Naked is certainly a treat and was an impractical indulgence back when we were making $6.25/hour, but so worth it. But every now and then, I do get myself some Naked. I love it because it's practically a meal replacement, has small orchard in a bottle, oh and did I mention it taste better than any smoothie I've ever made on my own.

Go ahead and get Naked, and get me Naked too. :)

A Short List of Things that are Really Starting to Freak Me Out

2009-07-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

1) Every time I keep Caden for more than one night, he gets diarrhea.
2) Wedding Invitations.
3) Work situations that will go unidentified (unnamed? yes, maybe.).
4) The fact that my house is never going to be "done" the way I want it.
5) June 2010.
6) First dance.
7) To videographer or not to videographer? (I think 'to videographer,' but then, how to pay for it?)

Weekend in Review: Low Key Long Weekend

2009-07-07T06:37:00.003-04:00

Another week has come and past. Why is summer flying by this year? No me gusta.

Let's see...my weekend technically started on Thursday afternoon last week, which was amazing. Nothing too interesting happened, I did some exercising and finished up the documentary on Windsor Castle that I had on loan from Netflix. Patrick came over and we settled in for Burn Notice, our favorite show to watch together. It was a repeat (boo!) so I switched over to the results show of So You Think You Can Dance? Usually I just watch the highlights of the results show after Burn Notice, and after watching the whole hour long show, I much prefer the highlights only version. Oh well.

Friday morning after a little breakfast, I did a few more exercise videos. FitTV on DVR has been the best thing for my workout routine. I record three shows every day: All Star Workouts (which is usually a form of cardio), Cardio Blast (which is actually weigh training, with some occasional cardio thrown in) and Namaste Yoga. So each day I do either All Star or Cardio Blast, followed by Namaste Yoga for a total of an hour and a half. Not bad! The only problem is that all 3 record every day, so Im building up a bit of a waiting list.

After the exercising, I sat outside with a couple of magazines to relax a bit. Patrick came over and joined me outside after he finished his rounds at the vet school. After lunch and showers, we headed out to run some errands. While we were out, Patrick got called back to the school so I dropped him off and did some Target shopping. I picked him back up, and after stops at Lowe's and Michael's, we headed back to the house. Friday night is a bit cloudy. I know that Patrick was on call so we didn't go any where...but can't for the life of me remember what we actually did!

Saturday morning was much like Friday. Exercising followed by sunshine. Later that afternoon, Patrick and I took Amos and Caden out to Millbrook Exchange dog park, followed up by a pork dinner. We headed down to the state fairgrounds to watch fireworks, and ended up watching them from the vet school.

Sunday morning I was up early as I had to take Patrick to the airport. He is spending the next two weeks in Arizona, completeing an externship at a vet hospital there. I'm pretty open to living wherever, but Arizona isn't on the top of my list. After I dropped him off, I did even more exercising (don't worry, I'm taking some time off this week), realized that I had skipped church, and decided to take a nap. 2 hours later I got up, did some chores around the house, and got ready for another week.

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Long Weekend

2009-07-03T13:08:00.003-04:00

The office is closed today so I'm taking the day off from blogging too. Be back Monday!

Everyone have a safe and fun Fourth of July!

photo credit: Grundlepuck

Wedding Advice

2009-07-01T09:15:00.000-04:00

Inspired by my love, Hey Mel, I wanted to impart some advice that I have gathered while planning my wedding:

1. Go to A Practical Wedding and read every post that Meg has written.

2. Get rid of the idea that this day is all about you. It is about you, and your fiance, and the new life that you are creating together. Include him.

3. If you are a crafty girl and truly enjoy making things, then go ahead and DIY the heck out of your wedding. Don't force it if this isn't the case.

4. Go ahead and read all the wedding porn that you can get your hands on. It is great for inspiration and there are some truly creative brides out there.

5. Delegate! Surround yourself with people who truly want to help you (your mom, other family members, bridesmaids) and let them help you.

6. Think, really think, about what is important to you and your fiance. If a garter/bouquet toss makes you squeamish, then skip it. Don't do anything that doesn't feel right to you, and don't let anyone talk you into doing it because you "have to." You have to say your vows to each other and someone ordained by the state has to oversee it. That is all you have to do, thankyouverymuch.

7. Hire vendors that care about your wedding day as much as you do. The right people can make this whole process so much easier. Surround yourself with people that you trust.

8. Take the time to think about and be grateful for what is happening in your life. It is such a blessed time, planning your wedding. You are committing yourself to the person that you love. You are joining two families, introducing two groups of friends. Embrace your new community, express your gratitude for them all, and enjoy the process.

*photocredit: Audra Little

Honeymoon Sneak Peek: Disneyland

2009-06-30T08:47:00.005-04:00

I can't believe that I forgot to post a sneak peek at the last place Patrick and I will be visiting on our honeymoon.

When we were planning the trip, we batted back and forth the idea of actually visiting Disneyland. It would require an additional flight and we couldn't see ourselves staying at anywhere else than the Grand Californian. Eventually, we decided to go for it. Really, how could I go all the way across the country and not visit Disneyland?

Here are some pictures of the parks, along with Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. Enjoy!

Weekend in Review: Manual Labor

2009-06-29T06:47:00.005-04:00

This weekend was a blast! It flew by and let me tell you, I am exhausted, but in a really, really good way.

So let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start....a very, very good place indeed. On Friday night, Patrick and I took our engagement pictures with Cheyenne & Geoff Schultz of Cheyenne Schultz Photography. They were so much fun to work with...we shot on NC State's campus around the Free Expression Tunnel and then downtown around City Market.

Here's a funny story. When we got down to City Market, Cheyenne says, "I hope you guys don't feel uncomfortable with all these people around." To which I reply, "Oh it's no problem. We don't know any of these people." Right as those words come out of my mouth, this sexy black Volvo SUV pulls up, the window rolls down and I hear, "SHUT UP!" so of course it has to be my friend Erica! How random was that! It was too funny!

So after all of our picture taking, we stopped by Woody's City Market to cool off and chat for a bit. It was a late night for everyone considering that Patrick had to get up early to check on patients, I had to get up early to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and Cheyenne and Geoff had to shoot a wedding all day. It was still a blast though and we really enjoyed spending time with those guys.

Saturday morning I was up early to help with a Habitat deconstruction project through the CapCommunity Foundation. I arrived at the site, which at one point had been a 4,000 square foot house that was move in ready. The owner paid $750,000 for the house and then paid again to tear it down, only to eventually pay again to build a larger house. We spent the morning de-nailing 2x4s. Silly me, I thought that since there were power tools involved, it wouldn't be that hard of work. Let me tell you, my shoulders hurt, my elbows hurt, my wrists hurt, my fingers hurt, even my finger nails hurt. It was intense. And hot. And fun. Yes, fun.

After a quick clean up and costume change, I met Erica and her friend John at the Flying Biscuit in Cameron Village for lunch. I had never been there before but it was pretty good. Erica came back to my house to hang out and I laid on the couch for about 10 minutes before deciding that I really did need to go outside and pull some weeds that had sprung up since we had all that rain a couple of weeks back. It only took about 30 minutes to get them all up, but humidity some how stretches out time, so I felt like it took forever.

We showered up and headed over to Patrick's house for a crab boil. Um...well, we ate one crab, got a little grossed out and decided that what we really wanted was Panera. One wrong turn later, and we had some substanital food.

Sorry that this picture is so little, but I was cracking into a crab claw.

Some of the party hanging out on the patio.

So Sunday morning Patrick and I met for big church and then got some lunch at Pei Wei. Yum! We hopped the short hedge to the next parking lot (Jared's) and bought our wedding rings. Just a little more bling, nothing too crazy! Josh and Gabby came in to get his ring resized while we were there, they were fresh off their honeymoon, so it was great to get to see them. They were so tan! Haha I know Patrick and I looked like ghosts standing next to them.

While we were out we finalized the tuxedo's for Patrick's half of the bridal party. I'm so glad that is wrapped up!

Last night we went to see "Up" by Pixar. It is everything that a Pixar movie is supposed to be...happy, sad, heartfelt and repeatable. I loved it.

I think that's all for me. Anybody else looking forward to the 3 day weekend coming up! I can't wait!

Another observation...

2009-06-26T13:55:00.004-04:00

Forgive me for not posting links to fabulous new (or just plain old fabulous) blogs this Friday. There is a little something else that I have had on my mind.

I was driving back from lunch today, actually listening to music on the radio instead of my usual NPR because like everyone else on the planet, I am feeling the need to listen to lots and lots of Michael Jackson in tribute. So this one station is playing MJ about every other song. This works for me.

The "inbetween" song happens to be Boom Boom Pow or Boom Boom Wow or whatever it is. Anyway...Fergie is talking about how she's all "2008" and I'm all (who? me?) "2000-late." Now...while I don't profess to be on the cutting edge of today's pop music...I'm pretty sure 2008 fits in the late category since it is all of June 2009 by my count.

So it got me thinking, why do so many singers feel the need to label songs with a year? They have to know that gives it at most 365 days of relevancy (which is still a lot in pop land) before it becomes a novelty. For instance..."nineteen ninety foooooooooouuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrr" is sung with aplomb during one of my favorite dance songs (yes reall). The Tootsie Roll is 15 years old. And it keeps getting older, and it keeps reminding us of this because everytime you hear it....it tells you.

Did Robert Plant need to shot "What's up 1974" over the opening riffs of Kashmir? I think not. Ok I know...no one here is accusing the Black Eyed Peas or the 69 Boyz of making great music, but they are making it hard hard hard to ever hope that thier songs can sound new, fresh, or like anything other than flashes in the pan.

So Fergie, you're right. You are absolutely 2008. Goodbye now.

*Update: The lovely and always-on-top-of-things Paige just informed me that Fergie actually says "3008" and not "2008" so while this diminished my argument a little, I think it makes the song infinitely more stupid. What does 3008 have to do with anything?

A small observation...

2009-06-25T16:47:00.003-04:00

Are you ever just driving along...minding your own business, when BAM! Out of nowhere something just completely flips your world upside down?

So today I was driving home for lunch as I usually do. I got behind a truck and saw that it was a Sara Lee truck. In my head I am singing their jingle, "nobody does it like Sara Lee..." when what do I see? That same line printed on the back of the truck. Only it's not "nobody does it like Sara Lee." Huh? It actually says...

"Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee."

What....how can this be? This has to have been their tag line for at least 57 years or so. How did I misunderstand it for my whole life? I am so confused right now. And what's up with "Nobody doesn't like" ? Double negatives much?

World. Shook.

That's a lot of paper.

2009-06-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Yowzers.

Weekend in Reveiw: Josh & Gabby's Wedding

2009-06-23T07:18:00.004-04:00

Patrick and I spent the weekend in Hertford. One of my very best friends, Josh got married on Saturday, which was absolutely beautiful (but hot!).

Friday night we went to a cook-out in my parent's neighborhood down on the creek. When we got there mom was playing cornhole badly, while dad was busy loosing at horse shoes. They need to come tailgate with us and get some practice!

We spent Saturday morning being lazy around the house before getting ready for the 2pm wedding. Here are some pictures from the big day!

Josh and me. I cried when he walked out at the beginning of the ceremony.
Josh & Gabby cutting the cake. I think this is such a sweet picture of them!

Beautiful cake. Tasty too!

Tiffany, me, and Danielle.

Patrick wouldn't take off his sunglasses.

Me, Kyle the Style and Danielle.

Daneille and Joe.

After the wedding, our crew (me & Patrick, mom & dad) went to Coinjock Marina for seafood. I wish I had thought to take pictures there. Mega yatchs come and dock right outside of the restaruant. It's so cool to see how the "other half" lives.

Back at home I took some pictures of mom's berry bushes.

Crazy grass.

Raspberries. Yum!

Blueberries. Yum again!

Sunday was church followed by a huge lunch of smothered chicken, zucchini and yellow squash and sourdough. Full, fat and happy, Patrick and I headed back to Raleigh. Another weekend that has come and gone too soon.

Blog-Curious: Short & Sweet

2009-06-19T12:04:00.003-04:00

Well...I am slammed today. So much for a lazy friday. How about some short & sweet posts from my favorite bloggers:

Spectacles: From Seth Godin. I would love to create a spectacle that creates a big ruckus. Does September count?

Train Ride: From Emily Style. I can't wait to ride the Wine Train in Napa!

Perfect Lady Apartment: This is how I feel about my townhouse, I love having space all to myself.

Ok I sorta lied...JD & Trent never write short posts. But these are 2 good ones, so don't miss them!

How to Handle Windfalls: A problem I'd love to have.

Just a Normal Day: An insightful look at the ways Trent wasted money before his finanical meltdown.

Ok, that's all from me. Patrick and I are headed to my parents home this weekend for the wedding of one of my 'most goodest' friends, Josh and his beautiful bride Gabby. We are so excited for them!

Am I a Bad Bride?

2009-06-16T10:57:00.004-04:00

I only tried on a handful of dresses.
Am I a Bad Bride?

I have no idea what my florist is talking about half the time. I'm trusting her judgement.
Am I a Bad Bride?

Table Linens? Haven't really thought about them.
Am I a Bad Bride?

I didn not personally measure each of my bridesmaids and order their dresses for them.
Am I a Bad Bride?

I am "letting" my fiance pick out whatever he wants to wear to the wedding.
Am I a Bad Bride?

I didn't agonize over fondant versus buttercream.
Am I a Bad Bride?

I ordered 2 wedding magazines, but stopped reading them after a few issues.
Am I a Bad Bride?

The Knot advice makes me want to thow up in my mouth a little (but I still read it).
Am I a Bad Bride?

I don't have a wedding notebok, rubbermaid container or tote bag to organize my "wedding stuff." In fact, I don't even have "wedding stuff."
Am I a Bad Bride?

Our marriage is infinetly more important to me than our wedding.
Am I a Bad Bride?

Weekend in Review: Belmont Last Minute

2009-06-15T10:13:00.002-04:00

So it's back to the grind after a super nice weekend in over in Belmont. We decided last minute to go, as Patrick lucked out and didn't have any patients at the hospital. I think that most of our weekend trips will be like this one for the next few years, last minute if things work out right.

Friday night we drove out to Belmont, getting there around 9. After a few slices of pizza, everyone was passed out on the couch. Amos woke me up around 7 the next morning, but I just let him curl up on the futon with me and we slept until about 9 when Patrick came in and drug me out of bed. I went to the mall with Ms. Kim and bought some "maybe" wedding shoes. I really like them, but I'm wary of the 4 inch heel. I wear shoes like that to work frequently enough (like today), but sitting around all day is very different from making one of the most important walks of your life, followed by a night of dancing. We'll see.

Saturday afternoon was front porch time, nice and relaxing in the shade. That night we had steak, cheesy rice, and grilled broccoli, and were joined by friends of Patrick's parents. It was a great night, just right for grilling out and long conversations.

Church the next morning, followed by a house tour of the friends we had hung out with the night before. We love looking at houses, and the new house is beautiful.

We finally got on the road around 5, and back home at 8. I should have done laundry, instead I did an hour of weight training followed by half an hour of yoga. It was still a night well spent.

Next weekend it's off to my parents home for the wedding of one of my best best best friends, Josh and his drop-dead gorgeous fiance, Gabby. It is going to be beautiful, I can't wait!

Blog-Curious: Weddings on the Brain

2009-06-12T15:23:00.003-04:00

I realize that I am dangerously close to another Friday afternoon with no blog love. Yikes! The consensus here is that everyone in the office thinks this week flew by, it's not just me! Not that anyone is complaining...

So this week has been a mash up of all kinds of wedding happenings on my end. Emails have been flying, I have been buying paper like a mad woman, and I have seen enough tuxedos to hold me over for a good long while. Sticking with that theme, how about some wedding posts?

I love these outfits for a summer bridal shower! I already have one dress to wear for a shower, but another in turquoise would be perfect!
http://www.iamstyle-ish.com/2009/06/q-bridal-shower-outfit.html

Patrick and I struggled with the "to register or not to register" for about 3 seconds. We love it when people register for gifts, it's the best way to make sure you are giving something that the couple actually wants.
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/06/12/gift-registries-tactics-and-good-taste/

Cheyenne has got to be the most fabulous wedding photographer in all of North Carolina. And she is all ours! (Ok, not exactly all ours, we have to share her with like, 30 other couples, her dogs Ellen & Jazzy, and of course her husband, Geoff.) We could not be more excited that she is 'shooting' us...check out her latest wedding to get as pumped as we are!
http://cheyenneschultzphotography.blogspot.com/2009/06/crystal-and-matt-married-speedway-club.html

I plan on doing something similar to this soap project for the wonderful ladies that are helping with my showers. Shhhh! It's a secret. Although, I'm making mine cold process, not a big fan of the melt & pour soaps. Oh, and without the embeds, this gift is about them, not me!
http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2009/06/customized-wedding-soaps-for-everyone.html

It was so comforting to me to read that on Carly & Kyle's 6 month anniversary, all is good. Everyone tells you that the first year is hard, and I know that there are lots of adjustments that you have to make, especially when you don't live together before hand (Patrick and I don't). But "hard" doesn't have to be how you think of it.
http://budgetdisneywedding.blogspot.com/2009/06/six-month-checkup.html

Well there you have it, some wedding insights from around the web. Everyone have a wonderful weekend, Patrick and I are making a last minute trip to Belmont to hang with his parents.

Honeymoon Sneak Peek: San Francisco

2009-06-11T09:30:00.005-04:00

Wow, yesterday's post was suprisingly popular. You guys rock. Let's keep the good times rolling, shall we? Today I have some highlights from the Fairmont San Francisco, sitting at the top of Nob Hill, as well as the city in general.

Fairmont San Francisco.

Hotel Lobby.

Rooftop Garden.

Tonga Room.

Golden Gate Bridge.

Fishermans Wharf.

Japanese Garden.

Ghirardelli Factory. Yes.

Full House.

Cable Cars.

Honeymoon Sneak Peek: Sonoma Mission Inn

2009-06-10T12:14:00.004-04:00

Honestly, I doubt that anyone else is going to be as excited about the upcoming honeymoon as Patrick and I will be. Makes sense to me. None the less, bear with me as we go on a photo tour of one of the honeymoon hotels. Maybe you need a vacation too!

Without further ado, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn.

Arriving at SMI.

Hotel Lobby.

Mineral Pool.

Back of hotel.

Suites. We're hoping for an upgrade.

Outside spa area.

Sonoma.

I'll post some more pictures from the Fairmont San Francisco and Disney's California Adventure soon!

Weekend in Review:

2009-06-09T10:50:00.002-04:00

Whoa... what happened Friday? I completely blanked on sharing blog love with everyone. I could make excuses, but I'd rather not. I just forgot. Sorry loves.

So this past weekend....(I also forgot to write about this yesterday. Man, I suck at blogging.)

Friday night was a blast. Let me tell you. Patrick came to see me and within 10 minutes he was snoring on my couch. As much fun as this was, it really wasn't his fault. He only had 30 minutes of sleep, from 6:00 - 6:30 am Friday morning. The life of a 4th year vet school student. Glamouros. So while he dozed and occassionally stirred around just enough to disturb the dogs, I watched the Brian Williams Obama interview. It was pretty good, or at least passed the night.

Saturday morning I did some laundry and general house cleaning, and Patrick showed back up just after lunch feeling much more like an actual human. We headed over to the mall to scope out tuxedo's for him and the groomsmen. While you're average bridal store will have hundreds and hundreds of dresses to try on in all manners of style, cut and fabric...your average tuxedo rental place with have 3 books with the same 15 tuxedos, and 3x3 inch fabric samples for grooms to ponder. Granted, most guys will grunt and point and be on with it...but not Patrick. After hitting every tuxedo place in North Raleigh, we gave up. They all have the same stuff...boring.

Saturday night we cooked chicken & veggies at the house, then drove down to Cheesecake Factory for dessert. I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake, but I had some somewhere (at a wedding? Vet School prom? Can't remember.) and I really liked it, so I thought it was worth a shot. We were trying to stay under $20 since I had a $25 gift card and no cash for a tip. Of course, Patrick orders a five dollar coffee, and I know that we are going to be over budget. He (not so) graciously pays the tip.

Church the next morning, followed by bagel bites (pretty much what I live off of) and a walk around the block with the dogs. Patrick headed home and I vegged on the couch.

Hope your weekend went well?

Repeat after me...

2009-06-03T17:08:00.001-04:00

I will not obsess over fonts.
I will not obsess over fonts.
I will not obsess over fonts.

(I am totally obsessing over fonts.)

Do You Think Anyone...

2009-06-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

...could find me if I hid out here for a while?

Photo Credit: Aaron Escobar

Weekend in Review: Wedding Stuff

2009-06-01T07:22:00.003-04:00

So friends, let me just be lame and confess that I'm late (again) posting this because last night I got lazy and ended up watching Michael Slezak's Idolatry interviews online for most of the night. I know, right? Hopefully when Patrick moves in he will keep me from being such a loser.

So this weekend was fun. Patrick took mom and I out to dinner at Tobacco Road to scout it as a potential location for the Rehersal Dinner. It was nice, but the menu would have to be normalized for my taste. I like my food to be not too adventerous. At all. Other than that, the manager seemed very accomodating, the price is right, and what we had for dinner was good all around. It's on the list.

Saturday morning mom and I had another meeting with our florist Cydeny of The English Garden. We continue to iron out details for September and I could not be happier that we are working with her. She has so many great ideas and suggestions. It is nice knowing that I don't have to worry about anything with her. My mind is at ease.

Let's talk about some things that I am a little worried about. Like my wedding dress. It came in and I had my first fitting early Saturday afternoon. It is still beautiful and lovely and I can't wait to wear it, but it's a little tight. In the rib cage. What on earth do you do about that? This is not a place where I can exactly lose weight, because my ribs already protrude when I take a deep breath. I can wear it fine, but it is a little uncomfortable. How will I breakdance? This is a problem.

Saturday afternoon we did the mall thing and the farmers market thing. Exhausted, we made dinner out of farmer's market finds (summer squash, zucchinni, new potatoes, green beans and a sweet onion) and then collasped on the couch. Bliss.

Sunday morning was church, followed by Subway for lunch and more shopping (as mom said, she doesn't make it to the 'big' city enough). We looked around at wedding invitations, tried to keep our jaws off the floor when we looked at prices, and re-decided to DIY it. So now I just have to do it.

After mom left, later that afternoon, I headed over to Patrick's house. Amos really needed to run around in the back yard and burn off some energy. We put the boys in the back yard and got to work going through some old boxes of Patrick's and moving stuff out of the bedroom he had been using as an office. He is getting a new roomate and lower rent (Score!).

Back home, I half cleaned up, half watched the MTV Movie Awards, and was sleeping soundly before long. Another good weekend on the books. How did yours go?

Oh, and Amos got a big bone.

Blog-Curious: Where did the day go?

2009-05-29T15:50:00.003-04:00

So usually I create my blog-curious posts during the morning on Friday while drinking coffee (spent this morning playing Age of Empires. I know I am a huge dork) or during my lunch break (at an American Heart Assoc. luncheon). Not only was I occupied during both of those times but I have been so busy that I have barely breathed all day. It was just one of those times when you have 8 things due at once. Frankly, I'm relieved that its the weekend.

Enough excuses for your? Here are just a couple of posts...Disney style.

How much does a Disney wedding cost? I've been following Carly as she planned her Jan. 09 wedding for about a year and a half. It was so much fun to watch it all come together.

How much does an unexpected Disney trip cost? I'm glad that J.D. decided to stay an extra day on his free trip to Disney, but frankly, I didn't appreciate his attitude. (EPCOT is NOT just a place to eat and shop! Where is your inner child?) I'll blame it on the rain. Plenty of people have schooled him on how to save money in the comments section.

And finally, through Carly's blog I found this site called Polyvore that lets you put together outfits (that you can't afford). Who wants to pitch in and help me buy this outfit for wedding parties this summer?

Have a great weekend everyone, see you on the other side.

Surprise!

2009-05-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday was Patrick's 25th birthday. I wanted to do something special for him since it's a a big one. We did a nice dinner at Maggiano's in Durham, and I made Patrick talk to me the whole ride back because I was so afraid that I would look at him and blurt out "I planned you a surprise party and there is ice cream cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Luckily, I managed to keep it shut.

Here's some pictures from the party.

Weekend in Review: Memorial Day

2009-05-27T19:51:00.008-04:00

First of all, this whole Memorial Day thing is awesome. It was so nice to have Monday off, Patrick and I really enjoyed it. Secondly, this Memorial Day thing really threw me for a loop. I don't know that I've ever had such a hard time adjusting to a three day weekend. Case in point: I'm just now getting around to writing the weekend round-up and it's Wednesday.

Anyway...let's get to the good stuff.

Friday night Patrick was on call so there wasn't much going on. Honestly, I can't remember what we did. It was that much fun.

Saturday I worked in my back yard a bit. I bought some Scott's Patch Perfect blue stuff and put it down, hoping that some grass will spring up back there. We'll see. (Side note: unfortunately the rain from the last few days has appeared to wash out a good bit of it. May have to go back over it.) Saturday night Patrick and I met my bridesmaid and former roomate Jackie and her husband Adam at the Carolina Ale House for dinner. We had such a great time with them (and we always do)!

Sunday morning was wierd. I guess it was the Memorial Day weekend, but Patrick and I went to Sunday School and no one was there. The lights weren't even on! We didn't know what to do, didn't really want to go to another class...it would feel like cheating. So instead we went to hang out at Starbucks for a bit before 'big church.' That night we went to see Wolverine or X Men 7 or whatever it was called. It was good though, we both enjoyed it.

Monday we rode out to the NC Zoo for the day. It was a blast! Instead of talk through it, how about some pictures?
Gators!Sea Lions!Polar Bear!

Bison!
Grizzly Bears!

Flamingos!
Giraffes!
Elephants! (I've never seen such a show off before)

And finally, the scariest animals of all!

Can I just say one more thing? My dog has it rough. Clearly.

Blog-Curious: Long Weekend

2009-05-22T10:43:00.003-04:00

Ok, so with the long Memorial Day weekend coming up, I'm doing my best not to mentally check out after lunch. No promises though...

How about a look at some of my favorite posts from the week, that is why we are all here, right?

Agree/Disagree - Modite. I love Rebecca Thorman for posting these Agree-Disagree articles, it expands the pie for everyone. This one was particularly interesting, taking a look at how MTV is finally catching up with the views and values of our (Gen Y) generation. A study at how they could have caught on quicker if they paid attention to the moview that define generations. My only complaint - are we really so shallow that "The Devil Wears Prada" is our identifier?

How I Prepared to Relocate and Made it Work - Small Hands Big Ideas. Well, I thought that I was an expert packer after living in Raleigh, England, Peru and Orlando over the course of 4 years, but Grace definitely took the process of moving much more seriously than I did. I could have benefited from her research and preparation. Especially good advice if you are moving for a job.

Kris Allen Nation. Can I tell you a secret? I actually voted for the American Idol finale this year. I know. Lame. But whatever, I started watching this season because of Ricky Braddy, who is from my hometown. Adam Lambert and Kris Allen really got me hooked though. I know it is easy to say that now since they both ended up in the finals, but if you look at my music collection, you would see that over-the-top 70s rock and acoustic guitar are at the top of my play lists. At first I was a big Adam fan (Ring of Fire? Yes.) but Kris really won me over when he played "She Works Hard for the Money." Have I mentioned yet that he is adorable? That never hurts. So I some how found this Kris Allen Nation website and I really liked this letter that they put out to everyone who came together to vote for him. I know that Ar-kansas is proud.

What Freelancers Must Know about Ergonomics. Scratch that, what ANYONE should know about ergonomics. Working a desk job for the past two years has aged me at least six, I feel. If it wasn't for long walks with Amos and frequent if unreliable work out routines, I don't know what kind of shape I would be in. My desk is too tall for me, the arms on my chair make it impossible to sit comfortablly under the desk, my feet either don't touch the floor or my arms are above my heart while trying to type. I'm 5'5'', a normal height I think. I can't imagine being very short or very tall and trying to deal with this mess that is my workspace. I am praying for new furniture when we move to our new location in October.

Well, that's all I have for this weekend. Everyone have fun and be safe, see you Tuesday?

10 Tips for New Grads for Office Life

2009-05-19T10:05:00.000-04:00

Dear Graduating Class of 2009,

I don't envy you. Not one bit. Not only are you graduating into an environment where companies are often looking to cut jobs, not create them, but you have to deal with huge amounts of student debt, panic-inducing media coverage, and the prospect of moving back in with your parents. Yowsers.

All is not lost of course. Many of you already have jobs lined up, or at least a summer internship. Don't believe the hype that no one is hiring. Its not true. So go out and get a job already. Then come back and read these tips on how to work in an office.

I've been working for two years now. Not long enough to break my youthful idealism (never, right?), but long enough to figure out a few things out about playing nice with the grown-ups. Here are some of the most important things I have learned, while you guys were still going to house parties and sleeping in (lucky).

1) If you were raised as a Trophy Kid, the workforce is going to hurt.
I am a card carrying member of the Trophy Kid club. At the end of the school year, I would come home loaded down with small trophies and certificates of achievement for doing, well...not that much. So it honestly came as a surprise to me when after my first year of working, doing everything that was asked of me (but not much more) that I wasn't awarded with a) a 20% raise and b) a promotion. Honestly. Keep your expectations in line with reality and you won't get your feelings hurt.

2) Teamwork is good, but not everything.
We grew up doing everything as a part of a team. Group projects, group presentations, group papers. Our generation sometimes feels like it suffers from groupthink overload. There is something to be said for collaboration, and it is true that it will serve you well in your working life. But don't be afraid to do things on your own. The same group work that makes us great contributors also keeps us from going to the bathroom alone. Join a gym where you don't know anyone. Don't take a job at a big corporation because your friend works there. At work, make decisions for yourself, and don't let your ideas suffer from "death by committee."

3) Take advantage of your "fresh eyes."
When you first join an office, you have a unique opportunity to see things differently than those of us in the trenches. Take some time to notice how things get done, why they get done that way, and who are the keepers of "the way." The third point is especially important, because when you start talking about ways to improve a process, you will step on someones toes. Those who defend the status-quo have the most to loose by changing the way things are done. Tread carefully here if you must, but don't be afraid to make suggestions.

4) Get appropriate clothes.
So here is the thing. You will most likely need a suit for interviews. Buy the best one you can afford. Get a few other "nice" pieces. Wear them only when you absolutely have to (like when you meet clients). Hopefully you found a job that doesn't require you to wear formal clothes everyday, because you are going to feel like you're playing dress up for at least a year.

5) Be visible.
Take every chance you have to meet people that work outside of your team. Sign up for cross-departmental projects, be friendly in the hall and break room, volunteer for community outreach programs, organize an after hours Wii bowling tournament.

6) Don't eat lunch at your desk.
You are not that important. When you first start working, you won't be that busy. You may have 10 hours of honest work to do even if you are expected to be there for 40. Don't "work" through lunch and try to look busy. Everyone will see right through it. Get out and enjoy your lunch break. Staring at beige walls will eventually turn your brain to mush...after about 2:30 it gets hard to keep going. Get some fresh air, some vitamin D, and some relief from eye strain (which you will get if you work at a computer, and it sucks).

7) Pick your "extra" time.
Come early or stay late, not both. Burning the candle at both ends is the fastest path to burn out. Unfortunately, many companies still have some inclination towards face time. There are some of us working to prove that we can get more done (and done better) if we aren't chained to a desk 12 hours a day, and some of us so eager to prove our dedication that we happily sit and surf the web for hours on end just to look important. Don't be that person. Get there early and leave at a decent time or come in at a decent time and stay late if you feel that you need face time. (Then try to get over that feeling.)

8) Have hobbies & interest outside of work.
Be interesting. Pick up a new activity, whether it is gardening, mountain biking, pottery, yoga, meditation. Have something waiting for you when you get home at the end of the day that gets you excited. So much entry level work is pure monotony, you will need something to keep your brain working.

9) Keep up with news in your industry and in the world at large.
Do you watch the news? You do now. You need to be able to speak intelligently about what is going on in the world around you. Equally important are things going on in your industry. Why did the stock market close lower yesterday? What new designer debuted at NY Fashion Week? What new product did Google just launch? Subscribe to industry publications (often free through your job) and get your learn on.

10) Take a genuine interest in the lives of your co-workers, but don't kiss ass.
Like it or not, a little small talk with your co-workers will get you far. Remember children's names, ask about the vacation that they just took, bring someone Subway cookies just because you know they love them (and who doesn't love them, really?). Don't be a kiss ass, but you know that already. What you may not know is how hard that line can be to walk, unless you have lots of experience under your belt. Hopefully you got that in college, if not, begin brushing up now.

That is a lot of information to digest in one sitting. Forgive me, but I didn't want to sugar coat anything. The real world is certainly a very different place than college, and thanks to 2008, it just got a lot harder to survive. The first 6-12 months are going to be extremely hard. My friends and I all felt varying degrees of exhaustion, anxiety, uncertainty and bewilderment. I'd like to help you avoid it, but honestly it needs to be experienced. You need to go through it, and you will.

Your first year out of college can be fun too. My first real paycheck was a beautiful thing, I actually have come to love my morning routine, and some of my co-workers are a lot of fun.

It's not all fun, but it is what you make of it.

Weekend in Review: Lazy

2009-05-17T21:02:00.002-04:00

Everyone have a good weekend? I hope so. Here is how I spent mine:

Friday night Patrick and I went to watch Angels & Demons. We both have read the book, but I read it a few years ago and Patrick more recently. So while I really enjoyed the movie, Patrick pouted about all the different changes they made. We both agreed that it was a very good movie none the less.

Saturday I got to sleep in a little, then had a lazy breakfast of coffee and Krispy Kreme. After a much needed Pilates session, I hopped in the shower before Patrick came to pick me up. We headed over to Durham and he dropped me off at the mall while he got a hair cut. I had been wanting to go to South Point for a few weeks now, as a new Anthropologie just opened. I was a little dissapointed by the store to be honest. its just not as big as the ones in Orlando and Charlotte, and lacked the "rooms" that make the store so much fun to explore. I did get a pretty pink and dark grey dress, thinking about wearing it to Josh and Gabby's wedding next month and then it will be perfect on the honeymoon.

Back at the house we hung out for a little while before Patrick left for poker with some friends. I wasn't feeling so great, so I chilled out on the couch for a while before getting on the Wii and doing some boxing.

I went to Church on Sunday morning, and Patrick joined me after his morning rotations. We headed over to Crabtree to work on our registry, then back to my house for a nap. I think I was tired, I slept about an hour and a half, Patrick napped for closer to 2. Now I'm finishing up the night with Desperate Housewives, then I'm getting back in bed. Not sure how I'm still tired, but I am having trouble keeping my eyes open!

Blog-Curious: Lazy Weekend

2009-05-15T15:06:00.005-04:00

Hello lovers. Patrick and I have plans to see a movie tonight, and the rest of my weekend is blissfully unscheduled. How about yours? If you are equally unburdened by engagements, give a few of these blogs a read...

Small Hands Big Ideas: Silent reading for 6 minutes reduces stress by 68%. With stats like that you'd think I would be the Queen of Zen. Still, I think there is something to it, reading in bed is about the only thing that can cut my brain off at the end of the night, and I find a night or afternoon curled up with a book on the couch to be massively indulgent.

The Fluent Self. Let me say of the bat that Havi and Selma (yes, that's her duck) won't be for everyone. However, I happen to think that she and the words she makes up are super cool. Who among us has never felt like they needed to destuckifiy something in their life? Oh, and she's a pirate queen. Nuff said.

Here are two great posts about minimizing the paper clutter in your life. First is how to get rid of junk mail from Trent of The Simple Dollar. Secondly, how to deal with things that you actually want to keep, just not in paper form. This Unclutter article is about investment prospectuses but applies to bills and many other pieces of paper that find a way into our lives. (Side note: if you invest, whether it is in single stocks or mutual funds, read those prospectuses before you do anything else with them!)

Finally, Crystal at Big Bright Bulb (I just found her site last night am I'm really diggin it) talks about a constant state of readiness and how its good business to be prepared for anything. But seriuosly, just looking at the number of things on her plate makes me want to crawl under my bed where no one can find me. How in the world do you do it?

Photo by demi-brooke

ProBloggers' 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge: Days 7-10

2009-05-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

These prompts come from the ProBlogger 31 Days to Build A Better Blog (31DBBB) as laid out here, here, here and here. This is a fun exercise for me as I am not trying to make money from this site, but would like to improve it a bit. If you maintain a blog, you can sign up for e-mail updates about the challenge here. Click here to view my response to Days 5 & 6.

The ProBlogger task for Day 7 is to write a link post. I do this every Friday with my Blog-Curious series. I link to post that I found interesting during the week, as well as new blogs that I want to share. I consider this exercise done.

Day 8 of the ProBlogger Challenge is similar in that it deals with links. The task is to go through and interlink old blog posts. To do this on a regular basis can require quite a bit of maintenance but not a lot of time. Going through and regularly linking relevant posts in your archives is a great way to increase page views and I have been doing it where I can. All of the ProBlogger challenges are linked, and I will link other posts in the future as it makes sense. Check.

For Day 9 the task is to join and participate in a forum to drive traffic to a blog. I'm not much on message boards. I will sit this day out, thank you.

Day 10, set up 'Alerts' to monitor your niche. This is kinda funny to me since I have said before that my niche is myself (wow, could I sound any more self centered?) and I actually do have google alters set up on my name, my blog name and my twitter name. Apparently there is someone named Meg Moir who works for the government, and generates quite a few out of office notices. There is also a Megan Stallings in Tennessee who is in the sports section of her local newspaper. Interesting stuff, but not very additive to the blog.

I think 4 challenges are enough to cover for today. There wasn't a whole lot covered here that I either a) wasn't already doing or b)have no intentions of doing, so hopefully the next round will be more productive.

Walking with Amos

2009-05-13T21:17:00.002-04:00

4 things that made me smile unabashedly on my walk with Amos tonight...

1. The sounds of "Don't Stop Believing" from a passing car radio.
2. A front yard, freshly cut into a diamond pattern
3. A dad, teaching his son how to defend a basketball
4. Amos, who every so often slows down his pace, looks up and gives me a toothy smile to melt my heart.