Progress and Christmas Shock

First of all:  Merry Christmas!!!  And just in case nothing happens worth mentioning and I don't write another blog before: Happy New Year!

 

Christmas has come and gone. After weeks, possibly months of preparing, shopping, cooking, planning, wrapping, baking, and being excited; it is finally done and over with.

As enjoyable as my Christmas was, it felt a bit anti-climatic. 

*sigh*

Back to normal life without Holiday Cheer. 

 

 

On the bright side, now I can focus on wedding stuff!  I have a date picked out to go check out dresses for the bride's maids and am bugging Ty about going to look at tuxes.  I also plan on going to register VERY soon.

I also have plans on starting to get flowers for centerpieces and bouqets soon. 

Time to buckle down and get it all done!!!

And it looks like my honorary Mother-of-the-Bride and Maid-of-Honor are starting to plan the other wedding events, also!  Wedding Shower and Bacheloretter Party planning has officially started :)  Other than being very clear about what I do NOT want, they are pretty much taking care of those things without me. I have enough other stuff to worry about! 

 

And in other news....

 

I bought into one of those crazy diet plans that promises crazy results.  Don't laugh or lecture, I have to at least try.  We shall see....

 

 

Oh, and if anybody wants to donate money towards getting a 3-bedroom place so that Whimzy can have her own play room and we can have our living room back, just contact me ;)

 



Speech Therapy and Hectic Holiday

So, I know.  It has been awhile. 

I try not to post if I don't have anything interesting to say.

And besides, it has been insanely busy.

It seems like every single day there is something going on that requires a good chunk of time.

School has been pretty crazy, too.  My team is not the most cooperative group of people that I have ever worked with. 

I am hoping that next week slows down a bit.  I could use a bit of a break after Christmas.

 

Whimzy starts her group speech therapy today. Ty and I are both going to see how it works and to try to help as much as we can.

Wow.  I have so much to talk about, buy my brain is not working like it should.

 

Well, maybe in a bit I will write something more interesting or at least better written.

 

For now, I will just go take some Tylenol and get ready to get going.

Buying The Dress and Caramel Apple Cookies

Well, the dress is bought! 

It is green ;)

I could not be happier.

Gotta start working my arms out so I can look sexy in it! 

Plus, I got to hang out with my lovelies (well most of them!) last night.

It was perfect. 

Since the fiancee can see this, I am not posting pics of the dress!  Guess everybody just has to come to the wedding. 

 

So I mentioned Caramel Apple Cookies last week.  They were so good.

 

 

I know it is all crumbly, but I wanted to show the caramel inside!

So, this is the link that I got the recipe from:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2J1Hss/www.jenncooks.com/2011/11/11/caramel-apple-cookies/

Mine ended up being not quite as flat as the recipe's picture, but they were amazing.  Also, just a tip, warm them up in the microwave after they cool down and you want to eat them!  It makes the caramel all melty again :)

 

Oh, and I got the runners for the tables in the mail this week! 

They are amazing. 

 

Happy St. Nick's!!

 

<3



Mommy Needs A Nap

I was really tired last night, but we had a few friends over.

My MOH and a bridesmaid discussed my bachelorette party.

It got late.

Finally, I was ready to hop in the bathtub and pass out pleasantly next to my Ty.

The bathtub faucet wouldn't turn off. 

The part that controls the temperature and flow of water was broken.

We got it down to a trickle, but I was making a 1am phone call to my landlord.

He did not pick up, so we had to sleep right across from the bathroom with the bathtub running.

I did NOT sleep well. 

At all. 

The landlord came and looked at it, sort of fixed it, and is sending his handy man within the next few days to really fix it. 

Freakin' A.  Just weird.

 

So other than that, Ty's work flew Santa in a helicopter. to the warehouse today to see all the kiddies and have breakfast.

Whimzy was way more impressed by the helicopter than Santa.

 

So here are two of my three Pinterest projects from this week:

 

1.  The Christmas List ornament.  Note to self: put the little stuff in before the list, otherwise you cannot see the little stuff. 

I cannot find the link anywhere!  If anybody has it, just let me know so I can give due credit.

 

2.  Cream Cheese Brownies.  Amazing! Really made me want to make cheesecake. 

Link: http://stylishcuisine.com/?p=3915

 

I also made Caramel Apple Cookies, but I don't have pictures yet.  Hopefully by tomorrow :)

 

Other than my awesome Pinterest stuff, I am feeling pretty good. 

Holiday stuff is going really well, wedding plans are going along. 

Right now, I honestly just need a nap, though. 

Hoping that the ribs in the slow-cooker will be an easy dinner and I can relax for the rest of the night. 

Happy weekend everybody!

 



*happy dance*

Every once in awhile something really nifty happens.

Like today, for instance, I got my table runners for the wedding for 63% off! 

Originally $3.99 a pop, they were on sale for $1.49! 

I ordered them as soon as I saw the price. 

One less thing to worry about.

Seriously, I am so excited about it. 

 

And I bought my Christmas cards today and picked up the second batch of my Save The Dates.  I get to start addressing those soon and hopefully have them done by the 16th so I can throw our Christmas pictures in them and send them out.  I know I said mid-November, but my photographer didn't have any openings until mid-December to get our family pics done, so everybody has to wait. 

 

I am so excited for this holiday season!  I have tons of cookie recipes that I want to try out (and will be posting pics of!), lots of crafts to do with our Whimzy, and even more presents to give! 

*sigh of contentment*

Hopefully, everybody is as excited as I am!

If not, come over, I am completely willing to share some holiday cheer!

Holiday Spirit and BBC

I put aside all day yesterday to do Christmas decorating.

Including bringing the boxes up from the basement and then bringing them back down afterwards, it took about an hour.

Tree up, decorated, and the rest of the decorations up.

Still, it looks pretty nifty and completely reflects my little family.

A bunch of decorations are Nana's, but we are slowly building up our own collection. 

Our stuff is glittery and un-traditional.  I love it. 

And, I just got done wrapping round 1 of presents.  I need a few more boxes for some of them, because they are so oddly shaped.

I also started watching Merlin on BBC tonight.  BBC sucks me in once again.

 

On a more emotional note, even though this is the second Christmas that I have been able to truly enjoy the season, it still surprises me that I am enjoying it. 

I am so lucky that life has given me a chance to actually enjoy it. 

Whimzy is going to know the true meaning of family because of my second chance!

 

Well, off to engross myself in more British TV.

Thankful!

So, today is Thanksgiving!

A bunch of my friends did those "whole month of thankfulness" thing.

I didn't. 

I would have forgotten a few days and looked silly ;)

So, I am going to list a few important things I am thankful for on here! 

1. First and foremost: my new life.  I was on the wrong path for a while and I am so happy that I feel like I've been heading in the right direction for a while now.

2. Second of all, Ty.  I love him so much.  I am so lucky to have such a great guy to call mine.  He is a wonderful Dad, a wonderful best friend, and an all around perfect guy. 

3.  Whimzy.  She is amazing and has inspired me to be a better person.  Not to mention, she alwasy makes me giggle and amazes me everyday.

4. My Miteks.  I am so lucky to be supported by an amazing family. I am so happy that Whimzy has a real Grandma and Papa to spoil and love her. 

5.  My new relationship with my Dad. I love that I talk to him so much and that I am able to have this chance to re-build it.

6. My friends.  Even at my lowest, they have always loved me and helped hold me up. 

7.  Noodles.  No explanation needed :)

8. My second chance to go to school.  I am loving it and I love that I finally have a chance to live up to my potential.

9. Ty's job.  He is able to support us and do something that he seems to enjoy.

10.  My upcoming wedding.

11. The fact that I am fighting my anxiety without meds.

 

I really could go on and on, but these seem to be the important ones!

What is everybody else thankful for?

Addicted To Pinterest

So, I did another Pinterest recipe. 

 Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken.

I almost died it was so good. 

 

So, this is where I got the recipe from:

http://www.halfhourmeals.com/recipe/cheddar-bacon-ranch-chicken-pasta

 

And here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 lb mostaccioli or other short pasta
6 strips bacon, diced
1 Tbsp butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 packet ranch dressing mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain, return to pot, and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink, and slightly browned.

4. Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cheddar cheese and half of the reserved bacon; cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

5. Serve each plate of pasta with more bacon sprinkled over the top. Green onions would also be a delicious topping.

 

I used whole wheat four, Barilla Plus Penne, and I had to eat like 2 cups of veggies before I could even try this so I didn't ruin my diet.  Ty absolutely loved it and there were tons of leftovers!

In other news, I also made roasted chickpeas.  Not sure if they are blog-worthy, though.  We shall see.

Spending the day doing school stuff and cuddling with Whimzy. And I plan on updating the wedding binder tonight!  If there are any fun new developments, I will let you know :)

 

 



 



Yummm....Marshmallows!

First of all, I didn't cite my source for the chili-cheese dog casserole recipe:

http://thatchbo.blogspot.com/2010/06/chili-dog-casserole.html

 

I feel much better now!

 

So forever ago I saw a way to roast marshmallows without a fire that still makes them crunchy.  I cannot remember for the life of me where I saw this idea, but I decided to try it.

 

Put your oven on Broil setting (with mine, that means about 500 degrees)

Basically, spray a baking pan (I used a square 9x9) with cooking spray.

Put a layer of marshmallows in said baking pan.

Bake for about 5 minutes. 

Make sure you check on it constantly because it seems like it would be super easy to burn!

Then, serve with chocolate covered graham crackers! 

 

 

So gooey...yumm!

 

And so easy :)  Going to be perfect for cold winter nights!

 

How does this relate to the wedding?  Well, this is why he is marrying me ;)



Chili Cheese Dog Casserole and Pinterest

So, I just made a recipe that I found on Pinterest.

I've decided to add my Pinterest stuff to this blog.

Granted, it might not happen often.  I do not get to do stuff like that nearly enough, but I figured I would add it in :)

 

Today, I made a Chili-Cheese Dog Casserole!

 

This is the original recipe:

2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans (I like Hormel Hot & Spicy)
1 (16 oz) package beef frankfurters (I prefer Ball Park)
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas (the fajita sized ones)
1 (8 oz) package Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spread 1 can of chili and beans in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans. Top with remaining can of chili and beans, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes

I changed it up a bit because I only had one can of chili and a can of cheese sauce.

So, I laid down the can of chili, with a layer of tortillas.

Then, I added the hot dogs and poured the can of cheese sauce over it.

I then put another layer of tortillas down and covered it with shredded cheese.

I baked liked the recipe called for and we all loved it.

I served it with macaroni and cheese and steamed asparagus.

 

Ty absolutely loved it, but I thought it was a bit spicy.  It will probably end up getting made again :) 

 

 



Taylor Swift, Cardio, PMS, and Holiday Spirit

Taylor Swift's mini-series thing "Road to Fearless" is on Netflix. 

I am apparently PMS'ing because it is making me tear up like crazy.

Ugh.

I love that woman but she always makes me cry.

Stupid.

 

So, in order to tackle my anxiety without meds, I have to start doing cardio.

Alot of cardio.

Which, normally makes me have an attack...so I pretty much have to be willing to have an anxiety attack to 4x a week to get rid of all of the anxiety if I want to do this without pills.

It is going to be hard. 

Super hard.

Probably going to need support, mostly from myself.

When I would normally do cardio is when Ty isn't available for his normal cheerleading when it comes to this aspect of life.

So, it is just me, and maybe Whimzy.

I can do it.

I have to.

To make myself happier, to make me a better person, and be a better mom, fiance, friend, and overall better person.

 

Also, it is HOLIDAY SEASON! 

It feels so nice to be excited instead of dreading it.

I cannot believe how much my perspective has changed.

Thank you, Whimzy ;)

Can't mess her idea of Christmas up with my freakin' issues! 

 

Well, I need to go put pants on Whimzy.

Seems to be an issue alot.

Lol.

 

 



Hotels and Invites

Well, I wrote what I want in my invites and how I want them worded!

Still might be some minor changes, but the big details are nailed down.  Not to mention, they are emailed to my wonderful invite-lady/bridesmaid to start figuring out how to get them on the right sized area. 

Also, bought a TON of paper today for the invites and put in an order for the next shipment of paper. 

And because it was Hobby Lobby, I bought some glitter reindeer for Christmas decor. That place is dangerous.

 

On another note, I just booked a block of hotel rooms for the wedding night.

10 rooms booked at Country Inn and Suites!  (Check out the wedding website for more details!)

It was surprisingly easy.  Probably the easiest thing we've done so far.

All I can think about is a hot tub...

 

Almost more excited about the honeymoon than the actual wedding.

I just realized yesterday that Ty and I have never really gone on vacation together.  Freaking crazy!  We've had a kid, celebrated holidays, lived together, and made some major life choices together, but we've NEVER been on vacation together.  Looks like the honeymoon will be the first.  Kind of feeling all warm and fuzzy about it :)

 

Taking steps forward....

Candy Distraction and the Possibility of Me Raising an Alien

I am going to start this post off with something positive. 

Since Halloween, my little monster has been a candy fiend.  She knows where the left-over candy bowl is and what is in it.

I tried putting oranges over the candy to fool her and she is way too smart for that.

So, this afternoon Ty had already given her a box of Dots for a snack and after he left, she wanted more.  I said "no."

And then I gave her grapes.

She ate them! 

Not only did she eat them, she actually sat down to enjoy them at the kitchen table.

Miracles do happen!

 

On a less positive note, I have been having fears lately that Whimzy is not my child.  She has to be a government experiment to see if a woman can surrogate a child without knowing it isn't theirs or she is an alien implant.

How could this be, do you ask?

She destroys books.

Full out DESTROYS!

She ripped the cover off of a book I was reading earlier this week and then spilled fruit punch all over my 20-year old copy of "Call of the Wild".  *sigh* I was so certain that my love and respect of books was so strong that it would be transferred genetically to her. 

Not so much.

Before I get a barrage of "but she is 2, that is what toddlers do", and ways to train her not to do it....I know.

I totally get it. I have to teach her to love and respect books. 

We are working on it. 

She already loves them, I just have to teach her that she can't rip them or try to teach them to swim in fruit punch...

Still...there is a possibility that she is an alien.



Crash Diet and My Mom

First of all, I am FREAKING HUNGRY!

I am doing this 7-Day Detox/diet thing with Angela.  I am miserable.

And, to prove that I enjoy punishment, I am going to do it once a month until the wedding.

Yesterday, I could only eat fruit and drink water.

Today, I can only eat veggies, one baked potato, and drink water.

And...Ty got Taco Bell for lunch.  Ugh. And then he warmed up the leftover Rib-eye and ate that.  Pure torture.

If I don't lose at least 5 pounds, I am going to go crazy. Seriously, and totally crazy. 

 

Second of all, I went to go see my mom yesterday.  Shouldn't have been a big deal. I was just dropping off some new clothes for her and hanging out for a few minutes.

She was crying when I got there. 

Really crying.

And she didn't know why.

And throughout the whole visit, she would randomly break into tears.

I kept trying to figure out what was wrong, but she couldn't tell me.

It just made me sad.

I was there for this one, but what about all the times I am not there?

Definitely making more of a point to get there even more. 

In other news, tomorrow is her birthday! 

Whimzy, Angie, and I are going to see her!  Bring her presents, food, and cake.

It is going to be torture for me and Angie watching her eat.  I guess we could snack on broccoli... :/ 

I hope it cheers her up!

 

 

Wait a minute, this is a wedding blog!  Where is the wedding mention?

Well, not much has happened! 

I promise I will let everybody know when it does.

 

Oh, and btw, Pinterest on my phone is killing me.

Seriously, robbing me of hours of sleep and making me feel lazy because I have not made my life completely Pinterest-worthy. *sigh*

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everybody!

Hoping everybody is doing something fun, or at least eating alot of candy.

Whimzy and I did Trick-Or-Treating in our neighborhood with Angie and one of her friends on Sunday, but we are still heading out to Bristol tonight for Round 2.

So excited to see everybody.  We haven't done a Bristol-family evening in awhile, plus Heidi might be coming out with her little monster.

Freakin' awesome.

Going to see my Mom before we head out to Bristol, too.  She is going to love Whimzy's costume.

 

Finally got the ball rolling for getting my mom transferred to a better facility.  Waiting for the call from the admissions director at the place that I used to work.  It is a smaller facility with an impeccable record for pressure sores, better food, and less hospital-like.  I am thinking she would be happier and more inclined to get out of bed at the new place.  *fingers crossed*

 

Last night Ty got off of work early, so he grabbed me some wine and we watched that new show "The New Normal". 

Freaking amazing.  I have not laughed that hard in a long time.

It really is heart-wrenching how some people are denied their love because of what gender the person they love is.  Love is love. 

 

On the wedding front:  Absolutely nothing has happened. :D

Doing alot of research on finding the cheapest way to do the stuff I want to do.

I'll be posting pictures of the piles of decor that I am going to be buying!

I don't know how people did this before the internet.

 

Well, time to get some cuddle time in with Whimzy before our day starts!

Moscato Induced Thoughts

Chris Hemsworth's voice is way sexier than his face.

I think I would have been an awesome Go-Go girl.

Kristin Stewart was a horrible Snow White.

Taco Bell is amazing.

I cannot wait for tomorrow.

Johnny Depp is the best.

I want a VW van.

Why don't I live in Canada?

Whimzy is going to be an awesome octopus.

CANDY!

I want a mermaid sconce.

Ty and I should take sword fighting lessons together.

If I had fangs, I'd get a really awesome toothbrush.

Invites!

First of all, those who are worried that they haven't gotten a "Save The Date", I am sending them out mid-November with my Christmas cards :) 

l am still waiting on some addresses, so I figured I would just do it all at once.

 

And we designed our invites last night!  And by "we", I mean me and my awesome friend Amanda.  She is seriously a genius when it comes to this stuff. 

I am not going to post pictures, because I want everybody to be blown away by how awesome my DIY invites are when I send them out. 

 

We are also going to be registering soon.  Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target!!  It is almost difficult thinking of things to register for because we have already lived together for a few years, but I am thinking that a few things could use an upgrade.

 

Also, I bought about $50 worth of decorative tulle that was 50% off at Hobby Lobby this week.  My wedding is going to be so COLORFUL and GLITTERY!

 

 

Epic!!  This should be enough for the head table and the arch.

 

 

<3

 



Re-affirmed

I know, two blogs, one day.  I obviously have no life.

I just was surfing Pinterest for wedding stuff, and I realized that in my blog earlier I really forgot to mention the best part of my weekend.

Ty. 

I mean, yeah, I obviously mentioned that he participated, but it was so much more than that.

He made the weekend.

Without him, it would have not been perfect.

Last night I saw him look at me like I was perfect. 

He took me out to dinner and made me laugh.

He chased away every bad thought I ever had about life.

He danced with my best friends.

He hugged a friend of mine that was going through a tough night.

He took the time to kiss me every few minutes while we were out.

He did not argue when I said I wanted to wear heels, even if it meant that he had to walk super slow with me.

He told me when my make-up needed a touch-up.

He took some awesome pictures.

He did a beer bong out of a flamingo, like a champ.

He held Whimzy's hand, occasionally picked her up, and carried the pumpkin.

He carved the pumpkin so I didn't have to feel the slimy part.

He bought me a Sweetest Day present.

He held me and watched Doctor Who with me.

He colored with our daughter.

He knew exactly what I wanted from Taco Bell.

He hung out with my friends, and enjoyed it. 

He did dishes.

He offered, continuously, the stability that I need in my life.

He took care of me.

He loved me.

I love him.

I am going to marry him.

I am going to spend the rest of my life with him.

We are going to be taking Whimzy to Salute's when she turns 21 for Sambuca.

It was about 4 years ago that he took me to Salute's on our first date.

There are so many more years to come.

I could not be happier.



Perfect Weekend

This was the absolute perfect weekend. 

Friday, we did family stuff all day and night. 

We went to Jerry Smith's pumpkin farm, went grocery shopping, carved pumpkins, watched movies, cuddled, had some awesome soup, and played with Whimzy.

It was a day that made me feel this soul-deep satisfaction with life.

Then, last night, we decided to do a date night.

We went and saw a movie, IN A THEATER and it didn't involve dancing penguins.  It was pretty revolutionary for us ;)

Then, we went out to the place that Ty took me for our first date, Salute's.

We sat at the bar, ate wonderful food, and the owner kept giving us shots of Sambuca.  It was wonderful.  I almost want to live there.

Afterwards we stopped at The Wave bar because of their extensive beer list for Mr. Ty. 

Finally, we ran out of natural conversation, but we weren't ready to go home.

So, we met up with friends, watched some Karoke, had some drinks, walked to another bar, and ended our night at Marina Gardens.  I love me some Eggs Benedict.

I got to spend some time with people I love, both days.

The awesomeness of having two completely perfect days that were both completely different makes me feel so lucky.

Now, next weekend we work on potty training. 

Might not be blog worthy ;)

Non-Traditional Wedding Dress

I went and looked at wedding dresses again earlier this week at J's Bridal.

I decided to go there because of all of the awesome colorful dresses in the windows.

To begin with, I was very unhappy with the experience.

The lady kept bringing me dresses I hated in 4 sizes too big. 

Finally, after we found one or two that I kind of liked but needed major modifications, I asked to try on some of the colored dresses.

She looked surprised but brought me a couple of quincenera dresses.

The one was hideous. 

The second one was gorgeous.

And it fit me.

Here's the thing:  I really do like it.  Alot.  I am just worried about what everybody else is going to think.

Stupid, I know.

Still, it worries me.

My bridesmaids all love it and my aunt even "doesn't hate it", which means that it has to be epic.

*sigh*

 

Comments on this post would be most welcome!

 



Finding The Mail Key

We couldn't find the mail key.

I specifically remembered putting on the counter, where I always put it.

So, I went to go check the mail and it is gone.

We tore apart the kitchen, moved furniture, tore things apart.

No key.

We figured it was a loss.  When Whimzy hides something, we normall don't find it for months.

Ask me about my one camera a few months ago...

So, after pretty much giving up, I decided that I really needed to check the mail.

Stressed myself out for no apparent reason that I NEEDED that key.

It was in her piggy bank. 

There is normally some loose change in the same area as the key and since she gets all loose change except for quarters for her piggy bank, she took it all and put in her giant crayon.

So, the key is found.

 

Guess what was in the mail?

A video game magazine. 

Freakin' A.

All that for pretty much nothing.

Time for a bath and a drink.

 

 

 



Miss Suzy Homemaker

We were supposed to go to a Halloween party tonight.

And the pumpkin farm before that.

We aren't :(

Ty and Whimzy are both feeling under the weather.

So, we are resting.

Well, they are resting.

I am doing housework and laundry.

Does laundry count as housework?

I always seem to put it in a different category.

 

On the upside, Ty bought me a camera yesterday!

Finally, a really nice camera. 

One that doesn't fit in my pocket, so there is way less of a chance that I will break it :)

Plus, we got the accidental handling protection plan, just in case. 

Feeling very domesticated and boring today.

I'm okay with that, though.  Sometimes, boring is good. 

 

Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend!

 

<3

Changing My Expectations

My wedding dress might not be white and it might have alot of glitter.

It might be very bright.

There is not going to be any classical music.

There is not going to be a priest.

My daughter is going to be in the wedding.

*Our daughter

No limo.

There are not going to be a ton of flowers.

My mom will not be helping me plan.

Nana will not be shoving food down everybody's throat.

Papa will not be making jokes about how tall Ty is.

Alex will not be a groom's man.

 

On the other hand:

I am going to want to dance down the aisle.

Angela is my maid of honor.

Uncle Joey will be walking me down the aisle, along with my Dad.

The most important people that are still in my life will be there.

My mom remembers that I am getting married on most days.

Our cake and cupcakes are going to have glitter.  Lots of glitter.

And most importantly:

Ty will be the one I am marrying.

 

I have conflict within myself about trying to make this wedding what I thought it would be and making it what I want now. 

I need to stop that.

What I want now is important, not what could have been.

Wedding planning is not a time to think about the things that used to be.

It is a time to be happy about the future and be happy with where your life is.

I am just so appreciative of Ty for letting me be a little bit confused sometimes and being so supportive about everything. 

Life is good.

There is no reason to dwell on the past.

 

My wedding is going to be perfect.

Perfect for me, now.

Not a 10-year old me.

It is perfect for us.

It will be a perfect representation of how Ty and I live our lives. 

Good food, good drinks, good people, and lots of glitter.

Bright colors, laughter, silliness, and love.

That is all that matters.



Cupcakes

Went to our second cake consultation today at Robin's Nest Cakery. 

AMAZING!

After our last consult with Designs By Ann, which was very disappointing, I was really hoping that this would be better.

It was.

She is making our cake for sure.

We are doing to tiers on a stand with cupcakes below.

Looks like it is going to be full of bling and glitter!

Not to mention, we walked in and she handed us 6 cupcakes in all different flavors. 

Heaven.

An apricot cupcake? 

Yes, please.

She is going to make some pineapple cupcakes for us to taste and have us come in for a second consult.

MORE CUPCAKES!

Freaking awesome.

Really impressed with her passion and willingness to do something completely unique. 

I recommend her for anybody needing a cake, or even anybody who has a cupcake craving.

Playing Dress-Up!

So, yesterday was my first wedding dress shopping experience.

Aunt Lori, Angie, Whimzy and I went up to David's Bridal in Greenfield.

It was fun, alot of fun.

I got to try on at least 15 dresses and try a new type of bra.

As far as the bra goes, I might just have to buy 10 of them.  It felt wonderful.

As far as the dresses go, there were a couple I liked and more than a couple that I really didn't like.  And as it turns out, the one that I REALLY liked was not what I was expecting.  It did my my boobs look fabulous, though ;)

My attendant was amazing.  She was actually a professor at Parkside for costume design and lives in Kenosha.  She was a ton of fun and was really great with Whimzy.  If I end up going back up there, I will definitely be requesting her :)

All of the dresses I liked were within my budget, which totally rocks.  I feel weird spending so much on a dress for one day, but it is a once in a lifetime event, so I don't feel too bad. 

Plus, I have been dreaming of wearing a wedding dress for 2 decades.  It would be really rude to myself to not get a dress that I absolutely love. 

I cannot post too many details on here about I decided I like, in case Ty reads, but if anybody is curious or wants a pic of what the one dress that we really liked looks like on me, just contact me!

Going to make an appointment at J's Bridal and check them out before I make any decisions.

 

<3



Rambles Part 1

Not sure if anybody really reads this, but I am really appreciating the outlet!  Sometimes, I just want to ramble on and on about what is going on in my head.

And it is definitely easier to write than to make somebody listen to me!

 

I have to get ready to go look at wedding dresses for the first time in a bit. 

Inexplicably nervous. 

Nothing to be nervous about. 

It is going to be awesome.

I am going with my family and trust them.

I am just going to blame my nerves on hormones. 

Stupid hormones.

 

Ty wants me to get a sexy-princess dress.  Wonder if that is a category they have at David's Bridal ;)

I used to love dressing up and buying clothes.  Since I gained the weight, not so much.  I am hoping that I don't leave the store feeling like a whale.

Guess we shall see.

 

See?  Rambling.

I can't help it.

 

Oh, and this is just part 1 because I am sure I will have more rambles.

 

 

 

Not Impressed

We went to our first cake tasting/consultation today.  It was at Designs By Anne located in Sunnyside Florist.

It sucked.  We have the choice between two bakeries because we chose the package at Bristol Oaks that includes the cake. 

This place was set up very nice and she had some very nice cakes on display.  Problem is, because we were getting the package, we are only allowed the basic cake flavors with white frosting and one of 4 designs.  That's it.  No color, nothing.  In order to get color, it is an upcharge.  Ridiculous.  And she had the personality of a very angry old woman. 

If she was great, or even her cakes were AMAZING, it would be worth the money. 

So, no, we will not be going with Designs By Anne. 

 

In other news, due to our landlord deciding to not write Doom Kitty into our lease, we will not be keeping her.  I am heartbroken, but she will be going to live with one of our ushers, Kyle.  He will take good care of her.  I know I am going to miss her, though.  She is my cuddle buddy.

 

I also am feeling very content right now.  Everything feels so right. 

 

 

Oh, and...

 

tomorrow is my first dress shopping trip! 

Excited, but kind of nervous.

I am so lucky to have my aunt and Angela coming with, but I really wish my mom was well enough to be able to be there, also. 

Even if we got her there, it wouldn't be the same. 

Ah.  No time to be sad!  Time to feel happy and enjoy my wedding planning.

Those Nights

Let me start this post by saying that I am hormonal and on my "woman time". 

Every once in a while, my past sneaks back up on me as I am trying to fall asleep and makes me feel things that make it hard to relax.

Mostly, they are bad feelings.  (The good ones do not keep me awake...)

Makes me wonder 'What if'.  Makes me think about things I could have done different.  Makes me wonder about how those people would see me now.  Would they be proud?  Honestly, I don't know.  And that makes me really sad. 

I would not change my life for anything.  I am so ridiculously happy with where I am, especially considering how rough the path getting here was. 

I wouldn't change it to have any of those people back, or to go back and change my decisions.  If I changed those moments, I might not have Ty or Whimzy. Or even this amazingly clingy cat on my shoulder.

All of that logic does not help me on "those nights".  It just frustrates me that I cannot make myself feel the way I should.  I just wish I could force my emotions into the little boxes that they belong in and keep them there. 

I know, not wedding oriented.  I did warn that this was not going to be all about the wedding anymore, though. 

Time for sleep.  Whimzy does not go easy on me in the mornings just because I am tired. And, now the cat is in cahoots with her. 

 

I will be fine in the morning.  I always am.  

Menu Tasting

Well, Bristol Oaks is amazing! 

We got there a bit early, but the manager gave us drinks on the house while we waited.  That included about 50 straws that Whimzy played with.

Then, we were escorted into the hall to a table that was set up pretty close to what it will look like before our decorations are on.  It was really cute.  They even had little centerpieces so we could imagine what ours will look like.

Then, the general manager, Pino (super awesome guy with an Italian accent), poured water for us.  He then brought us out salads and all of the available dressings.  We picked french and italian. 

We got to try a couple of appetizers, then along with fresh baked rolls. 

Then he brought out the main dishes, four of them, in tasting sizes (3 slices of the beef, one pastry puff, and one of each type of chicken breasts that we chose).  Plus, the garlic noodles and buttered baby potatoes  were both amazing. 

We made our choices for the menu and even picked out the wine choices for during dinner!  Want to know what we picked?  Look at our website ;)

 

Oh, and once everybody has a chance to check out the website, I will write a review of the dishes we tried. 

 

The atmosphere was amazing, as well as the view.  If Whimzy had not been there, it would have been a really nice as a date night.  Whimzy was very appreciative of the juices from the beef.  She literally drank it.  Weird kid.

 

 

Doom Kitty and Dj Rino

So, on the wedding front, we officially have our Dj booked!  Dj Rino, aka Ryan Guerrero.  He is a good friend of mine and will be doing the ceremony and the reception.  I am so excited to have him aboard for sure. 

His facebook page (consider him for your parties!):

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dj-Rino/140452762635022

 

 

On a more personal front; Ty, Whimzy, and I have a new family member!

Meet Doom Kitty!

The name came from the show Ruby Gloom. 

Our pets are now Wicked Awesome and Doom Kitty.

I think we are pretty awesome at naming pets.

She is an amazing cuddler, so far, and the only big problem we are having with her and Whimzy is that Whimzy thinks the litter box is a sandbox.

She sleeps on my books in our headboard.  A kitten after my own heart ;)

 

Back on the wedding front:

I know, I am obsessed!

We have our tasting for our first bakery and for our meal at Bristol Oaks.  So excited!  Free steak and cake.  What could be better?

 

Oh, and we got our engagement pics!!!!

 

 

So happy with how they turned out!  My photographer is amazing and a ton of fun.  Our wedding pictures are going to be even better.

 

Off to relax for the busy, busy week coming up!

 

<3