Go!Go!Go!

It's been crazy - wedding planning, moving, leaving my job. I feel like my brain never gets a break. There have been times where I've felt emotional - like up for a good cry, started a couple tears and then gotten distracted with something I need to do and don't even get to a good sob before I'm on to something else. The pinnacle of this insanity was the other week. Late night, early morning, late for work. GO!GO!GO!GO! I threw on my walking shoes, threw my work shoes in my bag, along with a granola bar for breakfast and my wedding planner (I feel lost without it). I race to work. I've got to get to court. I rip off my running shoes, throw on my work shoes....only to discover, to my horror! I grabbed two different shoes. Sure, they were both brown, but completely different. One with a bow at the toe, the other with swirly imprints. I ran to a co-worker's office to share the insanity. She was kind to offer her shoes, which I tried on and quickly declined, after feeling the warmth and moistness her foot left behind. I promptly strapped on my running shoes again, was out the door, back home to find a match. I am so excited to get settled into a calmer pace of life!

Recently, Christina and I were driving down Tejon street on a weekday morning and both noticed the woman pushing a shopping cart up the hill fillled with non-groceries. We both exclaimed as we passed, "that's the best looking bag lady I've ever seen."It's true, she looked healthy and was dressed normally. Hmmmm, what's the story there?

I continue to walk to work. Most days, it's great. Recently, 4 other co-workers started a lunch club. After months of eating out far too often, we decided that each of us would bring in a group lunch once a week. It's brilliant really. I don't have to even think about lunch 4 days out of the week, it's portion controlled and affordable. The unfortunate part, of course, is on Wednesday nights, when I find myself wandering the grocery store aisles trying to figure out what the most unique, most affordable, best tasting meal would be... and on Thursday mornings when I lug, essentially, a one woman potluck to work.

This past Thursday, as I carried tubs of bbq beef brisket, chips, pickles, buns and some sweet treats, along with my work shoes, my wedding planner, my purse and a cup of coffee, I really wished I had my own shopping cart to load up, and stroll along Tejon street. I can hear the passerbys now, "that's a good looking bag lady."

The extremes

So, I'm a crazy interneter these days, looking obsessively for cheap/better/more unique ways to do a wedding. I will fully admit my naivete at thinking planning it so soon wouldn't be too stressful. Don't get me wrong...I'll do it and I hope I do it well... but it is hands down stressful!

It's no surprise that because every bride/couple is different, so is every wedding. Here's an example of an astonishing difference... just with cakes:
Amount: $3,500.00 for the cake
Extraordinary Design
Posted by: Astrid Kipperburg-Liago in Seattle, WA.
Purchased: June, 2007
Number of Slices: 400
Cake Type: 8 Different Cake Flavors, 16 Fillins
Decorations: Extraordinary Eiffel Tower Design
Mark Caldwell of Everett Washington Created a one of a kind masterpiece for my wedding. Sharing a love for France, Mark was able to artistically re-create Paris' Eiffel Tower to an brilliant likeness. The entire cake was frosted in a light buttercream then overlayed in sculpted white chocolate. The cake was then airbrushed with gorgeous color and then finished with gold leaf. After the cake was assembled on site, Mark spiraled white rununculus, white hydrangea, white roses, white miniature cala lilies, looped beargrass and swarovski crystals. Centered on top of a satin draped round table, his creation towered just over 9 feet tall! We could not have ever dreamed of something ourselves. Our cake creator sat with us and brought our love of Paris and created the very place that my husband Bradley proposed. Thank you Mark!


Amount: $125.00 for the cake
wedding cake
Posted by: Lorianne in Atlanta, GA.
Purchased: February, 2008
Number of Slices: 3 tiered cake
Cake Type: wedding
Decorations: basic with trim
I went to the local grocery store and ordered 3 indiviual cakes a 6",8" and 12" vanilla with white frosting and red trim.. I then bought a cake stand that holds the 3 cakes on individual levels. I brought the cakes with me to the reception placed the cakes on the cake stand and then put real roses on top of each cake....I saved a bundle!!

Olympic Mania

It was a random wandering on the web. I was pulled into some news article, which led me to a overview of the olympics, which had an article about Shawn Johnson, which made me wonder how old she was, which took me to some chat board. Here is the freakish american obsession I encountered on just the first page of comments regarding this young gymnist: UUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRR TTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEE BBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSTTTTTTT UR SMILE IS THE BEST:) UUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR SSSSSOOOOOCCCCCCOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WISH I COULD SEE U .. I REALLY LUV UR SMILE U ROCK!!!!!! OMG also u can really jump U. high.....i whish i could give u a great big hug. well see ya later hope u hear this and rite back PLEASE .. as quick as you can run..hahaha.. P_E_A_C_E u r the smilely one...................................................:) congrats shawn on a job well done iam very proud i watched you performe on tv and you wrer amazing write back soon your hotttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shawn ur so incrediable High beautiful jumpper Actually your a model Wonderful smile Non stop energized beautiful girl......hahahaha you r so cool your the cooliest person ive ever seen u r P_E_R_F_E_C_E_T+O WOW ur the best.......see ya later rite back PLEASE as fast as you can run hahahaa peace........ 2292 comments - handfuls of them saying "email me" "check out my myspace." So extremely strange...and perhaps now I know what kind of fan mail the New Kids were getting so many years ago.

Engaged Life

What I love about my ring:
I don't have to take it off when I wash my hands, it won't turn my fingers green!
I love to check it out in different lighting.
It's a sign/signal - "I'm taken. I'm off the market. These ribs are sold!"

What I thought I'd love but didn't:
registering. It was exhausting. Don't get me wrong, super fun to set up a pretend house, but I didn't really think about what color the bathroom should be before we arrived at Target.

What I'm tired of hearing from vendors:
"You mean THIS November?"

What I am loving:
Seeing Matt through this going-to-be-my-husband lens. He's amazing

Twofers

Did I mention Christina is also engaged? Also from her stint on Eharm (as I like to call it). We are the Eharm brides - now frantically trying to plan weddings on short term engagements. Who knew it would be so impossible to find a cheap venue and throw a reasonably priced reception? Tonight - it's "Sense and Sensibility," some cookies, wine and a stack of bridal magazines.

I found him!

Where do I even start?
Once I received a comment from a mysterious reader in Oregon - she encouraged me to be patient in my place of life as a single woman waiting for my Mr. Right (I couldn't for the life of me find the comment to refresh my memory). So, my Oregon reader, if you're still tuned in...I've got some exciting news for you.

"When you are in love, you want to spread the word, to tell the fish in the ocean and the lamppost on the corner and to send the news spinning itself out across continents and seas, so that all of creation might rejoice with you." Marisa De Los Santos in "Loved Walked in"

I swore I'd never do it. "Eharmony might work for SOME people...but not for me." Then Christina came home late one weeknight and said she was signing up, "you should do it!"
"oh alright!" I had read Henry Cloud's book, "finding a date worth keeping" a year prior, sorted through a lame relationship and was still challenged by his charge to be active in dating and take risks." So, at 11:00pm I committed to 3 months of my own matchmaking.

His name was Matt, he had no picture on his profile. He should have been one of the quick closes...but for some reason, we started chatting. He was intentional from the start, refreshing compared to most of my experiences. We met for coffee at Starbucks on February 12th. This next Tuesday will be our 6th month anniversary and he is now my fiance.

Despite my fears of marrying the wrong man, fear of commitment and struggle with vulnerability, I've become one of those people who says, "when you know you know."

He's an amazing man - more than I imagined when I dreamed up my Mr. Right. I can't wait to enjoy life with him, as his wife.