Days 2 & 3 & 4

::UPDATE::  I just realized I never posted the picture for Sunday, which was Day 2...  I did take one...

The rain and wind started on Sunday, so Brad and I spent some time in front of the Fireplace.

Despite how it may seem, I have been keeping up with my photo-a-day assignment.

So here are yesterday's and today's.

Quick stop for dinner last night before the chiropractor/message therapist.

Train ride to work this morning.

It's been very stormy here.

Bradisms

Last weekend Brad was here, as he is most weekends.  On Saturday morning, he grabbed his keyless entry remote beeper thing for his car and said he needed to go get something.  He went outside, but quickly came back in, saying that the battery in the thing was dead, and could I go grab the other one (he'd given me the spare key with beepy-entry button thing just in case).  So I went upstairs to retrieve the replacement and he went back outside to wait.

When I came back down, I stood in the living room window and beeped the car to let him know I was unlocking the doors. When he didn't appear, I beeped it again. Still nothing.  I beeped several times waiting for him to walk toward the car and notice it was unlocked so he could get whatever it was he needed.  He didn't come.

I walked over to the dining room window to look for him and he was standing with the old remote in pieces in his hands.  I knocked on the window and beeped the car several more times to let him know I had the new replacement remote thing.  He looked at me with wide eyes and held up the pieces in his hands, showing me that the battery was out of the remote, and how the heck did it keep beeping!!  I lifted my hand with the remote and beeped the car again.  He looked down bewildered at the disassembled remote and looked back up at me and shrugged his shoulders, baffled.  I again, lifted the replacement remote and beeped the car.  When he saw what I had in my hand he laughed, threw the old remote in the trash and walked toward his car.  When he came back in the house, he was laughing and told me what he'd been thinking.

"When I took the remote apart, as soon as I touched the metal part where the battery goes, it beeped! I thought I had done it with the electricity in my hand.  And then it started freaking out! Locking and unlocking and beeping over and over again! It was crazy!!"

"Crazy," I said. "Or it was me."

****

Yesterday, Brad and I went for a bike ride down at Point Defiance Park. We were nearing the end of our ride, and heading up a slight hill when he got a little ways ahead of me. His bike only has a single gear, so he tends to go further with each push of the pedals.  I was about 20 or so feet behind him, when a biker passed me on my left.  He was going quite a bit faster than I was.  As the biker got closer and closer to Brad, Brad started to speed up to stay in front of him.  The faster the biker went, the harder Brad pedaled to stay in front.   I knew that he thought the other biker was me, so I waited a few minutes, watching.  Waiting until Brad looked over his shoulder and saw that he was racing a stranger.  Finally, as they were reaching the top of the little hill (which was about 200 yards from me), I yelled out Brad's name.  (I didn't want to be left so far behind!)  That's when Brad looked over his shoulder and saw that it wasn't me he was racing with.   He said something to the other biker, and they both laughed as Brad turned around to wait for me.

When I'd caught up, Brad laughed and said, "I thought that was you!"  I told him I knew that.  And he said, "I couldn't figure out what had gotten into you!  Like a sudden burst of crazy energy!"

He told me that he'd told the other biker that he thought that guy was me, and the other biker said he could tell, that he could see it on Brad's face like, "She won't beat me! She won't beat me!"

Day 1

I did it!

After giving myself the photo mission yesterday, I woke up this morning actually excited to get artsy and make some pictures.  And now I can't stop.

Here's a photo documentary of what Brad and I did with our Saturday:


















Brad woke up early and bugged me until I opened my eyes.  This is the pretty spring morning from my bedroom window.

I took this one just for fun.

We took a bike ride through 5-Mile drive at Pt Defiance Park.

We took a lunch with us and ate at one of the view points.

Afterward we stopped at a little store in Ruston that has an old fashioned Soda Fountain in it.

I had a strawberry ice cream soda.  It was so good I drank it all before it even crossed my mind to get a picture of it.

Photo Ops

Today has not been a good day.  I am terribly glad it's Friday and more than ready for the weekend.

For the last hour or so, I haven't had much going on at my desk.  So I've been thinking of ways to be more creative in during my not-at-work time.

Last weekend I downloaded a new photography app for my iphone that gives me the ability to edit the photos I take with my phone, which drastically improves the look of them.  (iphone camera = not the greatest.  Get on it, Apple.)  Since then I've decided that I need to take more pictures. If anything, so that the money I spent on that app does not go to waste.

I pass numerous photo-worthy landscapes/scenes everyday; on my commute, in my yard, in my house, I just need to pull out my camera/phone and hit the shutter button. 

My mission, for the month of April (but starting tomorrow)  is to take one photo a day.  And post it here. I may not do one post everyday, but I will post a photo for everyday...make sense?

If I fail, there will be consequences... but I'll have to think of something....

Here's one for the road...because I love her:

Family Dynamics

This is my family.

(This  picture is a few years old now, but it's one of the only ones I have with all five of us.)

I am the oldest child.  My two little sisters both moved to Oregon for college, where one is just a freshman now, and the other have graduated from Portland State University and is currently working for a world famous technology company.

The youngest is currently home from college for Spring Break.  Her birthday is in just over a week, but since she'll be back to school by then, My parents and I (and her, of course) went out to dinner as an early birthday celebration.

As we were sitting there, the sister said she wondered what mine and Brad's kids will look like. And that got us onto the talk of baby names....not that babies are even a thought at this point.  We still have to walk down the aisle!

My sister's a bit of a weirdo, so she named off a long list of unconventional baby names (as jokes). My mother, being so innocent, said, "Why can't you just name your babies something normal?   Like BJ." My sister and I looked at each other, and my Dad busted out laughing.

"Yeah...BJ." I said. "And his younger sibling could be HJ."

Mom didn't get it. But Dad laughed so hard his face turned bright red and he looked like he was going to choke on his dinner.

Sister and I laughed so hard I teared up.

Mom sat for a few minutes glancing at all of our faces, looking confused.

Finally after 2 or so minutes, Mom said, "OH!  You guys!!  That is obviously not where my mind was!"

And she laughed so hard she cried. (She does that a lot.)

Mistake

OK, this Etsy obsession of mine is getting out of hand.

A week or so ago, I made the mistake of signing up for the Daily Finds email.  Which means, not only do I get an email full of all of the amazing handmade and vintage items on the site that I wouldn't otherwise find, I also have an excuse to visit Etsy.com and add more things to my favorites list...or buy them...depending on how my bank account is feeling that day. 

Today's Daily Finds email is, of course, being as it is St. Patrick's Day, full of all things green.  The very first thing featured is this:

 

Chalk Board Notebook

And it may be the coolest thing I have ever seen....EVER.  I am a total sucker for a unique journal or notebook.  I've kept a journal/diary since I could write, pretty much. I have dozens full of all of the most embarrassing stories from my childhood. ...Documentation that proves just how much of a Drama Queen, Boy Crazy, weirdo I was throughout Junior High and High School.  Way to go, Me.

I sent the link to this amazing creation to Brad and he told me I've been spending too much money lately (which is very true), and I shouldn't buy it... 

Ugh. Fine.  BUT LOOK HOW COOL IT IS!!!!  Freakin' boys. So logical. 

It would make an excellent Birthday present for me, I told him.  And my birthday is coming up...in two months....

The following items were also in the Daily Finds email...and I want them...

    

Green Shoulder Sling

 

Passport Case

 

Emerald Green Georgette Skirt

Accident prone

This weekend was a busy one for Brad and me.

On Friday, after work, we had dinner with some friends at their house (DELICIOUS food!), and on Saturday we set to work (finally) repainting the dining room.  When I was on my first round of painting madness, I started to paint the dining room a golden/brown color.  Once it was on the walls, it was the same color as newborn baby poop.  I stopped painting halfway, and it has sat half-painted for the last 3 months.

After talking it over with Brad, we decided we'd try blue.  He normally hates blue. So I couldn't figure out where this suggestion was coming from.  He said the room told him it wanted to be blue...  Um, Ok. Blue it is.

We decided, instead of an entirely blue room, we would do a chair rail with blue above, and regular old white below.

The trim is still at the store, but will be purchased and place next Saturday morning.


We went with a lighter blue thinking it would look darker than we thought (because that had been our problem with all of the other paint colors), but blue is blue.  And we both agree we could've gone with a slightly darker shade of blue and been happy with the results.  

One more room done to check off the list... with a hallway, kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms, and a basement to go!

It took two days to finish painting and get all of the furniture back where it belonged. And sometime during the process, I managed to sprain my right shoulder. How? I do not know.  Apparently, I am so weak that I can sprain myself just by moving my arm up and down. Same way I hurt my neck a month ago. I moved.

Yet again, I'm a gimp who has an excuse not to work out. Though, it's not really an excuse I want.  While I like my sleep in the mornings, I'm running out of time before the wedding and our trip to Mexico!  Gotta get back on the train to Beachbody-ville.

Rant

Today is a grumpy day.  It's dark and rainy outside. And work is very slow. It's a stay in bed with your head under the covers kind of day.

The atmosphere at my job feels like a junior high school. I've been here nearly 8 months and can't seem to break into the "cool" crowd...or any crowd really.

My high-heeled boots make my legs look 100 miles long. Which you'd think would be a good thing, but actually it makes me look like I'm on stilts.  Not really the look I was going for when I got dressed this morning.

Brad is too busy to talk to me.

My hair looks dumb. (I am in the middle of growing it out, and it's at that stage where it doesn't want to cooperate.) I look a bit like a Raggedy Anne doll.  Mop head.

I can't wear the shoes I want for the wedding because they'll make me a million feet tall, and Brad's already a little shorter than me. Our closest friends and family don't need to see him give his wedding vows to my chest.  We'll save that for the honeymoon.

And last... I'm not at home.  The only place I really want to be today.

 









I really am a giant.  See.

Etsy

I have a problem.  Starting about 6 months (or so) ago, I was lead to a little site called Etsy.com in search of an insulated reusable lunch bag. Not only did I find what I was looking for, I also found tons of other handmade, antique, and uniquely awesome items. 

I became addicted.

Since the wedding planning started I've visited Etsy nearly everyday. I've found all of my bridal accessories there, as well as a few other "had to have it" things. 

When I went shopping for my wedding dress, the bridal shop was having a sale.  $100 off the purchase price of my gown AND I got a free veil!  I wasn't planning on wearing a veil. But it was free, so I took it!  It definitely goes with the style of my dress, and I'm actually excited about wearing it.  It's a birdcage style, in the same ivory color as my dress.  

I'm in the process of growing my hair out, and since I don't know how long it will be I've been at a loss for what to do with it.  Also, the veil I have it just a veil on a comb. It needed something else. 

Yesterday on Etsy I found these amazing handmade ivory silk flowers.  They were a little more than I'd planned on spending, but they're exactly the look I think of when I think "wedding" so I bought them. 

Today on Etsy I found the perfect present for my bridesmaids. The seller makes all of the items herself, and posted that she offers discounts for bridal parties.  Done and done. 

I love Etsy.

At this rate, I'm going to have all of the planning finished like a month before the actual wedding. 

I'm already getting impatient.

MoonHoney

Brad has officially booked our Honeymoon!

We'll be staying here...

An all-inclusive Resort called the Cozumel Palace in (where else) Cozumel, MX.  I am jumping out of my skin excited!

The place has received rave reviews online, and the pictures look incredible!

All of our food and beverages (alcoholic and non) are included, as well as some activities.  We also have access to all of the other Palace Resorts in Cancun, Playa Del Carmen and Isla Mujeres, and they're covered in our cost!  At the place we'll be staying there's all kinds of restaurants and bars that are included in our price.  There's even a swim-up bar in the pool!

As honeymooners we'll get a ton of other free stuff as well.  A cake, champagne, breakfast in bed, late check-out, etc.

When we were originally looking at prices, we were thinking we'd like to leave the day after the wedding.  But the only flights that go out are Red Eye flights. So that would mean we'd be leaving at midnight the night of our Wedding.  Brad told me today that it'd actually save us money if we left the next night. Which is A-OK by me.  I'd love to sleep in my own bed after that crazy long wedding day.  So it's an extra perk that it saves us a couple hundred dollars to leave on a very early Monday morning (12:55am).

Cannot. Wait.

Registy

I have been playing with our wedding registry, pretty much non-stop for the last few days.  I keep thinking of things to add, and everytime I look at it, there's something I find that needs tweaking.  Today I'm trying not to look at it. We're still a few months away from the Wedding, so I don't want to get too excited about the presents just yet. 

One thing that I would LOVE on my registry is a dSLR camera.  I've been dying for one for years! I told Brad that if we get it, I'm going to have it in on me (and in his face) at ALL times!  That way I could post tons more pictures on this little blog of mine.

Speaking of, we got our first wedding presents last week, and we've decided to stock-pile them all in our future office until after the Big Day.

Yesterday, Brad and I got started on Honeymoon research, and we think we may have found our destination! :)  We're debating on exact hotels, but we're pretty sure we'll be planting ourselves on the beach of Cozumel, Mexico.  I can't wait!!  It's even more motivation to stop slacking on my p90x workouts.

Next weekend, Brad's mom, Jacquie, and I will start looking into flowers/centerpieces. I've got a few ideas in my head of what I'd like, but I need to find out what's going to be in bloom.  I'm thinking Peonies, but I'm not sure if they'll be available. I love that they're such a full flower (they looks so fluffy!).

Make (over) me girly

I need a make over. 

For most of my college career, and after, I wore mostly black clothing. It is still a default color when I find an article of clothing that I like that comes in a variety of hues. In the last year, I've been forcing myself to buy items in different colors.  But I'm still wary of patterns.

Today, for example, I am wearing a grey no-button cardigan, a hunter green cami, and mocha brown dress pants. With black shoes.  It's dull.  The best part about my outfit are my silver rose-shaped earrings that I bought from Forever 21 (I love their cheap accessories). 

While scouring the internets for wedding inspiration, I've also stumbled across a few (or more) amazing new blogs to read while work is slow (which is often). My Google Reader is bursting! And I've noticed a trend; the blogs I add to my reader all contain pretty pictures and DIY projects for clothes and home decor.

I've collected lots of wonderfully lovely ideas for bedroom decor (which I probably won't be able to use since a boy will be moving in with me fairly soon). And I've been introduced to the wonderful world of bold patterns on fabric.

I'm finding myself suddenly inspired to pull out the old crochet hook and get to work, and also to teach myself how to knit, sew, and play piano!  My creativity has been set ablaze!

I want to add color and design to my home; with curtains and rugs, patterned pillows and quirky wall art. When Brad and I were registering for wedding gifts, he tended to lean toward safer colors and art (minus the Jack Daniels holographic framed poster...weird...), while I wanted bright colored rugs and towels.  He won.  (Though I did secretly tell my aunt in an email that if she bought me yellow towels, I wouldn't be upset.)

As for clothing, I've been trying to go more toward things I wouldn't usually try on, but until recently when I'd buy clothes I was trying to hide certain squishy parts of myself that I thought would be accentuated by wearing bright colors and patterns.  But I've been working out for about a month now (...with a small lull in the frequency that will be remedied tomorrow morning), and I've been  keeping up with the eating healthy. Those once squishy bits aren't so squishy anymore.

I want to wear cute clothes! But i'm on a pretty tight budget from now until Wedding Day, so if anyone has any ideas of where I can find cute clothes for cheap, pass the info along this way.

I did come across an amazing site today that added a little sunshine to my life.  Check out The Bright Side Project for daily giveaways!