Put a stamp on it

I really wish we could do a custom stamp for our wedding invites (with an adorable pic of Daisy as a puppy).....but I realize that it may make sense to save the extra $50 and just do standard stamps (or at least that's what SB tells me).

Today I headed off to our local post office to purchase the stamps for the main big envelope, and the little return envelope. I had visions of stamps with beautiful flowers, or beachy scenes, or something visually appealing like that. However, after waiting in line for 25 minutes, my friendly postman showed me the only stamp they had in the building that would work with the size of my envelope.....behold the James Michener stamp:
HA! Just the idea of him being on my wedding invitations makes me laugh. Even the postman said that I probably wouldn't want it (ya think!!??). I think I may try to order something online at usps.com instead of searching the entire metro-DC area for stamps that are $0.59.

So after that, I thought surely they'd have plenty of really cute standard $0.42 stamps. Au contraire! Well, they did have a few, but here's the thing....the postman said that the USPS is doing another rate hike for their stamps this May. That means that if I put a regular stamp on the envelopes, if people mail them after May they might not get delivered. He recommended going with the boring old Liberty Bell "forever stamp." Just an alert for any of you mailing wedding invites in the near future!! I'm going to have to find something else to obsess with now that my hopes and dreams for cute stamps have been dashed! (ha!)

A few of my favorite (Atlanta) things...

We've lived in the DC area for about 16 months now, and while I feel like this "new" city should feel like home... the truth is that I still really miss Atlanta. I loved living there. We have great friends there (we're working on making them here...but it hasn't been the easiest process....or at least so far it's not), and a life and lifestyle that we were so used to. The newness of this adventure presents a lot of fun opportunities, but there are still those moments when I long for that favorite city in the south. Here are a few of my favorite Atlanta things:

• ALTA -- the tennis scene in Atlanta is unbelievable. The city has great public courts, tons of leagues, and lots of really great players. It is a tennis playground.
  
• The running trail by the Chattahoochee River. There were tons of trails that went off the main loop into the woods...and when I was back there I could let Daisy off the leash, and it was just the best thing ever. I have yet to find anything like that in DC...yet.
  
• Restaurant Scene -- Atlanta has great food at really good prices. Some of the places I miss most: Eclipse di Luna, Six Feet Under, Murphy's, West Egg, all the great bbq places (Daddy D's, Fat Matt's, etc.), Murphy's, Harry & Son's, Chow Baby, Taqueria Del Sol, Figo Pasta, JCT Kitchen, and dozens more!
• Shopping!! From the boutiques to Lenox and Phipps -- The shopping scene was awesome.
• As a Wisconsin girl, the weather was something that was pretty unbeatable. A real spring starting in March....a mild winter -- ahhh :)
• Real estate prices. Maybe this one is a particular sticking point right now because I would love to be buying a house with a yard right now right before the wedding....and while we could have afforded this in Atlanta, the prices in DC are 2-3 times what we would have paid in Atlanta, for about half the house. It is really ridiculous, and so frustrating. Maybe I should start looking way out in the suburbs to find an actual house, but I just don't know this area at all, so it's hard to know where to start looking even if we work with a realtor, and we still don't have a firm grasp on how long we'll live here.

Ok, now that I have that out of my system I will put the "happy, happy" face back on... The cherry blossom season is kicking off, and there are lots of good things to enjoy here. This spring/summer I hope to make more of an effort to enjoy DC. I really want to go to more museums, and I want to visit Mount Vernon, the Shenandoah National Park, and Charlottesville. Happy happy :)

Happy Birthday to Moi!!

It's a big day in our household....it's my birthday! SB and I kicked off the day with a run with Daisy around our neighborhood. We then watched a romantic comedy ("Made of Honor" -- with Patrick Dempsey....clearly my choice!!) We're doing normal Sunday stuff now, and will be going out for a fun dinner later on tonight.

I love birthdays....but most especially I LOVE birthday cake!! :)

Return of the Clutches!

You may remember this post, about the beautiful clutches I found on an etsy site. Well, after getting so excited about them, and emailing the woman who makes them, I never heard back from her. Soooo....just as I was deciding that I would need to find another gift item for my bridesmaids, I found a NEW etsy site that produces the very same clutches, using the very same fabrics at HALF the price!!! (yay!) I contacted the woman who produces them, and she wrote me back in like 4 minutes, and seems super nice. (double yay!)

I'm in the process of selecting the fabrics....but here are a few faves.... (I'm hoping that my next clutch post will be me holding these beauties in my hands!!):

Wedding Details, Part 3

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” ~nora ephron, when harry met sally

This is SO TRUE! We have 109 days until the BIG DAY and I am already bouncing off the walls in excitement!!! SB and I are really starting to crack down on the details. Last night we looked at our To-Do List, and worked on the timeline for the wedding reception, and selected some favorite songs that we definitely want to hear that night. We sent it on to the band....and then high-fived as we were able to cross one more thing off our list.

For your entertainment, here are our song requests:

*At Last – Etta James (this will be our first dance together)
*My Girl – The Temptations (this will be for the dance with my dad…..Scott and his mom will join us half-way through)
*The Sweetest Thing – James Taylor (cake cutting….so appropriate)
*The Way You Look Tonight -- Sinatra
*You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You -- T. Bennett
*Let's Stay Together - Al Green
*Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
*Brown Eyed Girl - V. Morrison
*Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
*Shout -- The Isley Brothers
*Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
*Sweet Home Alabama - Lynrd Skynrd
*Love Shack - B-52's
*Hey Ya - Outkast
*Friends in Low Places - G. Brooks
*Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash

(so far the only "banned" songs are the Macarena and the Chicken Dance)

Do you have anymore song ideas that you think we HAVE to have??

Home Sweet Home!

After a wonderful week with my family, I am now back in DC!! It is really great to be home. I love my family more than anything, but I really missed SB and Daisy (and our super comfy bed... the twin bed I grew up with just doesn't cut it compared to our Westin Heavenly bed!!) I will upload pics from home sometime soon!

So even though I'm home, I still won't see SB until tomorrow because he is in St. Simon's, Georgia for a friend's wedding. He went alone b/c it was just too tough for me to try to get back from Wisconsin to meet him there....plus this morning I ran the half-marathon!!!! 13.1 miles!! I certainly didn't set any time records (2:22), but I'm really proud in the accomplishment of finishing it. I ran with two girls from work and we stayed together for the first half, which was great. It was a fun experience....I might try to do a 10-miler later this year.
I really am missing SB.....can't wait for him to get home tomorrow!!

Life is Good

So I haven't had too many opportunities to sit down with my laptop since arriving in Wisconsin, but I thought I'd give a quick update on how things are going.
1. The flight from DC to Madison, WI was quick and not too eventful.....at least for the first 98% of it. I spent the last 2% gripping my book tightly when the Captain came over the PA system to say "If you noticed that we are circling the airport, it is because the landing gears did not fully engage. We will let you know when we attempt to land again." WHAT!? No landing gears? An image of Captain Sully quickly ran through my brain....except there's no Hudson River in Madison, WI. In fact, most bodies of water here are still frozen right now. There is a lot of farmland in the area, but crash landings on frozen ground aren't usually that successful. After about 10 minutes of mild panicking, the Captain announced that the landing gears engaged, and we had the softest landing ever. (though there were tons of firetrucks and ambulances on-hand for the arrival....which made the potential issue a little more real).
2. The bridal shower on Sunday was AMAZING!! My mom and sister outdid themselves, and it was so fun to see so many friends of mine and of our family. I'll post pics when I get back to DC.
3. Spending time with my family has been really wonderful. I've been able to experience a regular old week with everyone, which seems dull -- but it's exactly what I miss when I'm away from it all. I was able to meet my sis for a sushi lunch, and take my 8-year-old niece to ballet last night, which was so much fun.
4. I've gone for a couple nice runs since arriving on Saturday.....one on Sunday with my brother (which always turns into more of a bootcamp class than a run....sprint here, do push-ups there, attempt pull-ups on a playground, etc.), and one this morning before work (I am working while I'm here...I'm able to work remotely which is a great perk). The half-marathon is on Saturday, and I'm excited for it!! I know I won't set any time records, but it will be the first time I run 13 consecutive miles, so that will be an achievement in itself.
5. Tonight I'm making enchiladas for the whole family.....using this recipe. I was planning on making margaritas too for the adults in the fam, but with the half-marathon on the horizon, I think maybe I should just stick to water for now, and save the margaritas for post-race!! Hasta luego!

Seriously, Anthropologie??!!

I just got an email this morning from Anthropologie, one of my favorite stores. However, today's email did not elicit the same kind of excitement it usually does, because the product featured is just hideous! I understand that some cultures may wear these types of pants ....but to me, they just scream "M.C.Hammer!!!" Can you picture yourself EVER wearing these???

Engagement Anniversary!

One year ago today SB got down on one knee and popped the big question!

It's so fun to think about that night, to relive those feelings, and to remember how wonderful it was to put the ring on my finger! He was so nervous too - it was adorable. He had finally closed on the sale of his house in Atlanta, and we had made plans to go out to celebrate. When I got home from work that evening, he was all dressed up in a suit (which sort of threw up a flag). I put on a skirt and top and off we went, walking down King Street in Alexandria to the Torpedo Factory art gallery. After we explored the gallery, we had dinner reservations at the Charter House right on the Potomac River. We were a touch early for the reservation and of course I was like, "Well let's just go in, I'm sure they'll seat us!" But he had other plans, and walked me out on one of the piers, and the rest is history. I'm smiling just thinking about it all!!

Our big day is just under 4 months away.....I am SO EXCITED!

An Amazing Wedding....Beautiful Inspiration

This wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty today.....and it is just too beautiful not to share. The bride is gorgeous (I really love her hair, and that dress is stunning!), and I just love the classic elegance in their country setting. Enjoy the following pics...

(photos by the talented Lauri Levenfeld of Zoom Photography)

What to wear....what to wear!?

Ok, so somehow just now it's starting to dawn on me that I really need to start thinking about packing for my trip home....which of course includes the wedding shower. I hadn't even thought about what to wear!! I'm thinking I'll wear the blue Boden dress below with dark brown boots....but I'm not really sure what jewelery to wear with it. My pearls are a little on the short side for the deep V.....and the other necklaces I have just don't seem to cut it. I guess they show the model without any necklace, but I'm just not sure!!!! Any ideas?????

Ouch!

Contacts and me are not the best of friends.....at least not yet. It seriously took me an hour to get them in. My eyes just kept blinking, even though I was trying to hold them wide open to prevent the lids from getting in the way. At the end of the session, my eyes were bright red and it pretty much looked like I'd been crying for hours (that's probably how I felt too!!) In the end, I did get them in and out (with a lot of coaching from the optician), but now I have to practice a lot to try to see if I can do this on a regular basis.

BUT the good news is that I'm able to look forward to traveling home to Wisconsin for 6 days starting this Saturday. My mom and sister are hosting my first bridal shower on Sunday (which is exciting!!). Two of my bridesmaids will be able to join in the fun, along with their moms (unfortunately the others are spread too far out -- San Fran and NYC -- and just can't make it). Beyond that, I'm just excited to spend time with my family. I have 6 little nieces and nephews (my sister has 3 and my brother has 3), the oldest being 8, and the youngest being just 3 months. My brother's family lives in Manhattan, and my sister's family is just outside of Madison (where we all grew up) on a total fluke in that her boyfriend at the time (husband now) was transferred to Madison, WI right before they got engaged. While I would never have guessed that she'd be the one to end up in our hometown (I always thought it would be me)....she is really lucky to have my parents there to help care for their kids. I still can't believe I haven't really introduced my fam in the blog -- they are SO important to me, and I cherish every moment I spend with them. I'll post pics when I get back!

And now I'm off to rest my poor eyes...

Optometrist Appt.

The time has come. After a year or so of squinting at hockey games, in meetings, and when reading signs from a distance....I will finally be getting contacts tomorrow (or at least that's my hope)! Granted, I do have glasses that I like and that work perfectly fine, but I don't like wearing them all the time every day. I especially don't like wearing them when I play tennis or go running. My major motivation is to be able to see SB's face clearly at the end of the aisle. That doesn't seem too much to ask for, right!? haha :)
Tomorrow I will be going to an optometrist to get fitted for contacts (please note that this is a big deal because my dad is an ophthalmologist, but retired just over a year ago, and up until then he was the only person to ever do anything to my eyes. PLUS this person will be an optometrist, not an ophthalmologist...which really shouldn't make a difference b/c they probably fit a million people a day and I don't have any other eye issues to be concerned about....which means that I don't need to see an opthalmologist, but it's just what I'm used to...anyways, I'm rambling).
So while I am really excited about the appt, I'm also super, super nervous to attempt to put contacts in my eyes, and to take them out (even though that's probably silly because lots of people have been doing it since grade school). We'll see how it goes!!

Wedding Details...Part 2

What better thing to think of on a BEAUTIFUL Saturday morning than wedding flowers! (right now I'm waiting for my ipod to charge before setting out on a 9 mile run....sheesh, this "cramming" for the half-marathon is definitely not the recommended training regimen! The race is in 14 days and I haven't run anything longer than 7 miles to date....I hope I make it!!)
So our wedding colors are light blue, with accents of navy and ivory. Our flowers will mostly consist of light blue hydrangeas, peonies (if they can find some in July at a semi-decent price) and garden roses with accents of green (can't remember the flower's name??). They're also going to use some beachy sea grasses, as you will see! Here are the pictures I provided our florist for inspiration....

(to adorn the aisles....this ribbon will work its way into the decor....wrapped around square vases for cocktail reception, and as a napkin tie for dinner)(for the groom)

(groomsmen)

(bridesmaids' bouquets)

(for the bride :)

(this isn't the best pic for how I envision the centerpieces, but I couldn't find anything better....basically they'll be like the bridesmaids' bouquets...but bigger. We'll have high and low arrangements)

Salt....The Movie

I just learned today that a new movie is filming in DC right now, and they are using the empty parking lot across from my office building as their headquarters. The movie is "Salt" and their star is Angelina Jolie......which means that her trailer is in that parking lot too. Supposedly Tom Cruise was supposed to play the lead part, but when he turned it down they converted the part to a woman....and she jumped at it (I've read it's a bit like Bourne Identity...but with a female lead.....). It's strange how I really have a hatred for her b/c I see her as a home-wrecker (yes, I'm very much a part of Team Aniston :) Brad Pitt seems nice enough, but seriously - when the interview came out with Jolie saying things like how much she looked forward to going to work when they were filming (and he was still married)....well, that just struck me as tacky and insensitive. Granted, if I were to see her in our neighborhood Starbucks I wouldn't cause a scene, but I certainly wouldn't gawk over her either. It's strange how I clearly don't know her, but I have such strong feelings about her! I'll let you know if I see the beautiful couple out and about with their 6 children....

Daylight Savings Time.....This Sunday!

So out of the blue, my fabulous coworker mentioned that this Sunday is Daylight Savings Time! This news literally made my day. I'm so excited that soon it will still be light out when I leave work....which means I can run outside with Daisy at night (and SB too when the season is over), and that spring might just be right around the corner (ok, that part's hard to believe when it's 15 degrees out, and snow covers the ground but you get the picture!).

The other fun thing that happened today was a long, funny email chain with my brother and sister. We are spread out across the country, and I miss them so much -- so I always love when we're able to share a few laughs like that. I'll share more about them sometime soon....

For now I am going to veg out and watch tv :)

Snow Day!

photo source: BBC

It snowed about 6 inches last night! It's the most we've seen since we moved here last November from Atlanta (though it's funny....they saw a record snowfall last night too!). Since I'm able to work from home, I'm sitting here, nice and toasty, working at home....but it's a winter wonderland outside! I guess it's true that March comes in like a lion. I can't wait for that 'lamb' weather!!!!

Engagement Pics!

Back in late July my whole, extended family had a reunion like we do every 2 years at the same beach where SB and I will be getting married. This year it was especially timely because we were able to meet with a bunch of our wedding vendors. I had worked an engagement photo shoot into our photography package, and we were all set to do it Wednesday at sunset.....well it rained then. We rescheduled for Thursday and it rained again.....so then finally we decided to do sunrise on Friday morning...and everything worked out (minus the crazy humidity that did a number on my hair!)! We have yet to pick a guest book-type item to sign...but I always like it when people sign a mat for a framed photo....because you can display it and see it forever. Anyways, here are a few of my faves from the shoot: