Why don't I have an opinion about tulle?

Ok all of you recent brides, not-so-recent brides, brides-to-be and other assorted women-type friends...answer me this: is it bizarre that I haven't been dreaming about my wedding since I was 7? I am starting to think this whole wedding planning adventure would be a lot easier if I had been! But no, I don't have an opinion on most of the details. What's important to me is:

1. I look pretty in my dress (well that's a given)
2. All my closest friends and family will be there
3. Bernt (my youth pastor from back in the day) does the ceremony
4. We have a rockin photographer

So all of the above have pretty much been taken care of. I haven't found my dress yet, but I'm not too worried and I have some ideas. Plus I have people going with me to shop for it who won't let me buy one that makes me look like a cupcake. Always good to have people like that in your life!

The "problem" is that most of the other details I've never thought about and am having to think about now...and make decisions about. Like...what music do we want? Do we want dancing at the reception and if so, how do we find a non-obnoxious DJ? Do we want flower centerpieces or something more funky like personalized Jones sodas in ice buckets? How do we want to decorate the church? Fake flowers or real flowers?

It's a little overwhelming...mostly in a fun way, but I still think it would have been easier if I had started thinking about all this crazy stuff when I was in elementary school!

Aaron and I did pick our "Save the Date" cards - we're doing postcards and steering clear of saccharine-sweet photo magnets. And our colors are black and white with a deep emerald green accent. Pretty, right?

I am starting to settle into the wedding planning groove and am so lucky to have a fiance who is supportive and understands I get a little looney tunes obsessing over the details.

Perpectives...

Some days I have to wonder how in the world I’ve landed here…in this job, in this city, in this particular spot in life.

Not to get all philosophical and retrospective on you, but it has always intrigued me how the network of choices I’ve made thus far has led me to where I am today. Not to mention the fact that I’m only 26 years into this life and have an enormously overwhelming future in front of me. It’s a very “choose your own adventure” feeling. In some ways I feel like my life is just starting, but in other ways it feels like I’ve lived through a ridiculous amount of events and experiences already. Somewhere between the two perspectives I find myself balanced.

In a meandering way, I just explained why I got “The more I see the less I know” tattooed on my right forearm. Each tattoo I have (6 of them so far) represents a specific event or turning point in my life. I got the forearm done right after I found out my first book was being published. I wanted a tattoo to mark how special that moment was, as well as something that represented my particular view of life. I settled on that phrase partially because it is a sentence that appears in the book and because every time I look at it, it reminds me that I don’t know everything and more importantly other people’s views and opinions are valid…it reminds me to keep an open mind.

For the first time in my life I don’t have a plan…it feels very weird. I knew how to do the whole growing up thing, the high school thing, the college thing and even the starving/broke/crappy job after college thing. But that’s as far as I ever went in my mind. And now I’m getting married to my best friend in the world, and it’s fantastic – but honestly? I have no plan…I have no concept of what life is going to be like from this point forward. It’s exciting…sure…but terrifying is another word that springs to my over-organized/used to planning everything brain.

So how do I let go and just enjoy the ride?

Biggest News of Late

Coming down the end of a whirlwind weekend I thought I'd take a moment to regroup and of course post a new update...

The biggest news (of course) is that Aaron and I are now engaged...he proposed on Friday night and I was completely surprised! So for all of you who have been asking for the "story", here it is:

I was just kicking back at Aaron's watching TV while he was working out and taking a shower (usual Friday night thing since he gets off work after I get to his house). So when he was done he came back in the room, sat down at the computer and started playing around...so after a few minutes he said, "hey I found this new band, come over and listen to this song." He does this kind of thing all the time, so I didn't think anything of it and headed over to the computer to sit down and check out some new music.

So about 5-10 seconds into the song I started thinking, "this sounds like his voice..." and I turned to him and said, "did you record a new song?" and then he actually "shhhhh'd" me! and told me to keep listening. So I did...and then the chorus of the song came on and said:

And so I sat down with my six string
To write you this song
To give you this ring

(this was the part where my eyes popped out of my head and I turned to look at him)

To ask you to be my wife

(this is the part where I saw him down on one knee with the ring box open)

Then I started crying, hugging him and about 5 minutes later finally said "Yes" and remembered there was a ring! It was a fantastic proposal, completely perfect and I love the ring:










It's my Grandma's (Mom's mother) diamond set in a white gold semi-beveled band with an orchid etched on either side. Orchids are my favorite flowers and the setting is so gorgeous, I love it!

Ok, so there's the official story. I'll post something not so gooshy/wedding-y later this week, hope you all are rockin the 3 day weekend!

Eat It Massachusetts!

Do you think it's wrong to hate an entire state intensely because of the idiocy one of their residents displays while driving? If it is wrong I don't want to be right.

I now officially hate Massachusetts (and Texas).

Oh and the south...but that's not new.

In other news, the catchphrase cryptic thing I had to type in to ensure I was not a disembodied spam computer leaving a comment on my friend Abbie's blog read "lesbylle" which made me laugh for a good 30 seconds as my brain automatically went to "Lesbian Belle", which again linked me to the south...hah.

Yeah ok I entertain myself way too easily.

And more in that vein...I love Guy Fieri on Food Network. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives rocks as a show, but I have to admit I watch it more because he freakishly reminds me of my friend Luke. Honestly the Ace of Cakes episode with Duff and Guy goofing off in the bakery was like watching Luke and Aaron interact...weird, but fantastic! I don't know if it's how Guy looks or more just little things like his larger-than-life personality and overall fun-loving attitude, but I swear every time I see him on TV I think about Luke. Now hopefully he doesn't kill me for this:













I love you Luke! Can't wait to see you, Ally and the kids next weekend!

The Wonder of Mail

Nothing can cheer me up more than a "good mail" day. They are so rare for me, as most days include piles of student loan statements (why do they not understand what PAPERLESS billing is?), credit card offers (like I would get approved for 99.9% of them anyway) and let us not forget random local advertisements and flyers for fantastically useful things like exterminators.

Yet today was most definitely a good mail day.

I got only two things...

1. The book I ordered from borders.com: 2. Brides magazine...which includes a teaser cover headline that says, "72 things you need to know NOW...and no one else will tell you". Wow, I can only imagine what that article will include. I also love that it is right next to the headline that says, "Four great gowns that take off the pounds!" Rhyming and corset-style gowns that you can't sit down in? Who could ask for anything more?

The only thing that would have made today's mail better would be receiving a) money b) a new Netflix movie or c) unexpected presents. So all in all I'm pretty happy. At least I can go unharassed by student loan lenders and credit card companies so desperate for business they are coming after me for one day.

PS - I saw this on my friend Lauren's Blog...I'm a wolf. What are you? http://animalinyou.com/test.php

Hooked on Phonics

Ok, so I am not a New Years resolution-maker, but this year I think I'm going to decide to read 100 books this year. I know I easily hit that the last two years, but don't have any proof since I didn't keep track.

So this year I'm keeping track! My first book this year is: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott (not to be confused with Steve Carrell's character on The Office) and so far I'm about 200 pages in, it's pretty good so I'm sure I'll end up getting the whole series.

So tah dah - a "New Years-y" post...

Ironically my quasi-resolution last year was to tell Aaron how I felt about him...I think that turned out pretty well! So who knows maybe I'll keep resolving on New Years...we'll see how this 2010 book-related resolution turns out.

Anyone else out there reading anything good?