More prince Street

Rooibos tea with lavender and something else...I forget what it was. But it was good.

Peaceful, relaxing. Very nice.

Coffee Shop Series 1: Prince Street Café

Christmas is coming to Prince Street.

So many good memories surrounding this little coffee shop. The first coffee shop I visited when I moved to Pennsylvania.
This is where we say "meet me there."
This is the "hub" of town.
We don't say, "I'm going to Prince Street Cafe." Even though it's ON Prince Street, we say, "I'm going to Prince Street." And everyone knows where you mean.

Always busy. Especially on Friday night. Good luck ever getting a table.

They recently renovated in a big way, making better use of the crunched, downtown Lancaster space they have, and in my opinion, though I wish they had kept the original round sign out front, I like the renovations.

So here I chill with my husband and Jake.

And Boots.
And Red Gloves.
And Coffee.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

♡

Name changed. And boring blogness.

So I have changed my name. I'm very pleased about this state of affairs.

However,  I find that simply writing the interesting things that happen in my life sometimes leaves me with little to write about. Perhaps it has been a particularly boring week. Perhaps my eyes are closed to the awesomeness around me. Perhaps I'm just tired and don't want to take the time to think of something groundbreaking. Whatever the case, my blog needs some kind of regular life deposited into it.

I think a cup of coffee should start things off nicely.

TTYAC!
(Talk To You After Coffee!)

Driving Stick

We just got a new car. It's a '94, 5-speed Honda Accord, and I finally get to learn how to drive it. Jeremy is an expert, and you should see how excited he is to teach me. Last night he took me to a parking lot and I got to practice on a level surface. Today he's going to find some uphills for me so that I can be prepared for anything. I'm kind of nervous. I don't want to kill this thing too much. I'm an expert at stalling a car.

So wish me luck!

Saturday Night

It's been a very memorable night. Don't think I've ever had so much fun on a crazy busy night at work. So many things that are really so stupid or aggravating that they're funny!

There's Larry, the trigger happy manager. His favourite thing to do is make you feel like you're in trouble, or imply that you're going to be fired. Or he makes you believe you've done something wrong, without actually telling you what you did.
Then at the end of the night, when he's letting you out, he tells you something he appreciates about you. The other night he said to me,
"Well Aisha, as much as you annoy me, you have a very beautiful singing voice. You should be on American Idol or something."

There's Jim, the 10-year waiter, who has lately been having a hard time of it. Last night he came up to me and asked me to check if he had a fever. He said, "I must be sick, I think I'm enjoying myself!"

AJ. A really good server who started out with a bang and did really well. I think he likes the steady, kinda slow days. Busybusy is not his style. Last night he came back to the kitchen 3 different times saying, "I am so over this place." With more grumbling.

By the third time I had to laugh.
I questioned myself. What does it mean to be "over" something? Typically that would mean one has recovered from something, or one has had enough and is done dealing with it. Or one is done caring about it.
I think neither of these options is the case with AJ. I think his statement, is, in fact, a bluff. And I cannot help but laugh. At least that was last night. Today may be a different story.

There's Tri, (pronounced 'tree,') the Chinese manager who is silent until he likes you, at which point he likes to cuss you out and urge you to "get to work" when you're already busting your back.

Alegra, the new girl, who every day has new hair style or colour, and a new amusement.

So many characters and attitudes and methods of dealing with things. Half the time I want to lose my head and scream at someone. The other half I want to laugh it off. Whatever's left over, I want to just sit down. Sometimes I would love to just walk out.
Praise the Lord for his mercy in making me capable of continuing to deal with all of the pain and trial (sore feet and sore back, aching head and aching arms) which comes with this particular job.

Trial. And Grace.

I overheard a conversation today between a young woman and a wise man.

The woman said:

"What does this mean? Every time. Something new. Something hard. Something so discouraging.
Once you've stepped onto a path, does Stability ever meet you? Does Balance ever walk with you?

It doesn't walk with my husband and me.
We cannot sit down and have coffee with Ease. We do not chat lightly with Carelessness.
Instead, Need barges through our door, and we board Uncertainty in the back bedroom. Struggle sits at our table and Insecurity eats our food.

Is it always like this? Or do you come to a point where Want turns away and Treat lounges on the sofa?
No pinched faces, no rigid backs. But rather, hands that are still, feet that aren't sore, and neck rubs aplenty."

The wise man said:

"That would depend on your perspective."

Grace is still surrounding us, even in this difficulty.

Mama once said, "God has brought yoy this far, He isn't going to give up on you now."

He brought us through our wedding, yes, and to our new home, less than perfect though it be. He had given us the strength to work, and the mercy of understanding bosses. He has given me guests who tip well, and generous family and friends. He had planted us firmly in a church which holds onto us and supports us in everything. And He's kind of made it impossible for us to move away from it.

He has given us enough to pay the first month's rent here; why would I think He would suddenly cease His abounding mercy now, just as my husband is going in for surgery and will be unable to work for next month?

I smile a little smile to myself. 'He wouldn't, silly.'

Mama, thank you so much for your insight. You've made me laugh at myself a couple times since that day I was freaking out about getting my wedding dress altered.

God is ALWAYS there.
But not just *there*.
He is supporting. Holding. Relieving. Saving. Helping. Reassuring.

He has brought us this far: He will not let us down now.

Married

Hey all!

So this crazy lady has been married for a month plus one day.

!!!!!!!!!!!

And I keep trying to write something on this blog. I get these brilliant ideas and I think, "Oh! I need to write about that!" So I get wherever I'm going and open the app on my phone.....aaaand it's gone.

This time. I don't care. I'm writing anways. That's how you maintain inspiration, right? Write even if there's nothing to write about.
Well, there is definitely stuff to write about in my life these days.

For starters, I'm married.

!!!!!!!!

For continuance, I love my husband. ♡

Further. Jeremy is distracting me from writing by flipping about his favourite team and the possibility of watching it tonight at his parents' house on their big screen TV.
He is so cute. He's like a little kid.
He and I also just started our own phone plan, acquiring brand new Samsung Galaxy SIII's with the plan. Apparently Jeremy has never had a brand new phone in his whole life, and never one with data coverage, so he runs his phone dead 3 and 4 times a day playing games and watching games and watching movies and playing with his phone in general. He's crazy with that thing!
Here's hoping I get my dearly beloved back soon! Hehe.

So today we are hanging out with my in-laws.
I love these people. They're funny and sweet and generous and have a very sincere outlook on life. I'm so glad to be a part of this family!

Can't think of anything while sitting here between my husband and his father. So I'll talk to you later!

Sincerely,

Aisha Smith

♡

41 Days! We Moved It!

Dear Friends,

Title says it all!

We moved it up!

Jeremy and I are getting married on the 27th of October!!!!

I'm completely bonkers with excitement!!



I thought this was going to be a very long and excited entry, but I can think of no more to say! And I have to get ready for work!

#nearlygiddyme

Dinner, and I don't feel like turning on the oven.

Hanging out at home on a finally quiet evening, reading a Bon Appetit magazine, and wondering how on earth to make anything as scrumptious as what's in the pictures, and remember some chicken thighs I had in the freezer. Also have some onions, olive oil, and cooking sherry. Add a dash of Kirkland's Organic No-salt Seasoning and a little freshly ground pepper and Mediteranean sea salt and cook it (covered) in a fry pan until outsides are kinda charred, and inside are cooked, and then serve it with hot buttered rice, fresh, cut-up tomatoes garnish with fresh cilantro. Splash fresh lemon juice over it all and add a glass of lemon water and you have a "nearly-gourmet", very delicious dinner. That cooking sherry simmered nicely into the meat, adding a bit of a WOW experience.
Looks kind of like this:

Holy Ground

This is where God is.
This is Holy ground.

It's hard.
Living between walls.
Taking neither door.
Loving the hard-words hearts.
Holding hands with both.
The connecting link.
Stretched.
Twisted.
Pulled apart.
What answer do I give?

This is Holy Ground.

Cherish even the moments that rip you apart?
Tears push at your throat, all you can cry is whispered,
"Please...."

This is Holy Ground.

Knees scarred. Hands cold. Heart shaking.
"Please...."

Eyes flooded. Feet still. Head aching.
"Please...."

Shoulders weary. Skin shivered. Stomach quaking.
"Please...."

This is Holy Ground.

Eyes blank.

Heart still.

No waking.

"Please.........."

THIS IS HOLY GROUND!
God is here.

Day 426, 3000 Miles From Home

I came I in to work this morning, andg stepping out of my car I took a deep breath, like I always do. Only this time it didn't smell like farmland: the breeze was blowing from a different direction. It smelled fresh, rosy pinkness. Looking at the eastern sky from whence the fragrant breezes came, I saw the rose and gold freshness that it carried to me. A little distance away, on the lawn next the road, was a flowering Magnolia tree, dropping its white-pink petals on the grass beneath it. Behind the Magnolia was a row of young cedars, and a little to the right, a grove of magnificent pines, all hemming in the green lawn with its solitary tree laying down its blanket of rosy sweetness.
For a moment I was taken home on the breezes blowing west.
It was beautifully chilling and breathtaking and heart-breaking all at the same time.
Now it is raining, and the gold has gone, but the freshness and the essence of Oregon are stronger than ever. And I ache to be home again.

Home

Day 441. Farewell My Faithful Friend.

Hello Dear Friends,
I thought it would be easy to write this. It was easy to think it up. And I wrote it out in preparation. But after the fact, I read it over and it was just all wrong.
I've had many sad and horrible things happen in my life, but Monday was truly the worst day ever.
Some of you know or have heard of our dog Willy. He has been "The Pet" for the past 12 years, and we have all grown to love him so very much. When I was just a little girl we had a cat I loved...but that was childish affection, not understanding. Willy was a part of our family. He could make us laugh, or just be there when there was no other shoulder to cry on. We could bury our faces in his soft fur and he'd be totally fine with that. His big brown puppy eyes always knew when something was wrong, and he'd sympathetically lick our noses or our hands just to let us know everything was ok, and he was there for us. He responded to our joy with little wiggles of excitement and happy little dog barks.
We used to call him "Willy of the Mile-Long Tongue" because when he got excited he would jump on our lap and no matter how we tried to escape he would lick us wherever his tongue would reach.
The sad part of this remembrance is: for the last couple years he'd been sick, and getting worse. We tried many different things, but while they would help for a little while, in the end there was more digression than improvement; and finally, on Sunday, we knew it was time to let him go when he refused to eat a thing, and randomly threw up several times for no reason.
We knew he'd been suffering, so we tried to make life easier for him, but he'd whimper every time he got up, he never took more than a few tiny steps at a time.
He was afflicted with arthritis and Lymes Disease, and putting both such things in such a tiny package must have been terrible for him.
On Monday we cherished him with tears and every ounce of affection we could pour into him, and then in the evening we took him to our vet's house and mercifully put an end to his sufferings. The whole day, before we went, and even in the car on the trip, he was his sympathetic, cuddly, adorable puppy self, and he tried so very hard to let us know everything was ok, but without understanding why everything was so all wrong.
At the very last he never showed on ounce of hate or anger, except when he was given the anesthetic. The needle hurt him painfully, and he cried for a few seconds. But then he watched Mama with puppy worship in his eyes until he fell asleep. After that the drug was adminstered and a few minutes later he was gone.
Now it is like there is a black hole in our home. Little bundles of shadows, or something dark lying on the floor, I'll think it's him and turn to greet him, but in reality it's just a black shoe, or someone's sweater that fell off the back of the chair.
Mama left for work early this morning, and normally when she does that she leaves Willy still sleeping, with her bedroom door closed so the cats don't bother him, so when I get up I let him out of her room and take him downstairs. But today I moved to open her door when it hit me that he wasn't there.
My heart sank to my shoes. If this is what losing a pet feels like, I don't ever want to feel the loss of a family member or friend.

All dogs go to heaven, right?

Day 448, and a picture.

Greetings and a pleasant morning to you, neighbors.
Christy did take a picture for me of Eve doing her presentation, and as promised, here it is. I'm sad that you can't properly see the whole thing, but it's cute anyways. The best part is Eve looks perfectly confident and unafraid.
This girl is a marvel.
She has 2 cats named Clementine and KC, and almost every time I go to babysit her and her siblings she regales me with a new "Tales of Clementine and KC" which she made up on the spot, and more often than not I'm laughing my head off! I've never known a smarter girl of only 9 years old.
So! As time passes and I babysit more for them I'll see if I can't get a better picture.
Thanks for reading!
-me

Day 449. Pictures coming soon.

Well I got the dress done. I don't have a picture of the finished product, or of any more of the work in between, because my photographer was busy elsewhere. I took the dress to Eve and her mother last night, and Christy promised to take a picture and send it to me when Eve does her presentation. When that happens I will be sure to post a picture promptly!
As of right now Jeremy and I are at the bank, and we're putting my name on his account. I think in a previous post I mentioned Jeremy opening the account and I'd forgotten my ID; well, I remembered it this time.
After this we're heading to the car repair shop to pick up the minivan, which we just had inspected yesterday. You know it's mildly nerve-wracking to drive a vehicle whose inspection has been expired for 3 months. Haha. Every time a cop comes in sight you check everything just to make sure you're doing everything right, even though you know you haven't done anything wrong ever since you found out about the expiration, and you get tense and try not to look at the cop lest he thinks you look guilty, and you pray with all your heart the something hasn't randomly gone wrong that you can't see but the cop can.
Haha, that's what you do when you can't afford the repairs to a very well-used vehicle in order for it pass inspection.

Oh by the way, I just changed my phone over from my equally well-used Blackberry to Mama's old, 1st generation Android, and I just installed the blogger app, so I can take it with me everywhere. It's super cool having a touch-screen phone with the slide-out keyboard as well.

Anyways. Must be going now!
Thanks for readink!
Xoxo-me

Day 451, And I'm Almost Done!

Hello Friends!

Well I didn't take any pictures today, but I did get a lot accomplished on that dress. Well, I got the apron done, and I'll put up pictures of the finished products tomorrow. I must say I'm proud of that apron, since I made it totally without a pattern. Oh and THANK YOU ELISABETH for giving me the idea to use bias tape instead of making a real hem! So much quicker and more convenient!

My client came over today, after I'd put together the "experiment" bodice, and I tried it on her and GUESS WHAT!?
IT FIT!!
Praise the Lord!!!
I was so worried that I'd done something wrong!
But all that painstaking shrinking paid off. I have now put together the pieces of the actual bodice, minus the sleeves, and the rest will come together easily tomorrow after work.
I must say this has so far been the easiest project I've ever done. What Grace that I'm so very familiar with the pattern!
Right now I must go to bed! My eyes and fingertips are sore from delicate trace-work, and vicious pins. (But I haven't broken a single sewing machine needle yet!)
Work at 6:30am calls me to my bed right now before another minute is lost!
I am so exhausted!
:P How? I have done nothing but sit in front of a sewing machine, and trace things.
Well, such is life. It seems to be inevitable. I think deadlines cause stress, and that, in turn, causes tiredness.
Goodnight my beautiful friends!

By the way, I did not end up going with Jeremy to look at churches, though he did go hang out with Hannah, and started teaching her how to drive. Eesh. Stay off the road everybody!! ;P So kidding.
Ok I'm tired.

xoxo-me

Day 452, and Dress Making.

Hello my friends!

So very sorry I haven't been writing lately, but there hasn't been much happening. I have been working, and babysitting, and working, and babysitting.
Now, however, more is happening.
Jeremy and I went on Thursday to interview another photographer, who turned out to be about $2000 less than the first one we talked to, and we both liked him better in general. He'd been at it for about 19 years, whereas the first was young and had only been doing photography for about 6. He was certainly nice enough, but I think he thought he was too good for his own...good... :P Not that I wouldn't recommend him for others, but for us...well.

"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man: and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man; I am not for him."

And a random quotation from our good Lady Beatrice thrown in there for good measure.

The "Dress Making" part of my title for today is not, I assure you, my wedding dress. I have, in fact, taken it upon myself to make a dress for the oldest of the children I babysit these days. She has a school presentation of some sort, and being home schooled, these presentations are actually *cool* !! She is posing as Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman doctor.
This girl, Eve by name, loves pink, so...Christy (Eve's mother) and I both decided that having an authentic dress design would be enough, and we can fudge it on the colour.

This is the fabric I lighted on, and the white will be the lining and the apron:

So my task is to create a dress for a 9-year-old girl, without having a 9-year-old-girl-sized, 1850's dress pattern. My dear friend Elisabeth Cook was gracious enough to loan me an 1850's dress pattern for women, (THANK YOU ELISABETH!!) sizes 12-16. The first thing to do now, is to SHRINK this pattern at least 4 sizes. I figure, at that point I can work with it and with my client, a nine year old size 0 girl, (in women's sizes at least) and it might not look like the dress was made for an elephant, and a mouse is wearing it.

This would be me...taking on this task

This would be how I look at Mama when I'm trying to figure things out...

 This is my face when I think I've hit on something.........

maybe...

 Well that was annoying, so we'll try taping the original pattern to the table, and the tracing paper over that...

 Keeps things from moving around so much.

 I only have so many fingers, after all.

 At this point, my neck hurts.

 This is my "I'm-focusing-and-you-randomly-caught-me-looking-up face"

 For good measure, a picture of me actually doing something. ;)

So yes...this is my life until Wednesday...around work that is, and everything else that I'm doing. Thankfully I don't have to work tomorrow. However, Jeremy and I are going to do something with my friend Hannah, who is getting married in about 8 months, and then we are going to look at a couple of churches to help us decide where our wedding will be held.

SO! That being said, my break is over, and I need to go get back to work on that little bitty dress.

Cheers to all of you!

xoxo-me!

Day 475, "The world is Trouble...and Grace, that's all there is." And music...

Dear me I don't even remember what I last posted!
*goes back to read*

Ok. So. Jeremy and I met with Daniel the Photographer. We both liked him a lot, but he would probably end up being much more expensive that either of us had planned. Still. The Lord provides. We're not writing him off.

I have been babysitting a bit this week, some of the most wonderful children in the world! I love them.

I'm looking for a second job! :P Mine is very slow this month, and will be for a while.
Jeremy's job won't give him a start date. He was hired at a car dealership over two weeks ago and they still don't have him working! Please pray for him, my readers. His last phone call to them resulted in them saying they'd have him working by the beginning of this next week. Please pray they follow through and get him working asap!

There is a lot of trouble going about in my family. It's very depressing. It involves my older brother, and my father, and I'd divulge if I had liberty, and brain power this horrible late night.
I'm very tired and frankly all of everything that's been piling up has been making me cry. I'm at the feet of Christ begging him for Mercy and Grace, especially when much of this is completely unjust and I often have the feeling of  "What did I do to deserve this??" But then I think and I remember that Christ had to die for me to purify me, and he did nothing to deserve that, so my Lord calms me. I know I am not alone, here, at the foot of the Cross. I am thankful for His Endless Mercy and Amazing Grace.

Today, however, on a more joyful note, we - my youner brother, my mother, and my beloved - went to a our church pianist's house to talk about wedding music arrangement. I have definitely decided that I am going to use a string ensemble for Pachelbel's Canon. Exactly how it's going to be arranged, or what will precede it, since I have 6 bridesmaids, one Canon will not be enough time for all of them and me to get to the front without trotting most ungracefully down the isle, is not yet determined, but I have to keep reminding myself that I have TONS of time!
I'm now kind of thinking of recessional options.
Some I've thought of are:

Josh Turner - Would You Go With Me

Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big

Lady Antebellum - Love I've Found In You

 

So far the first is my favourite.
What do you think?
Any ideas?
Please share! :)

Love you all!
-me

continued

I REMEMBERED!!!!!!
I ate a chocolate protein shake, and the protons, and neutrons, and electrons, and amino acids all fell into place in my brain causing those little thoughts to jump from their origins to their receptors...or however that biological, neurological, psychological phenomenon works...and made a complete and finished thought.
So in case you all didn't know, I had 2 jobs. One, my primary, is at a Bed & Breakfast a little out of town. The other was at a shoe store at the local mall. That one was a lot of fun, and I got a lot of experience being a sales associate. Highly enjoyable. However, that was a seasonal position, and I was let go this past Thursday. I can't say I'm sorry though, because we were just getting a new manager as I was leaving, and she didn't like me, and I didn't like her, so it would have been problematic working with her.
The "Inn" as we all affectionately call the B&B, (technically it is an inn, but it's got the personal, upscale, classic service of a B&B) has been closed for all of January, so my double paycheck has been reduced to one for awhile, and I have been most glum about that. And I miss all the marvelous people I get to meet and work with at the Inn. Buuuuttt, my manager there (whom I get along with marvelously) sent me a text yesterday, letting me know that I am working again on Saturday. YAY! (that was my news: that I'm working again).
Oi! But I have to get up eeeaaarrrrrlyyyyy in the morning. Say like 5:45am, so that I can be there by 6:30. I really don't like getting up early. And lately, with no work, I've been sleeping in till noon. SO! I need to go to bed.
GOODNIGHT!!!!!
-me the 2nd

Day 479, Photographers

Hello All!
So, not much has been happening, but I have been in contact with a couple of different photographers, and I have set up a meeting and glance-around through one studio, which is actually here in town, (very convenient). That will be Thursday. Buuuuttttt, when he sent me his price sheet I was kind of...flabbergasted. I guess I'm not used to hiring photographers.... Tell me - those of you who have hired wedding photographers - is $2,450 good, average, or expensive for up to 7 hours of main and second photographers? And what does $150 credit towards proof book, enlargements, custom prints, albums or digital negatives mean? Or...am I just being dense? Or will I find that all out when I meet with him?
I'll be glad to have Jeremy along with me. He's good at asking questions. He's quicker on his feet than I am. When we went to the Marriott to ask questions about having the reception there he told me to let him do the talking, so I did, and he was able to think up thoughts and questions I would never have thought to think or ask.
Other parts of my day have included reading over and sort-of editing some poetry for a very dear friend, forgetting to eat because I haven't felt hungry, so here I sit, feeling light-headed without even moving. I think this is an issue I need to resolve. (blah)
There was something else I did that I wanted to write about, but I think my lack of nourishment has made me forget that too. Oh dear. I think I'm going to eat something. And if I think of it, I'll...make another post.
Soooo anyways. I hope it comes to me!
Byeeee!!!
(You know, whenever I spell "bye" like that, it makes me want to pronounce all those "e's" at the end of the word. Does anyone else ever have that problem?)

-mee

Day 481, Church, Wedding Music, and Polo.

As to wedding preparations, I did nothing spectacular today.
At church Gregg spoke about raising kids, about showing them who our God is, rather than telling them. One point he made is you can't really be surprised that your kids don't turn out the way you want them to if you don't actually take the time to sit down and read scripture to them. He mentioned the fairly traditional method of sitting around the dinner table with the Bible open, bringing it to them. I can vouch for that, my father very seldom took that time with us kids. I hope I can learn from his mistakes and still manage to make him proud, of me, and of my children.
I really like how Gregg brings things forward, blunt and honest, he doesn't sugar-coat things or make them sound more fairytale-ish than they are. He doesn't teach that we, as Christians, are supposed to "be happy" all the time, it's just not possible. But, as Christians, we are blessed to find Joy, even through our trials.
And I read this cool post someone put on Facebook, which seconds what Gregg said. :) Don't Carpe Diem

While I was a church, however, I talked to our organist about arranging a wedding ensemble. I have decided I don't want the traditional wedding march for my wedding, I want Pachelbel's Canon in D as the Bridal Entrance, instead of the traditional Wedding March. We have 6 violin players and 2 cello players, we have a piano player, and we have various brass players. I could practically have a mini orchestra! Which, by the way, would delight my very soul. :)

 This is a beautiful, traditional version, which I think I would love to incorporate. I wish we had a traditional harpsichord to add that extra body. (maybe the electric piano settings can be changed to accommodate...)

I love the brightness from the Irish Whistle.

Oi! Wedding music!

And...I have enclosed a few pictures of my cat, Polo. He's 4 months, almost 5 months old, a bit of a self-made kind of kitty, but with spoiling and attention he's turning into quite the lush.

I believe he is going to be a literary cat when he grows up. He may even start his own blog. (Hadley, if you're reading this, you should enjoy his blog. In fact I'll see if I can't convince him).

Polo and his all black brother Moose cuddling. :)

Polo being his adorable, luscious self.

Anyways. This was today. :)
Elisabeth, if you're reading this, I missed you at church!!!

xoxo-me

Day 482, Photographers.

Yesterday I was looking around online for local, less than outrageously priced wedding photographers, and...well I can't say that I found some, or even one, that was not outrageously priced, but I found a photographer I liked, so I sent him an email, and then he sent me his prices, and I kind of almost had a heart attack. Ouch, my budget is really not that large, but then, maybe this is normal. So I'm praying that I can save money and be able to afford this. Although...maybe I'm being selfish by wanting this huge wedding. Oh my, what a fun thing this wedding is definitely going to be!
On the other hand, I emailed him back, agreeing to meet with him and discuss options. He's really good!
Haha, well I'm going to go to bed!
Sleep well my dear friends!
~me!
Random (and a bit late) side note: this is what my engagement ring looks like!

Day #484

This day contrived to be boring and exciting at the same time. Work was boring and short, but not a bad day for my last day at that job, which was my secondary job, so you know, and I still have my primary mode of employment.
After work I went to the shop next door, which happened to be Bare Escentuals, and was able to talk to the manager about wedding makeup, and she gave me a lot of tips and a complete make-under, to test at least a couple different styles. I have found a look that I like very much, but as of right now my hair is red, which is not my original colour. Dark blond is. And in 484 days it will be back to it's original dark-blond-ness. I think I spent about 1 and a half hours at that little makeup bar thingy seat. ;) It was a lot of fun, and Jenn, the manager, was incredibly helpful and fun and pleasant and intelligent to talk to. I don't guess that's particularly exciting, but it was very enjoyable and by no means boring.

this is the look she gave me today, and I like it quite a lot, what do you think?

Next thing to do is to re-acquire a second job somewhere. Woohoo! Wish me luck! :) Well...rather, pray for me. :)

By the way, on a random side note...in our ladies Bible study we're reading through the Chronicles. Do you realize what went into the building of the Temple of the Lord??? It's MAGNIFICENT!!!

xo-me-xo

Day #485 $$OUCH!$$

This morning was the Ladies Bible Study, which was lovely, as usual, and when Mama and I went home I STILL had a paycheck I hadn't deposited for 2 weeks or more, which was intentional, as I didn't want to spend it. So, Jeremy and I went for a walk to the bank, where I cashed it, and put the $ in an envelope, intending to just run home and hide it or something. But then it randomly popped into my head to run to the Fulton Bank, which is a common bank around here, which I have been meaning to open an account with, and which, coincidentally, Jeremy's great grandfather founded/was president of. So we meandered along over there and opened a savings account. As it turns out I didn't have my ID, so Jeremy ended up opening it in his name. As we were sitting there waiting for the clerk to have time for us I noticed a magazine on the coffee table that said "Lancaster" across the top, and had a picture of a bride on the front.
Convenient, no?
I picked it up.
I opened it. :)
Instantly absorbed by the picture on the first page, which was of this really pretty resort that went up recently, very close to where I used to live, a few miles south of town, I started jotting things down, and by the time the clerk was free I had gotten all of...2 pages into it! :)
The bank account successfully opened, we left. We happened, however, to be right across the street from the Marriott, the nicest hotel in the city, which went up about 3 years ago. So we stopped in and started asking questions about what it would take to hold a wedding reception there. The wedding organizer lady, Grace being her name, was sweet and accommodating and pretty much bent over backwards till we felt sure that we would be making a GREAT choice if we held the reception there.
Our adventures weren't over, because on our way home Jeremy, my wonderful beloved, suggested we grab Mama and go looking at other reception venues. I whole-heartedly agreed.
Our first destination was the Eden Resort, which was where Jeremy went to his high school prom. I walked in and instantly fell in love with the place. It was SO beautiful! It looked like it was MADE for my wedding. There was this huge glorious courtyard that looked like a chunk of the jungle. It had a fountain that kind of looked like a waterfall over a rocky cliff, and jungle shrubs and a wide rock floor. I thought it might be interesting to dance on...you know how anything but a forgiving wood floor just makes things difficult to dance on, (unless it's hard packed dirt).
So the Wedding Sales Manager (what a title eh?) talked to us and made everything sound so great, until we asked how much it would cost to rent this or that ballroom, or the courtyard. When $12,000 was the price for the courtyard, and the others were no less than $4,000 JUST for the use of the room, not including the price of everything we'd have to bring in...we all kind of nearly fell over in a heap.
Needless to say...it's GREAT for proms when the SCHOOL is paying for it, but when it's a wedding the budget is a bit more limited!
So we staggered out of there, and went to this beautiful, big, white church I've always loved and have attended concerts and big events at, and which I've kind of had my hopes set on...sort of. I mean, it's BIG. It's WHITE. It has an organ, a grand piano, a balcony, TONS of seating, a very wide center isle. It's like it was MADE for my wedding. It has a large foyer, an ENORMOUS parking lot so no worries there...and just...loads of promise and awesomeness! Upon entering the office and running into a man who looked vaguely familiar (I think he's one of the deacons or something...) we asked about the possibilities for a wedding there. His apologetic answer was they don't do weddings unless the couple are members of the church. Which we are not. :( :( :( :(
Ah! There goes that!
Next!
The next place we visited was this unique hotel in town called the Lancaster Arts Hotel...which, they informed us, had one room that could hold up to 40 people. Ha!
Well! That was quite the adventure!
We puttered along home in our little white car and sighed, and now I must find other beauteous church in which to say my vows.
Jeremy is ever sweet and helpful, and it was so very wonderful to take this time to do this very important thing together. We were both incredibly blessed by it, and I cannot wait until the next time.
:)
Oh I love my baby!

486 Days

Today, I began compiling a preliminary guest list. That's what this wedding planner book I have calls it. :)
Wow there are a lot of people I want to invite! And I know there are many I haven't thought of yet!
I kind of wish there was more I could do...RIGHT NOW! Like...buy the dress! :) Patience is a virtue I hear though.
:D

Weddings and Things

Oooohhh BOY it's been a long time since I've posted something on here!

Loads of things have happened, the most prominent of which, at this moment, is I got engaged. :)

His name is Jeremy Smith. I met him on the 23rd of December, 2010, and we started dating on May 11 of that same year. He proposed to me a year to the day after we met, at a Christmas party we hosted here at my house. Jeremy is a Christian, a winemaker, and a wonderful man. Mama loves him. :) So do I, as a matter of fact!

We've just been happily engaged for the past few weeks, not really thinking much about a whole lot except each other. And then my best friend Hannah, who is living with us, and is dating my fiancee's best friend Jason, had to go and bring home a wedding planner book from the bookstore, and get me hooked on it. So what did I do? I went and got a book just like it the other day, and now I'm totally consumed with looking at wedding magazines, wedding websites, wedding dresses, wedding hair styles, wedding shoes, wedding rings, wedding cakes, wedding receptions...can you tell I have become obsessed?
I used to me dreamy and all..."ahhh wouldn't I love to have such-and-such in my wedding..." or "oh wouldn't I love to get married" or anything like that. And now...now it's ACTUALLY HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm excited, just a little.

I MISS BETHANY though. I need my maid of honour to be HERE!!!!!! Instead of miles and miles and miles away in OREGON!
Well, such is life.

At this moment, however, my fiancee is in the hospital being treated for Hemophilia. This is a normal procedure, so do not be too alarmed. The worrisome part is not really that there will be complications - though that is a minor possibility - but the doctors want to keep him for up to 3 days to run some extra tests and stuff, and if they do keep him, it will mean the loss of the job he JUST got this past weekend, and which he cannot afford to lose.
Please keep him in your prayers my friends.

Anyways! I shall try to keep up with this fascinating thing called a blog much more thoroughly.

Much love!

~me