Tuesday, January 31, 2012

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

Sunday, January 29, 2012

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

Saturday, January 28, 2012

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!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

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!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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


Monday, January 23, 2012

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