PSA

Good morning!

While roaming the aisles of my Target yesterday, I dashed down the cookie aisle to grab something when I was stopped in my tracks.

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TIM TAMS. Right in the cookie aisle of my very own Target. I think I might have cried a little at the sight.

For those unfamiliar, Tim Tams are delicious little Australian cookies so wonderful, so crispy and soft at the same time, that this little lady was magically able to increase her heftiness by a full 10lbs during a 6 month stint Down Under. Oh, Tim Tams, I missed you.

PS - For those of you who remember, I was nearing my wedding when I lapsed as a blogger. It was a perfect day that went off without a hitch (well, I guess technically one hitch. Get it? We got hitched...? Hardy har har). Here's to nearly two months of newlyweddedness!

Scott lives!

First, can I just say I have no idea how actual bridal blogger do it? I can barely find time in these final weeks to fix my horribly chipping nail polish, let alone spout off thoughtful missives about marriage, DIY projects and various other awesomeness. So, hats off to you ladies! You crazy, but hats off, indeed.

Second, Scott the deer is NOT dead. He reappeared the other day, looking totally healthy and running around our yard with a stray cat. Yay! HTB and I were quite relieved.

Tick Tock!

So, my upmost appologies for being a flitty blogger. Once HTB and I got back from our Chicago shower-BAM! It was October. As in the month before our wedding. A flurry of revised to-do lists later landed us here, totally one month pre-nuptuals! let the last-minute fun begin.

Oh. Also. Some sad news. Scott, the sweet deer who hung out in our yard, was hit by a car (we think). We haven't seen him lately and HTB saw a smallish deer with black ears on the side of the road. He was a good wild pet and it is quite sad to not have him in our yard. Yep. Big softie here, kids.

When it rains, it pours!

Shower number two is tomorrow at a winery. Should be fun!

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this pretty phone. I finally am eligible for an upgrade and this green machine will be my new companion starting next week. Holla!

My eff it moment (in a good way)

It happened today. I was looking at a wedding blog I love to hate (a smidge tightly wound, but such pretty pictures!) and saw a series of pictures from a wedding that was so pretty and sincere, I felt like I was there. I knew that was what I wanted and no amount of micromanaging or information sharing would make that happen. So, I e-mailed my photographer and let him know that I was letting go. He has the schedule and you know, the creativity, so I'll stop fussing and just get ready to party hardy.

Let me tell you, this. feels. awesome. We picked some delightful vendors who are talented and trustworthy, so as long as they have the logistics down, I'm just going to step back and let them make their part shine. Let them do what they do best. And me, I'll be doing what I do best - smush me-ness and HTB-ness and us-ness all over the wedding in the next few weeks and then just soak up all the fun.

Only 46 more days of being a fiance, so I better get to soaking up that fun, too.

Buh-tay-duhs

Last night, wandering the aisles of the grocery store, I spotted a huge crate of speciality pumpkins (i.e. whites ones I am trying so very hard to grow on my own). Alas, at $5 a pop, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Spurred by my find and the need to gussy up our reception table, HTB suggested we consider using butternut squash instead. Similar color and still a very fall-ish veggie. I concurred and decided that if my pumpkins fall short of my goals, I'd be running to the supermarket the night before the wedding for some gourds.

Could have stopped there, right? Problem solved with butternut filler squash.

No. I was determined to squeeze one more good idea from the produce section. And so was born the idea of a potato and onion centerpiece. I was half-way joking, but HTB seemed to like the idea and the more we talked, the better it sounded. Pretty piles of russets, yams and fingerlings, all softly lit by a sea of tealights - earthy and harvest-y, right?

See, I'm not alone!

I'm not sure this idea will ever make it to my wedding, but it really put my mind at ease to know that last-minute centerpieces will be just blocks away if my tables are looking nekkid the day before the wedding!

What are some of the more unconventional centerpeices you've seen?

One down, nineteen-ish to go!

Oooo, ya all. Check out these seven mini pumpkins, as grown by yours truly! These, plus some tealights nestled in rice in vintage glasses will make a lovely centerpiece for one of our reception tables.

We're doing different centerpieces on each tale and I hit the jackpot this weekend. A local greenhouse/pumpkin patch/Christmas tree farm, Howells, also dries flowers. A short drive from Des Moines, I climbed up into the loft of a barn and picked out about ten pounds of perfect dried flowers. I also met this guy:

Needless to say, I was one happy lady! Flowers: check. Pumpkins: check (and more on the way!).

Bridal showers = muy awesome

The bridal shower was a raucous success. We had fun, delicious food and someone named me got amazing presents! I know it's "just stuff," but I was moved by how much everyone did. Lovely gifts from the registry, amazingly thoughtful and sometimes handmade presents I'd never think of asking for. Plus, my heart was warmed knowing that in years to come, I'll look at all this stuff and tell people, "Oh, LaDiDa got that for me for my bridal shower."

Place settings (please, don't judge us for our economical beverage choices. )

TP brides and me!

Hedge clippers! (note to self: at next bridal shower, cross yo' damn legs!)

Mom, me and Ms. B, one of the shower hosts. How awesome is this picture?

Grocery list of a mad woman

HTB and I are having our bachelor/bachelorette parties on different night because mine requires about a dozen people to travel, so schedules were wonked like whoa. His is going to be a pretty full day from what I hear, so I am relishing the thought of all that alone time in a few weeks. To fully embrace the solitude, I'm planning a big trip to the grocery store (because the highlight of any day is the food). Here's what you might find in my shopping cart pre-My Big Solo Day of Fun:

• EZ Cheese (Cheddar and Bacon flavors)
• Hot Dogs (normally Oscar Meyers would do, but HTB got me hooked on Nathan's, so an upgrade is in order)
• Butterfly crackers
• Buns
• Keebler sandwich cookies (sweet baby James, I hope they still make these)
• Stouffer's lasagna (for four, not eight. I am working on my girlish figure, after all)
• Busch Light
• Sweet pickles

And that my friends, is a peek into my super secret, trailerperson soul. I have no idea how I developed such a love of processed food and the Charlie Daniels Band, but here I am.

Long gone

Happy three-day weekend! I’ve got quite a bit of fun in store (as well as a three-day blog hiatus) – my first wedding dress fitting, my first bridal shower and a family BBQ. As if all this wasn’t good enough, I’ll do all this sporting a mani (OPI’s Tickle My France-y) and pedi (OPI’s Crepes Suzette), delicious new perfume (Marc Jacobs’ Lola) (if I could spray some directly up my nose without doing serious damage to the old sniffer and, possibly, gray matter, I would. It’s that good) and one of those hip circle scarves all you fashionistas run around in (clearance rack at Target - less than $6!).

Hope you all have fun, too! Catch ya next week.

Like Christopher Columbus, I am.

Dear fellow November brides,

We are going to be OK. I just discovered a fifth weekend in October I didn't know existed. I thrust a flag in it and proclaimed it as a time to get a hair and makeup trial, organize boxes of decorations and finalize the seating chart. Standing on the brink of this brave new weekend, I knew that these 48 hours would be what separated us from harried savages. No, this extra weekend is what will deliver us to the heights of bridal calm and organization. Rejoice, dear friends, rejoice! A fifth weekend in October will save your behind and you know it.

Yours,
a

P.S. On the reals, this revelation made me super happy. Here I was thinking I only had three weekends without travel/house guests before the wedding. WRONG! I've got four blissful weekends! Huzzah!

Signs I Might Be Crazy, Installment Two

I was reading a fitness article that had a call-out about "high knee kicks." And I giggled. Heiney kicks? Bwahahaha

A glow of my own

A while back, Mrs. Peep Toe on the Weddingbee (do you know the Weddingbee? You should. Trot over and meet the delightful bridal bloggers they found!) did a series of posts about finding her bridal glow. She defined the glow as a true physical attribute, but I'm finding the glow is more about your mindset and less about your look.

I do believe I found my bridal glow yesterday. A few wedding-related things went down that made me feel "like a bride" (something I thought was cheesy until it all hit me) instead of a girl who is damn lucky to get to hang out with her favorite person the rest of her life.

To start, local people got my wedding invitations yesterday! I got a few compliments on the little darlings, which made my day. Literally everyone in my family (including Nana, the little workhorse) helped with the invites. HTB and his parents, along with two of my sisters friends, and my bridesmaid also got in on the invite action. They were such a labor of love. I'll show them to you sometime.

Then, I got the invitation to my bachelorette party in the mail! My sister is known far and wide for her poetry prowess, and these invitations did not disappoint. Again, maybe I will share sometime.

On top of all this, my bridal shower is this weekend! Four super gals are throwing me a luncheon and I can't wait to celebrate with them.

So, all this has me feeling quite bridal. BUT, not in a cheesy way. Not as in, I'm-stressed-and-striving-for-perfection-and-running-millions-of-errands-and-ahhhhh! As in, people are doing amazingly thoughtful things for HTB and I and I'm so excited to sit back and soak in all this love! Being surrounded by my nearest and dearest is what I look forward to most about the actual wedding, so doing it before hand is what's making me feel bridal.

How 'bout you? You feeling the bridalness?

Exterior decorating

I won my first blog giveaway today! Ms. Shawna Coronado at The Casual Gardener did a post about these lovely Incredible Spirit hydrangea (proceeds benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation) and I won a hydrangea and Rose of Sharon bush! Yippeee!

Now, I'm reading up on what these lovlies need to thrive and trying to decide on the perfect spot for them. I've got a huge, flat yard and it lacks some visual interest, so I was thrilled to win this prize. We planted a willow and dogwood two weekends ago to spice things up and these two bushes will add some lovely color.

In other news: my first bridal shower is this weekend! Not only is this MY first bridal shower, it is also my FIRST bridal shower (you follow?). As in, I've never been to one before and this will be the first (of two) for my own wedding. I don't know what all is in store, but the invitations were precious (they matched my wedding invites and as a branding-obsessed gal, I was quite happy)! Any advice for a bridal shower noob?

Bright side: wedding invites were dropped in the mailbox yesterday

I’d like to give a few shout-outs from last night:

1. Shout-out to my supersonic hearing that allowed me to detect some weird noise in the bedroom.
2. Shout-out to HTB’s flight mechanism that hauled my frozen-with-fear self off the couch.
3. Shout-out to the pocket doors in my house which kept me safe in the bedroom area.
4. Shout-out to HTB, who bravely donned his baseball hat, a ratty picnic blanket and laundry basket to deal with the chaos in the living room.
5. Shout-out to the police operator who told me she was real sorry but Animal Control got off duty at 10:00 p.m. and couldn’t help.
6. Shout-out to Trip the cat who bolted for the basement and hid under the bed.
7. Shout-out to my shower cap (ahem) and second laundry basket, which gave me strength to venture out to the living room and see if HTB needed help.
8. Shout-out to Neighbor J, who dutifully came over armed with a ski hat and pool skimmer.
9. Shout-out to Des Moines Animal Control who showed up after 10:00 p.m., willing to help, but sadly, was too late.
10. And last, but certainly not least, a big shout-out to the fruit bat that weaseled his way through the bedroom window and wreaked complete havoc in my living room during Mad Men. We are very glad you found your way out because we really didn’t want to hurt you! God bless America.

So, my week is off to a whiz-bang start! Yours?

P.S. Let’s not talk about Mad Men, I only saw the first half.

Oh! For my stuffs

Goodness gracious.

I just started my hunt for a pretty clutch to carry all the practical junk I'll need on the big day (chapstick, cell phone, id, cheez-its). I got stuck on mollusa's Etsy shop. Because, damn, homeslice makes lovely purses!

Check it:

Which is you favorite?

Food for food's sake

It's Restaurant Week in Des Moines! Thirty or forty restaurants, from the highbrow to the slightly shady, are offering prix fixe (oooo, you know it's fancy now!) dinners for $25 a person.

Last year, HTB and I only made it to one restaurant, but this year, we are doing two! We did Mojo's on 86th last weekend and tonight, we are off to Alba.

My favorite part of Mojo's was the sweet corn ice cream. It was weird, but good. The waitress even cracked pepper on it. Alba has sweet corn ice cream, too, but jeez, y'all - I'm not really from Iowa. I can only take so much. I'll be getting the pineapple ceviche.

Side note: Three things that will forever separate me from real Iowans are: I can't eat my weight in sweet corn; I don't live for the Iowa State Fair (whaaaat?) and I don't give a hoot who is playing whom on September 12. Sorry, Iowa.

Signs I Might be Crazy, Installment One

Noticed lighting in a public restroom made the water in the toilet reflect ripples on the ceiling. Found it peaceful before realizing the reflection originated in a toilet. source

I thought I was all super-Zen, but clearly, as a woman seeking peace anyway she can get it, I am not.

Safari

Meet Scott.

Scott hangs out in our yard (in urban Des Moines) about 80% of the time.
Scott's main interests are eating my trees and hostas.
But he has been known to guiltily munch the lilacs, too.

Ah, nature. Welcome to the family, Scottie.

Invitation bumble

Over lunch, I dropped off my two international wedding invitations at the post office. One bound for New Zealand, one off to Germany! But, as I was standing in line, so proud that I was mailing them out two weeks ahead of our other invites to ensure my foreign pals get them in time, I realized my RSVP envelopes had U.S. stamps.

Guuuuuuuuhhhhh.

Not only have I goofed on their postage, I’m officially out $.88. Is it OK that I’m bothered by that? Probably not, but that is a problem for another day.

Oh well, I don’t think these girls will mind. It’s nothing a lovingly crafted Facebook message can’t fix.

Tell me your wedding invite blunders. Let me know I’m not alone in postal woes.

Skills that pay the bills

Oh, sweet baby Francis, did I really....

Really just use my chosen wedding font, logo and colors on BUBBLE WANDS?

Yes'm, it appears I did.

My name is Alexson and I cannot stop marketing.

Since you likely can't ready my blurry (artsy) photos, they say "blow us away!" and "a little bubbly" and two have graphic elements from our stationary. Now, tell me that isn't the cutest dang thing you've seen all day.

Bonus#1: I did NOT get this idea from a blog! It's my very own brain baby.

Bonus #2: This project cost less than $20 and was over in about a half hour.

Manjewelry, we haz it

Last night, HTB and I devoured some scrumptious chicken fajitas (courtesy of his mad skills and our slow cooker), then scooted our boots down to Iowa Diamond to pick up our wedding rings!

To go with my classic solitaire, I got plain white gold bands. One will be soldered to my engagement ring (to avoid denting the soft metal) and the other will be for when I am doing something too intense for the poor e-ring (wrangling cattle? repairing fence posts? I'm not really sure who the jeweler mistook me for, but clearly, she is a more laborious soul than I).

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HTB picked out a classic ring with a twist. The edges are smooth palladium and the middle detail is a subtle hammered look. He even picked it out in under an hour, which is decidedly un-HTB of him. This isn't it, but you get the idea.

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So, one more thing done. Tonight is another WCW, so I'm hoping to get through a lot of the more tedious, less DIY stuff. Wish me luck.

Glistening Like a Guppy at a Sushi Bar*

An impending wedding is a wonderful excuse for a lot of things: manicures, new shoes, dropping hundreds at Hobby Lobby, etcetera. Like thousands of soft-around-the-edges brides before me, I’ve also used the fact that everyone I know (and love) will be looking at me all. day. long. (I cannot be the only one who finds this equal parts awesome and terrifying) to tone up a bit. I do a weight class twice a week and focus on cardio two days. I look pretty dang good, if you ask me!

This morning after weights, however, I was not looking so hot. Let me rephrase that, I looked like I’d been wandering in the desert for weeks and then got slapped in the face with a hot oven mitt. The air conditioning at the gym was broken. Did not work a lick. I was red, huffing, puffing and glowing more than any lady has a right to. It was not pretty.

Moral of the story: If you go to the gym and the instructor says, “OK, guys, the AC is out, let’s warm up those muscles.” Run. Run and don’t look back. Run to the nearest Perkins, get a muffin and tell yourself you will workout tomorrow. Serious.

*I know guppies aren't in sushi. That alliteration was too much to pass up. I've forgiven me, now it's your turn.

My Weekend in Photos

This weekend, we...
Labeled wedding wine/table numbers,

Made lots of poms, (I have two clumps this size hanging in my office until November!)

Made reserved signs/luminaries for the church aisle,

Made a sign for the back of my chair,

Made a sign for the back of his chair,

And got flowers are the Farmers Market.

And I'm currently working on 150 custom bingo cards while HTB kegs some homebrew. This could not have been a more productive 48 hours if we wanted it to be. Couldn't have done it without my momma here!

Ridiculous Ranunculus

I’m not a flower person and our wedding won’t be super floral. The church is already lovely and the reception hall is big and dark, so candles will be our main accent.

Anyway, yes, back to flowers.

Turns out, I drool over ranunculus (does anyone else stumble over that word in speech and spelling? It’ll be the death of me).

Source unknown, I’ve had this on my computer for ages. If it’s yours, let me know and I’ll right my wrongs. PS: nice dress, too!

These are even purple, which is what my bouquet will be! I love the millions of layers in these flowers. They are like the onion of the flower world (always back to food with this one).

Other news: my mom is heading into town tomorrow with some project-fodder. Two spindly, antique end tables I painted lime-green in my misdirected youth. I’ve been itching to use my sander and can’t wait to get these ladies back to lovelytown.

Confessions of a 'tato

HTB e-mailed me the best idea yesterday. It was so simple, but it totally blew my mind. He said, “Why don’t we only watch TV shows we really want to and ban ourselves from it otherwise?”

Say whaaaat?

Yes, kids. I’m a couch potato. If I’m tired on a Tuesday, nothing feels better then settling in to some mindless Golden Girls. Oh, TV rays, melt away my cares, my woes.

Starting yesterday, we decided to only tune in to new episodes of the following:

• Mad Men
• Iron Chef
• Bridezillas
• Today Show
• Chopped
• Top Chef/Top Chef Masters

I’m not sure what this says about us as people. Classy, food, trashy, Al Roker, food, food, FOOD. Yep, that about sums us up.

Obviously, with it being Wedding Crap Wednesday, it was quite easy to stay away from the TV. I had wine labels to design and print, envelopes to address, things to do. I’ll let you know how it goes from here!

Do you have TV discipline? Or are you a tater, too?

Theater Thwartings

Have you seen Julie & Julia?
I have not. It was sold out.
On a Tuesday!
Granted, it was $1 popcorn day, but c'mon Des Moines!
I'll try again this weekend, though because:
a) I've loved Meryl Streep since Death Becomes Her
and b) I feel this might be an appropriate time to sneak some brie and bread into the theater.

Just kidding! I'm a law-abiding lady and would never, ever sneak snacks past the ticket-taker. Never. Ever. Not even once.

Cheesy wedding stuff

Oh, we love cheese, HTB and I. More than average people, we adore cheese. For months, every Sunday was Cheese Night (see post on my irrational love of weekly rituals) and we'd stop by the local fancy-pants grocery store and pick up a block (or two or three) of hoity-toity cheese, some bread and call it good. We even have a cheese that is our cheese. We don't have a song, but hell's bells, we have a cheese.

So, when I stumbled upon this,

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I knew we could have no other cake but a wedding cheese cake. Three layers of savory, rich dairy sweetly and simply topped with flowers by HTB himself. (We're doing a six-month Manchego, local Maytag blue and our cheese, Pierre Robert.)

Most people I've told about the wedding cheese have been supportive and agree that a cheese cake is perfectly us. A few grumbled about a lack of sugary sweets, but we were planning on serving tiramisu and good old sheet cake anyway.

If they don't want the cheese, let them eat cake, I say!

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I'm already bracing myself for the inevitable toot jokes when it's time to cut the cheese. No euphemism will come between me and my tonnage of cheese!

Bad side of a good night

My good pal and her husband came over for chile rellenos and Sequence (on the board my crafty parents made for HTB a few years ago). Somehow, between the four of us, a bottle of tequila vaporized. So, I'm a little worse for the wear today.
Hope you had an excellent Friday, too!

Hump Day Fiesta

Taco Tuesday. Movie Monday. Thirsty Thursday.

Seriously, is there anything better than a weekly ritual? I, for one, adore them. Everything is more fun with an alliterative name and the knowledge that it will happen at the same time each week, right? (I’m a very exciting person, yes?)

So, when it was time to start planning hub-to-be(HTB)’s and my wedding, obviously, I could not wait to schedule a tiny weekly pizarty for the two of us to do major damage on that to-do list.

Wedding Cra(p)ft Wednesdays were born.

It’s a pretty simple party. Me, HTB and our trusty paper cutter sit down at the dining room table and tell that pesky list who’s boss. Wedding crafts, chores and research all go down in a few hours after work on Wednesdays. I love it because it means my weekends aren’t hijacked by the details I’m hoping will give our party a little va-va-voom.

So, brides-to-be, that is my big advice for you. I’m three months away from the Big Day (literally, three months from right now!) and I am not burnt out on planning or feeling behind on handmade touches. Order Chinese, grab a beer and only fret over your fete once a week.

LIKE NOW! (which reminds me...)

Borrowed from allmoviephoto.com

Oh, Mugatu. Would you believe I imposed Zoolander Sundays on my freshmen year roomie for a whole semester? Fact.

Power Hour

I’m normally a very quick shopper. I’m not a huge fan of leisurely afternoons spent lolly-gagging around pretty boutiques with no real purpose. I’m more of a woman on a mission, shopping only when I know exactly what I need. (Reality check: I’m young and fashionably poor. Afternoons spent loll-gagging around pretty boutiques will likely seem much more appealing when I’m a wildly rich and successful lady who lunches.)

So, as my two bridal showers and rehearsal dinner rapidly approach, I thought I’d hit the jack pot with a spree at ModCloth.

Boom

From ModCloth

Boom

From ModCloth

Boom

From ModCloth
(Currently sold out, but I just mailed back a medium today!)

As super precious as these were, a quick fashion show (by me, for the cat … shut up) revealed that God just didn’t intend for me to sport ModCloth’s adorable frocks. If you are busty and short (I’m neither), you’ll look fabulous in them, though. Go shop!

Cut to today. I’ve got an hour lunch and there’s a mall a few stop lights from the office. Not wanting to be a last minute panic-shopper, I mosey on down to Von Maur. Twenty minutes later:

Shower dress A

From Von Maur

Shower Dress B
(No picture, it was on clearance. I assure you it screams, “I’m a bride! Thank you, dear ladyfriends, for showering me with toasters, blenders and love.”)

Then, I got a Baja Gordita. My gift to myself for being such a quick and savvy little thing.

My house is loved

Found these lovlies outside my bedroom window this afternoon! Since this is our first summer in this place, I'm just learning what perennials are where. Each time something new pops up, it's proof that this little place has been a happy spot for almost 55 years!

Trip, the egomanical cat, likes it here, too.

Eye snacks

Hello again! Well, Mizz B over at Poverty with a View called me out. I've been a ridonkulously awful blogger. So, what better way to get started again than with some snacks!

So, the wedding is oh, about 93 days away and like I posted months and months ago - the big stuff is all planned. Last month, the Man, Momma, Nana and I met up at Taste to Go, possibly the yummiest caterer in the DeMo. We sampled the reception food and it was delightful! We are doing buffet stations, with passed appetizers and plated salads.

We started with the Cesar salad, some potato (and bacon and blue cheese and caramelized onion) bites from the American station and tangy-sweet chicken kabobs fro the kabob station. These pictures aren't the best, but trust me, the food was incredible!




From there, we moved on to the mushroom station - sauteed mushies with wild rice and chewy bread from La Mie. Even my mom, who thought this was a weird station was smitten!





Then, the crepe station (apricot with marscapone creme)!



And finally, the reason I wanted stations, stations and more stations - the mini milkshakes from the American station. So, I know my stations don't follow a theme (other than "Oh, lordy, is that awesome!"), but whatever. If we want to celebrate our union with baby milkshakes and piles and piles of fungi, celebrate we shall!

Win a camera

I love the Budget Savvy Bride's blog! Full of cute ideas and this week, a contest to win a classed-out camera. Leave a comment to win.

Have a good one!

Easy-peasy

Wedding planning is NOT rocket science, though flipping through a few bridal magazines and websites had me thinking otherwise for a few weeks. Turns out, it's actually pretty easy.

We've been engaged for about a month and I'd say we're about 80% set. All the biggies are lined up: church, priest, reception, food, booze, music, photographer, paper, flowers, decorations (mentally, anyway, purchases have yet to be made). Not a whole lot left on that list. And we've still got seven months to complete it!

I'm hoping to start sharing pictures of little projects and inspiration here, too. This wedding is going to be totally kick ass!

Also, this blog is a real helper!

Getting it done

Today was a checklist's dream. I got the caterer signed, the townhome for the honeymoon locked down, the photographer's contract in the mail and had an awesome day at work.

This would be good for a normal day, but consider that all wedding stuff was done over lunch and I managed to submit two graphic design pieces for national awards with, oh, 40 minutes notice. I love short deadlines - they get my blood pumping and shake up the routine. Having to move quickly is possibly my favorite thing.

What'd you get done today?

Hello, again!

Oh, my. I have neglected my little corner of the interwebs for too long. Why? Maybe it was moving into a new house and painting it just so ...

Or, maybe it was bargain hunting for a lawn mower for my massive yard ...

Or, maybe it was spending endless hours studying for my very last grad class ...

Or, maybe it was getting engaged and going ape-shizzle on planning a November 7 wedding ...

Anywho, I’ll be better about this now, I promise. But, be forewarned that this space will be heavy on the home improvements and wedding planning talk, a little light on the professional ramblings, which was the original intent of this blog. Oh well!

Moving day is almost here!

Tonight is my last night in the apartment! Yay!

My move is all planned out and I'm jumping right in by painting the kitchen cabinets right after closing. Pictures will abound.

Sad thing is, my TV and internet won't be hooked up until Wednesday, so I won't be blogging or making witty remarks on Twitter for a while.

Wish me luck!

Summer on the brain

Yes, it’s only February – but it’s about 50 degrees here in Iowa, which has got me thinking about long and lazy summer evenings. I can’t wait to sit on my deck, down a margarita or two, and read a nice, fat book. Maybe it’s the grad school nerd in me, but AdAge’s compilation of the best marketing books ever seems like a good place to start. I also have The Evolution of Language to get through, as well as the Poisonwood Bible (I know, I’ve never read it!). What books do you recommend?

I’ll snap your ginger/What not to say when you work for a non-profit

First, I’d like to publicly thank my boyfriend for introducing me to Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps. His mom sent them to us in a Valentine’s Day package, and though I generally shy away from ginger treats, these were amazing. They are more sweet than tart and delicious little bits of crystallized ginger make these little cookies extra wonderful. Fresh ginger and ground ginger round out the triple threat.

*This image comes from mizjellybean’s flickr site. She’s got way more cookie photog skills than I.

OK, now second (and utterly unrelated), I have a bone to pick. Recently, I overheard an employee of a non-profit I support bragging about how she uses her company-issued cell for all her personal calls. The worst part here is that the employee is in the organization’s marketing department! Now, I believe strongly in the mission of the organization, so this won’t affect my support – but, come on. You work in PR, you need to remember that how you behave and the choices you make reflect the organization you represent.

Happy nearly-Friday!

Sneak peak

I close on my very first house in about a week! To celebrate, here is a look at the kitchen fan. The house was built in 1955, and I absolutely love this retro feature. The other kitchen appliances are original, too, but those are getting an upgrade in short order because they lack the awesomeness of this fan.

Sick days aren't fun when you're sick

It seems like everyone is getting this nasty, hacking cough that's going around. I stayed home from work yesterday because of it. Despite all the nose-blowing and bone-rattling coughs, I actually had a pretty good day.

I did all the normal sick day stuff: slept in, stayed in PJs, watched Price is Right, ate grilled cheese and brought my bed pillow and comforter to the couch. Glorious!

On top of that, I got actual work done. I did a little brainstorming, a few follow-up e-mails and the best one, I got some interest in a pitch I had made earlier in the week. If anything beats getting a reporter interested in a story, it's doing it while at home, in jammies, with unbrushed hair.

Icing on the cake? Sure, there was. In the mail, I got my Real Simple magazine and a rebate check I'd been waiting for.

Not much can beat that sick day, right?

Welcome

...to my blog. I need to spiff it up a bit. I'll just be yammering away about things I do/see/think as I fix up my house, learn my new job and finish my Master's program.

FYI:
The 3 Bs are: Bigger, Better, Best
The 7 Ps are: Prior proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

These things are important - to me at least.