This has been another very busy weekend for me and Matt. We did some house hunting (haven't found the one yet...) and celebrated Sara Kopp's birthday with very good company into the wee hours last night. And today we had RCIA class and the food tasting at the Crowne Plaza.
Let's talk about this food tasting, shall we? Oh. My. God. So good. The grand ballroom was set up like a wedding reception with the dim lighting and the tables all done up beautifully with great centerpieces and everything. They had some vendors there, but mostly it was all about FOOD. There were various stations set up around the ballroom where we could sample everything on the menu in whatever portions we wanted and as many times as we wanted. This was a serious food tasting. I admit that I watch my fair share of stupid wedding shows and whenever the couple does a food tasting, they get these little tiny bites of food and have to make a decision based off that. Um, this was nothing like that. We easily ate 3 full meals each and then shared dessert. And everything we ate was delicious. When we first arrived, things seemed a little disorganized and chaotic since there were a couple hundred people there, but once they let us into the ballroom and we started sampling foods, we were happy little clams. Thanks to this tasting, all I want to eat on my wedding day is stuffed shrimp and stuffed fillet of sole... stuff the bride!
So all in all, we're very excited for the wedding meal. And we made a pact-- we're doing a receiving line at the church so we have a little more time to actually eat at the reception. No way we want to miss out! While we were sampling every dessert on the table (hey--we have 6 months to work the calories off!) we agreed that we will NOT smash cake into each other's faces.... however, Matt doesn't have to wear makeup that day so he might get a LITTLE frosting on his face... but don't tell him. Speaking of Matt and cake-- my wheels are starting to turn regarding his groom's cake. He asked me today, "Will it have Indiana Jones riding a dinosaur on it?" You know what--- it just might!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Another nightmare and a weekend with my in-laws
This weekend has gone by so fast and yet as I sit here, I'm absolutely pooped. Yesterday Matt and I left around 11:00 to pick up Lisa and the three of us headed up to Medford for Danny Mullett's wake and funeral. Even though he was Matt's second cousin, I unfortunately never got to meet him while he was alive. I know he'll be missed by his family very much. There was a big turn out and it showed that he was loved by many.
Looking on the bright side of such a sad event, it was an opportunity to see my future in-laws, and I never have a problem with that. Matt's family (all of them, parents and siblings and cousins and aunts and uncles and every one of them) are awesome. It's always great to see them. After the service, we went to late lunch/early dinner with them and it was a good time. After that, the 3 of us headed back to RI (after getting lost in Cambridge/Chelsea/Boston and making a 30 minutes huge loop around the area). Thank goodness I know the little bit of Cambridge around Harvard square or else who knows how many times the GPS would have taken us around and around again! It really ended up being kind of humorous, actually.
Today Matt and I headed to church and then RCIA class, and from there we went to pick up my cute little sissy in law Lisa again and we all went to a few open houses together. Poor Andrew was working both days, otherwise we could have turned house hunting into a double date! We saw a few prospective homes (2 that were right in Lisa and Andy's neighborhood!) and then went out to lunch at Kon in EG. SOOO GOOOOOOOD. We were famished from all that open housing, so we decided to treat ourselves to SUSHI. Best idea ever.
In the midst of all the chaos this weekend, I had a horrible nightmare last night. HORRIBLE. I've been doing ok and not having many, but this was by far the worst. In it, it was the day of the wedding and I went to get my dress with my bridesmaids. It was hanging up on a mannequin, all pinned and pretty, and someone (thankfully I don't remember who or I might have woken up with a grudge haha) said that it didn't look like the tailor had hemmed the dress. So, as weird as it sounds, we decided to grab some scissors and do it ourselves. We each cut a few chunks off, chatting and laughing the whole time. Then I went to put it on and WOULDN'T YOU KNOW the damn thing was too short! And by short, I'm talking mini-dress length. I have no idea how we managed this, but somehow we did. Then we realized that OH the tailor HAD hemmed it WHOOPS! I sobbed my stinking eyes out in the dream and woke up fairly shaken. Definitely without a doubt the worst wedding nightmare so far.
Well, I'm exhausted from this weekend, and since it's already almost 8 pm, I'm going to go make some hot chocolate and snuggle up with Matt and watch Jurassic Park (which he is currently quoting verbatim as he's watching it. So cute.)
One last thing, cheers to my last week working in an office! CHEERS!
Oh and one more last thing: if you ever go to a bridal expo DO NOT put your contact information on ANYTHING unless you absolutely want it. I'm pretty sure they sell your information to other companies because I've been totally innundated with emails, phone calls, and mailings from various local vendors who I neither need nor even saw at the expo. So annoying.
Anyway, cheers and love xo
Looking on the bright side of such a sad event, it was an opportunity to see my future in-laws, and I never have a problem with that. Matt's family (all of them, parents and siblings and cousins and aunts and uncles and every one of them) are awesome. It's always great to see them. After the service, we went to late lunch/early dinner with them and it was a good time. After that, the 3 of us headed back to RI (after getting lost in Cambridge/Chelsea/Boston and making a 30 minutes huge loop around the area). Thank goodness I know the little bit of Cambridge around Harvard square or else who knows how many times the GPS would have taken us around and around again! It really ended up being kind of humorous, actually.
Today Matt and I headed to church and then RCIA class, and from there we went to pick up my cute little sissy in law Lisa again and we all went to a few open houses together. Poor Andrew was working both days, otherwise we could have turned house hunting into a double date! We saw a few prospective homes (2 that were right in Lisa and Andy's neighborhood!) and then went out to lunch at Kon in EG. SOOO GOOOOOOOD. We were famished from all that open housing, so we decided to treat ourselves to SUSHI. Best idea ever.
In the midst of all the chaos this weekend, I had a horrible nightmare last night. HORRIBLE. I've been doing ok and not having many, but this was by far the worst. In it, it was the day of the wedding and I went to get my dress with my bridesmaids. It was hanging up on a mannequin, all pinned and pretty, and someone (thankfully I don't remember who or I might have woken up with a grudge haha) said that it didn't look like the tailor had hemmed the dress. So, as weird as it sounds, we decided to grab some scissors and do it ourselves. We each cut a few chunks off, chatting and laughing the whole time. Then I went to put it on and WOULDN'T YOU KNOW the damn thing was too short! And by short, I'm talking mini-dress length. I have no idea how we managed this, but somehow we did. Then we realized that OH the tailor HAD hemmed it WHOOPS! I sobbed my stinking eyes out in the dream and woke up fairly shaken. Definitely without a doubt the worst wedding nightmare so far.
Well, I'm exhausted from this weekend, and since it's already almost 8 pm, I'm going to go make some hot chocolate and snuggle up with Matt and watch Jurassic Park (which he is currently quoting verbatim as he's watching it. So cute.)
One last thing, cheers to my last week working in an office! CHEERS!
Oh and one more last thing: if you ever go to a bridal expo DO NOT put your contact information on ANYTHING unless you absolutely want it. I'm pretty sure they sell your information to other companies because I've been totally innundated with emails, phone calls, and mailings from various local vendors who I neither need nor even saw at the expo. So annoying.
Anyway, cheers and love xo
Monday, January 18, 2010
Closing in on 200 days!
Tomorrow is a big day. Not only is it the 200 day mark until the wedding, but it's the day that I am officially putting in my two weeks notice at work. It's time for me to focus my energy on work for my MFA, which will consume at least 25 hours a week now that I'm going to start working on pieces for my thesis. I will continue to teach flute lessons and freelance write, and hopefully in the coming months I will find a full time job that will help us pay for a home AND will fulfill my desire to feel validated in my job. It's been a tough year for me job-wise, but I've realized that so very much of our identity is wrapped up in what we do for work, and to have a job that is outside your desired field will leave you feeling empty, especially if you come home at the end of the day stressed, angry, and resentful. I hope that I'll find work that won't make me feel like I wasted my time all day. I want to accomplish things for myself, and that's part of the reason I'm in school. But anyway! Tomorrow is the day. 200 days until I marry my best friend, and the day I put myself on the path to a better career.
In any event, I spent a week at school in Cambridge for residency #3 (I can't believe I only have one left before I graduate!). It was a WONDERFUL week chock-full of seminars, workshops, readings, outings, nightly hot baths, tea, and WRITERS. I love being at school because for a week, I am with like-minded individuals who also have a passion for the written word. We talk about writers we like, trouble we have with writing in general, our plans for the future, and a million other things completely unrelated to writing. We read each other's manuscripts, give our heartfelt feedback, and go home after a week of total immersion to plow through another semester of isolated writing. It's the best program in the world and I wouldn't change being at Lesley University for ANYTHING. Not even for Iowa!
Matt picked me up at the end of my week and we drove up to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire to spend the long weekend with his parents, Andrew, Lisa and (for a night) Katy! It was lovely. We went out for dinner, went skiing, fell down, got back up, felt on top of the world, slid to the bottom of it, and repeated. We played card games, watched an awards show, and laughed so so much. I love my future family so much that I really can't put it into words. I feel like I've been around them my whole life and I'm excited to raise children around such wonderful people. I love my family so much to begin with, that extending it with great in-laws is just the most exciting thing ever. I'm beyond lucky to be gaining a sister in Lisa, two more brothers in Andrew and Tim, and parents in Mary and Anthony. Not to mention the extended family, made up of the most fun people on earth, in my opinion! And to top it off, I get to marry Matt. Saturday (1-16) was our 2 year mark from the day was started talking while he was in Iraq. I believe we spent 7 hours or so on the computer talking to each other that day. The rest is history. In 201 days he'll be my hubby!
Things sort of feel like they're on a good, upward turning point right now for me. My week at school recharged my battery (as it usually does) and now I'm ready to take my life in both of my hands and own it. I'm lucky in so many ways, and I know I'd be nowhere without gratitude.
RIP Danny Mullett
In any event, I spent a week at school in Cambridge for residency #3 (I can't believe I only have one left before I graduate!). It was a WONDERFUL week chock-full of seminars, workshops, readings, outings, nightly hot baths, tea, and WRITERS. I love being at school because for a week, I am with like-minded individuals who also have a passion for the written word. We talk about writers we like, trouble we have with writing in general, our plans for the future, and a million other things completely unrelated to writing. We read each other's manuscripts, give our heartfelt feedback, and go home after a week of total immersion to plow through another semester of isolated writing. It's the best program in the world and I wouldn't change being at Lesley University for ANYTHING. Not even for Iowa!
Matt picked me up at the end of my week and we drove up to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire to spend the long weekend with his parents, Andrew, Lisa and (for a night) Katy! It was lovely. We went out for dinner, went skiing, fell down, got back up, felt on top of the world, slid to the bottom of it, and repeated. We played card games, watched an awards show, and laughed so so much. I love my future family so much that I really can't put it into words. I feel like I've been around them my whole life and I'm excited to raise children around such wonderful people. I love my family so much to begin with, that extending it with great in-laws is just the most exciting thing ever. I'm beyond lucky to be gaining a sister in Lisa, two more brothers in Andrew and Tim, and parents in Mary and Anthony. Not to mention the extended family, made up of the most fun people on earth, in my opinion! And to top it off, I get to marry Matt. Saturday (1-16) was our 2 year mark from the day was started talking while he was in Iraq. I believe we spent 7 hours or so on the computer talking to each other that day. The rest is history. In 201 days he'll be my hubby!
Things sort of feel like they're on a good, upward turning point right now for me. My week at school recharged my battery (as it usually does) and now I'm ready to take my life in both of my hands and own it. I'm lucky in so many ways, and I know I'd be nowhere without gratitude.
RIP Danny Mullett
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Bridal Expoooo!
So on Sunday, Lauren, Shana, Sonja, myself, my mother, and my godmother (also Lauren's mother) ventured out to the big Bridal Expo at the convention center in Providence. Holy overwhelming! I'm really glad that we have most things booked already because if I had walked in there looking for all the vendors I'd need, I would have probably had a meltdown. It was a lot of fun, though. The place was packed with all sorts of vendors, everything from venues to florists to bakers.... even my trolley was there! That might have been the highlight of the afternoon for me, actually. They had the trolley that we rented parked inside the convention center and we all got to go inside and check it out. It's going to be so great because it fits 34 people and they let you decorate it however you want. Definitely looking forward to riding around in a trolley on my wedding day!
We also played with a photo booth (oh budget, if only you were larger and I could get the photo booth that I'm dreaming of...), tried some cupcakes, found a GREAT deal on the bridesmaid dresses, and signed up for countless free trips and random give aways. We also sat through a fashion show that was slightly awkward because some of the models looked really uncomfortable on stage, while others (like the 8 year old boy who was dancing circles around everyone) looked TOO comfortable. Then there was the live band-- Anthony and the Persuasion, or something like that? They weren't bad really... just comical. I'm happy with my band Wayz and Means. They're so good live. And not cheesy... which is important.
So in 7 months, it will be the day before my wedding and I'll probably be running around doing a ton of last minute things... or maybe I'll be totally relaxed and everything will already be done and I'll be lounging in the sun with my future husband, counting the hours til our wedding rehearsal and dinner. Who knows!
I can't believe it's already 2010. That's insane! I can't wait to see where life will take us in another 10 years when it's 2020. Holy cow.
We also played with a photo booth (oh budget, if only you were larger and I could get the photo booth that I'm dreaming of...), tried some cupcakes, found a GREAT deal on the bridesmaid dresses, and signed up for countless free trips and random give aways. We also sat through a fashion show that was slightly awkward because some of the models looked really uncomfortable on stage, while others (like the 8 year old boy who was dancing circles around everyone) looked TOO comfortable. Then there was the live band-- Anthony and the Persuasion, or something like that? They weren't bad really... just comical. I'm happy with my band Wayz and Means. They're so good live. And not cheesy... which is important.
So in 7 months, it will be the day before my wedding and I'll probably be running around doing a ton of last minute things... or maybe I'll be totally relaxed and everything will already be done and I'll be lounging in the sun with my future husband, counting the hours til our wedding rehearsal and dinner. Who knows!
I can't believe it's already 2010. That's insane! I can't wait to see where life will take us in another 10 years when it's 2020. Holy cow.
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