So, a lot has happened since my last post: I'm settling in happily to my new job, two of my oldest friends got married this week, and the BP oil spill is taking over my thoughts... Though I'm sure it's taking over more than just mine.
And in two and a half months, I'm getting married. That makes me so busy! We're almost done with the invitations, so I'm super excited to get those all done. We also have a lot more supplies for the decorations and everything, but we have a few things to hammer out, so there is still a lot of work to do!
With my new job, I absolutely love it! I love being able to work with kids and teach people about different things and different ways that things work underwater. I love talking about it, learning more, and sharing that with everyone. I've started training to do education classes, so I'm even getting set to work with a lot of class groups.
As I'm typing this, animal plant is showing a thing about cone jellies/ctenophores - they are bio-luminescent. So, they light up on their own. Super cool. We have some at work. Some of the coolest jellyfish ever.
Two of my oldest friends got married this Tuesday. I know, it sounds weird to get married on a Tuesday, but it is a very cute story! The bride's grandparents were married on the same day 51 years prior, and her parents were married 25 years prior... and it was her 23rd birthday. So, it is a hugely significant day in her family's life, and they are happy to share it!
The wedding was gorgeous and amazing. I had a blast visiting, seeing old friends, and dancing my pants off... Richard Simmons style!
And the sad news... I can't stop thinking about the oil in Gulf. I'm constantly running it through my mind and wishing there was more I could do. So, I educate and talk about it all the time at work, with my friends, and talk about it almost endlessly with family and my fiance. I can't stop thinking about the habitats that are being destroyed and the destruction to the critters down there, especially those that are so highly endangered (like Kemp's Ridley sea turtles - they only have about 1,000 nesting females left).
But on the bright side, my work is sending supplies and monetary donations to one of the aquariums in New Orleans to help with animal conservation. Have I mentioned how much my job rocks?
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Getting Cracking on a Better Life!
In the past several weeks, I've decided to really get to the bottom of creating a better life for myself. I've made a lot of changes, and I've already started making decent progress. I can't wait to keep setting new goals and move forward too!
The first big thing is that I got a new job. I hated my old one. When my temp contract ended, I was both distressed about the financial debacle it had put me in, but I was happy that I would never have to look back.
So, my new home away from home is Underwater Adventures Aquarium in the Mall of America. I'm so thrilled to be there so I can share the things in life that really matter to me. I'm oddly passionate about fish, and I love to be able to share that with as many people as possible. Even in my former positions, I was constantly looking at diving videos online or at magazines. This seemed like a natural move for me. The closer to the water, the better!
I've also been in the process of pushing myself physically. Several months ago, I signed up to do the Twin Cities Half Marathon on the fourth of July. I've started running four days a week, and doing a lot of cross training in between.
I found a great program that works up to doing 100 push-ups consecutively. So, I'm adding that to the cross-training as well. I'm sure it will help make my arms and upper body fabulous and strong. I've also been supplementing with some easier yoga poses and other tricks to help get my abs in great shape. I've discovered planks and side planks are great for when you're watching TV. If I'm just sitting there, I might as well just sit there and get a workout too!
While I want to be healthy and lean, I don't want to look sickly. Today I found this article that really assesses the "ideal woman." It contracts the way media images portray women with the way men would like to see women - not as runway models (which are described consistently as "gross runway models"), but more like Victoria's Secret models. Instead of rail thin, they are lean and healthy.
The article is called How Thin is Too Thin?
In memory of my grandparents, my dad and his siblings run a 5K Fun Run/Walk called Stride for Packer Pride. It's a charity event that raises money for students' activity fees in the South St. Paul school district. It's a great event, and it's for a great cause! If you're interested, all the information can be found at Stride for Packer Pride.
As for the rest of my life: I'm still planning my wedding, and I'm getting some other knitting projects done for when my friend's baby is born. When I'm done, I'm sure to have pictures!
The first big thing is that I got a new job. I hated my old one. When my temp contract ended, I was both distressed about the financial debacle it had put me in, but I was happy that I would never have to look back.
So, my new home away from home is Underwater Adventures Aquarium in the Mall of America. I'm so thrilled to be there so I can share the things in life that really matter to me. I'm oddly passionate about fish, and I love to be able to share that with as many people as possible. Even in my former positions, I was constantly looking at diving videos online or at magazines. This seemed like a natural move for me. The closer to the water, the better!
I've also been in the process of pushing myself physically. Several months ago, I signed up to do the Twin Cities Half Marathon on the fourth of July. I've started running four days a week, and doing a lot of cross training in between.
I found a great program that works up to doing 100 push-ups consecutively. So, I'm adding that to the cross-training as well. I'm sure it will help make my arms and upper body fabulous and strong. I've also been supplementing with some easier yoga poses and other tricks to help get my abs in great shape. I've discovered planks and side planks are great for when you're watching TV. If I'm just sitting there, I might as well just sit there and get a workout too!
While I want to be healthy and lean, I don't want to look sickly. Today I found this article that really assesses the "ideal woman." It contracts the way media images portray women with the way men would like to see women - not as runway models (which are described consistently as "gross runway models"), but more like Victoria's Secret models. Instead of rail thin, they are lean and healthy.
The article is called How Thin is Too Thin?
In memory of my grandparents, my dad and his siblings run a 5K Fun Run/Walk called Stride for Packer Pride. It's a charity event that raises money for students' activity fees in the South St. Paul school district. It's a great event, and it's for a great cause! If you're interested, all the information can be found at Stride for Packer Pride.
As for the rest of my life: I'm still planning my wedding, and I'm getting some other knitting projects done for when my friend's baby is born. When I'm done, I'm sure to have pictures!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Wedding Survey
I found this online, and decided to give it a shot!
How old are you both? 22, we'll be 23 when we get married
Do you have any pets? 1 dog - 1/2 Springer Spaniel, 1/2 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, named Cody; 2 cats - 1 Maine Coon named Halo, 1 Orange Tabby (1/2 Maine Coon, 1/4 Siamese, 1/4 American Shorthair... not sure how the orange tabby happened) named Apollo, 1 turtle - Common Musk Turtle named Noodle.
Was the proposal a complete surprise? Sort of... but I saw it coming.
Will the wedding guests be "balanced?" Sort of, but not really. I have a bigger family, but our "categories" matched - we cut the list along the same generational lines.
What are some traditions you're keeping at your wedding? Basically a traditional Catholic Mass, cake cutting, spotlight dances, bouquet toss, garter toss...
Are you buying his wedding band for him? Yes! Already have it, we were talking about options for mine this morning.
What is one thing about your FI that drives you nuts? He's messy. And he doesn't put the cordless phone back on the hook... which is probably related to him not keeping his cell phone charged.
What are you most looking forward to about being married? Everything! Living together, getting a house, starting a family, going on scuba diving trips, starting a family...
Inside or outside? Inside, I don't like Plan Bs.
List anything you dislike. When the cordless phone is next to the hook instead of on it (pet peeve), messy cords and/or cables (another pet peeve), how wind is a lot colder when it's coming off the lake because there was nothing to break it.
How many people will be there? 250 Max.
Time of day? 2:00 pm Ceremony, 4:00 pm cocktail hour, 5:30 or 6:00pm dinner
Any kind of theme? Swans
How many bridesmaids? 5 bridesmaids, 5 groomsmen... probably 2 ushers.
What kind of cake/what will it look like? Not sure yet - but it'll probably be mostly white with some purple and orange highlights.
What kind of dress will you have/color/material? Mori Lee style #4608, white taffeta
What kind of flowers in your bouquet? Not sure yet - I was thinking white calla lilies, white orchids, and white roses.
Kind of engagement ring? White gold, prong setting. Beautiful!
How will you wear your hair? In a bunnish thing... not sure how to describe it..
Who will be important to be there? Everyone!
How long will you be engaged before you get married? 1 week shy of a year.
Live together before or wait till married? Ideally, we would wait, but it depends on where we would live and what makes financial sense.
Take a long time to plan the wedding or will it be simple? It’s not taking us a hugely long time to plan, but it’s going to be pretty fancy!
Will you write your own vows or use something pre-made? We’ll probably use the standard Catholic mass vows.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Bucket List
So, a big thing in my house (at least with my roommates) is that two of us have bucket lists. I pulled mine out today and revisited it, checking things off and expanding it where my dreams have taken me in the past few years. I've noticed that there are a lot of things I have done.
Travel
The biggest thing I want to do is travel. It's a general theme throughout my list. So far, I have been to three foreign countries: South Africa, Lesotho, and Honduras. I'm adding a fourth with my honeymoon to Curacao in the summer.
One of my other travel goals was definitely going on an African safari, which we did on our study abroad trip. It was amazing, and I was able to capture some great pictures. Giraffes became my favorite animal, because I still think about waking up to them outside my window.
Scuba Diving
This is another re-occurring theme in my bucket list (Looking at it today, I was able to categorize it since my interests have expanded - 5 years ago, it was just "scuba dive"). With this, I have accomplished my goal of diving with sharks while I was in Honduras. We did a shark dive at Cara a Cara near the island of Roatan. It was amazing, we had between 12 and 15 sharks around us on the dive. I would repeat the experience again in a heart beat.
Sports
Since I like adventure, I do thrive on the adrenaline rush, especially when I gain it from attaining a goal. I do have some sports goals to meet, though several of them involve some traveling.
The one I have completed (twice, in fact) is to complete a triathlon. In February 2008 and 2009, the College of St. Catherine had an annual indoor triathlon. I competed and completed it both of these years. The course was a 1-mile swim, 10-mile bike, 5-mile run. I completed my first year in 2:02:11. My second year, I completed the course in 1:51:54.
There are several other goals that I couldn't really "categorize," but I have accomplished several of these:
Travel
The biggest thing I want to do is travel. It's a general theme throughout my list. So far, I have been to three foreign countries: South Africa, Lesotho, and Honduras. I'm adding a fourth with my honeymoon to Curacao in the summer.
One of my other travel goals was definitely going on an African safari, which we did on our study abroad trip. It was amazing, and I was able to capture some great pictures. Giraffes became my favorite animal, because I still think about waking up to them outside my window.
Scuba Diving
This is another re-occurring theme in my bucket list (Looking at it today, I was able to categorize it since my interests have expanded - 5 years ago, it was just "scuba dive"). With this, I have accomplished my goal of diving with sharks while I was in Honduras. We did a shark dive at Cara a Cara near the island of Roatan. It was amazing, we had between 12 and 15 sharks around us on the dive. I would repeat the experience again in a heart beat.
Sports
Since I like adventure, I do thrive on the adrenaline rush, especially when I gain it from attaining a goal. I do have some sports goals to meet, though several of them involve some traveling.
The one I have completed (twice, in fact) is to complete a triathlon. In February 2008 and 2009, the College of St. Catherine had an annual indoor triathlon. I competed and completed it both of these years. The course was a 1-mile swim, 10-mile bike, 5-mile run. I completed my first year in 2:02:11. My second year, I completed the course in 1:51:54.
There are several other goals that I couldn't really "categorize," but I have accomplished several of these:
- Learn a new language: throughout high school, I studied both Spanish and German. Spanish has definitely come in handy, and the ability to use German once in a while is quite fun. Though I do occasionally get the two mixed up in a language mess.
- Adopt from an animal shelter: I did this over the past summer. I adopted a sweet dog named Cody. He's half Springer Spaniel, half Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. He's very sweet, good with kids, and has a ton of energy. He's perfect for me.
- Meet a Holocaust survivor: my first college adviser was a Holocaust survivor. She was born in Poland in 1940 and was Jewish. A Catholic family took her in and treated her as their illegitimate grand-child, which is how she survived. Her mother died, and she reconnected with her father in Canada when she was 9.
- Sing Karaoke: since my sister sings karaoke a few times a week, I have been sucked in a few times. My favorite is definitely "The Warrior" by Scandal and Patti Smyth.
- Sing Solo for an Audience: Since I graduated from high school, I have been singing for weddings, both with my church band and a few solo as well. I never thought I would love it as much as I do.
- Graduate from College: I graduated in May 2009 from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) with a degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Philosophy.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Selling Houses
I've come to the conclusion - in my boredom - that every house on the market should have a flyer. For some reason, our Realtor didn't supply one, which I find very strange. Very very strange.
So, I created one today. It's pretty fancy, and it should serve well with the showings we have this week - our second is tomorrow.
Luckily, it is definitely getting into "housing season." The house went on the market in the beginning of December, which is the precise time of year that no one should start trying to sell a house. But since we're getting showings now, it's not so bad. And we've already had a price reduction.
To be perfectly honest, I love where I live. The neighborhood is wonderful (despite the fact that there is a gas station next door), our neighbors are great, and it is in walking distance to the beach on the lake and one of the coolest parks in the area that includes one of the top-rated dog parks in the state. I love it. It's perfect for what I want for right now.
However, I'm getting married. So, we've started thinking about what we need for the long-term. And we've decided this isn't it. So the rental house went on the market, because it's what we need as renters (which is a pretty sweet deal that he's willing to work with us on that).
And in my everlasting boredom and love of creating marketing tools, I have designed a flyer for the house. I did get rid of all the address information and the Realtor information, just to be on the safe side!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Wedding Checklist
When I first was engaged last August, I did not realize just how much work we would be putting toward planning the wedding this year. So, here are all the different things that we have been thinking about for the last several months... and some other things we will be expecting to focus on for the next few months.
Venues
We have the church reserved, and the reception hall taken care of, but even with those, there are a lot of things to consider:
Ceremony Site: The Church of Saint Rita
Since we've decided to have a Catholic Mass, we have reserved the Church of St. Rita in Cottage Grove, MN, and are surprisingly pleased with our experience so far. But we still have to get our pre-marital course taken care of before our wedding - It's one of the Catholic things that is a must for marriage.
Reception Site: Historic Concord Exchange
For our reception, we are having 250 guests gather at the Historic Concord Exchange in South St. Paul, MN. It works very well for us, because it is such a unique venue. It can accommodate all 250 of our guests, and the majority of what we need can easily be provided. It is a historical landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Building #79001235. And it looks like a castle.
Attire: The Wedding Shoppe
So far, all of our attire is coming from The Wedding Shoppe in St. Paul.
To get started with the attire, I do have my dress. It is a Mori Lee ballgown, and I absolutely love it. It was for a great price, and The Wedding Shoppe has an excellent alterations department as well.
My bridesmaids are all wearing Alfred Angelo gowns with a few other criteria (I like "criteria" better than "restrictions"). The dresses are all in grape - which is a deep purple - floor length, and satin. Since they are all different, I want them to be comfortable and love what they are wearing. All of my bridesmaids - I have five - love the color. So, I know they will all be happy with their dresses.
We don't have the tuxes figured out yet for the guys, but since those are rentals, we do have more time to iron out those details.
Music
Here is one area where I am really lucky. I'm in one of the ensemble's at my church, so they are performing the music for the ceremony. The only hitch is that I can't sing with them, but I'm over it.
The Concord Exchange also has its own DJ services, so they are going to be taking care of that as well. Looking at our budget layout, it is actually going to be under what I had originally planned.
Food
The catering is going through the Concord Exchange as well; they have a huge variety of menu options, which is wonderful. We still have to plan what we are serving, but we at least know who is providing it.
We don't have a baker quite yet... so the cake still needs to be figured out, but I'm sure we'll find something. There is a baker down the street from where I'm living, so I might check them out.
Decorations and Paper Products
We are planning to mostly turn the decorations and stationary into do-it-yourself projects. We have a rough idea of what to do for these, and we'll start ordering supplies very soon!
Invitations: Cards and Pockets
One vendor for our paper products that has been amazing is Cards and Pockets. They have wonderful customer service, and are providing a lot of our supplies for invitations and other pieces of mail.
Wedding Rings: Rogers and Hollands
Rogers and Hollands have been wonderful. My engagement ring was purchased there, as well as Tony's wedding band. We still have to finalize my wedding band, but I'm sure that we'll take care of that soon!
Photography
Our photographer is one of the women I went to college with. She is absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to meet with her again to get her into a contract! I know her website is currently under construction, so when that is updated, I will add some more of her information as well.
There is so much more that I know I'm not adding, but this is a good start. It has the basics: Where it will be; What we'll be wearing; What we'll listen to, and what we'll eat; How people will know about it; what we'll get for each other; and how we will remember.
As we get further into the planning and into solidifying the details, I'll be able to put in more information and as the DIY projects come in, I'll be able to add some pictures and information for what we're doing for those as well. I'm very excited to be able to share these ideas and the planning memories here.
Venues
We have the church reserved, and the reception hall taken care of, but even with those, there are a lot of things to consider:
Ceremony Site: The Church of Saint Rita
Since we've decided to have a Catholic Mass, we have reserved the Church of St. Rita in Cottage Grove, MN, and are surprisingly pleased with our experience so far. But we still have to get our pre-marital course taken care of before our wedding - It's one of the Catholic things that is a must for marriage.
Reception Site: Historic Concord Exchange
For our reception, we are having 250 guests gather at the Historic Concord Exchange in South St. Paul, MN. It works very well for us, because it is such a unique venue. It can accommodate all 250 of our guests, and the majority of what we need can easily be provided. It is a historical landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Building #79001235. And it looks like a castle.
Attire: The Wedding Shoppe
So far, all of our attire is coming from The Wedding Shoppe in St. Paul.
To get started with the attire, I do have my dress. It is a Mori Lee ballgown, and I absolutely love it. It was for a great price, and The Wedding Shoppe has an excellent alterations department as well.
My bridesmaids are all wearing Alfred Angelo gowns with a few other criteria (I like "criteria" better than "restrictions"). The dresses are all in grape - which is a deep purple - floor length, and satin. Since they are all different, I want them to be comfortable and love what they are wearing. All of my bridesmaids - I have five - love the color. So, I know they will all be happy with their dresses.
We don't have the tuxes figured out yet for the guys, but since those are rentals, we do have more time to iron out those details.
Music
Here is one area where I am really lucky. I'm in one of the ensemble's at my church, so they are performing the music for the ceremony. The only hitch is that I can't sing with them, but I'm over it.
The Concord Exchange also has its own DJ services, so they are going to be taking care of that as well. Looking at our budget layout, it is actually going to be under what I had originally planned.
Food
The catering is going through the Concord Exchange as well; they have a huge variety of menu options, which is wonderful. We still have to plan what we are serving, but we at least know who is providing it.
We don't have a baker quite yet... so the cake still needs to be figured out, but I'm sure we'll find something. There is a baker down the street from where I'm living, so I might check them out.
Decorations and Paper Products
We are planning to mostly turn the decorations and stationary into do-it-yourself projects. We have a rough idea of what to do for these, and we'll start ordering supplies very soon!
Invitations: Cards and Pockets
One vendor for our paper products that has been amazing is Cards and Pockets. They have wonderful customer service, and are providing a lot of our supplies for invitations and other pieces of mail.
Wedding Rings: Rogers and Hollands
Rogers and Hollands have been wonderful. My engagement ring was purchased there, as well as Tony's wedding band. We still have to finalize my wedding band, but I'm sure that we'll take care of that soon!
Photography
Our photographer is one of the women I went to college with. She is absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to meet with her again to get her into a contract! I know her website is currently under construction, so when that is updated, I will add some more of her information as well.
There is so much more that I know I'm not adding, but this is a good start. It has the basics: Where it will be; What we'll be wearing; What we'll listen to, and what we'll eat; How people will know about it; what we'll get for each other; and how we will remember.
As we get further into the planning and into solidifying the details, I'll be able to put in more information and as the DIY projects come in, I'll be able to add some pictures and information for what we're doing for those as well. I'm very excited to be able to share these ideas and the planning memories here.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Let's Get This Going!
So, I'm a little late on my New Year's Resolutions. One of which was to start a blog. Since I'm getting married, want to buy a house, and love DIY projects, I figured this was the best way for me to log that and share it with the world.
It's still a new year, since it's not July yet, but I know I'm a little bit behind. So, I'll share some of my wedding ideas, creations, and directions for making things; I'll also put new ideas for designing things and for turning a house (which will hopefully happen soon!) into a home. I'm renting a cute house in Minneapolis, MN right now, and just living here and understanding how everything works here has given me insights as to what I want to do later.
So, here's to a new year! Granted, I am running behind, but I'm still getting things done. Thanks for watching!
It's still a new year, since it's not July yet, but I know I'm a little bit behind. So, I'll share some of my wedding ideas, creations, and directions for making things; I'll also put new ideas for designing things and for turning a house (which will hopefully happen soon!) into a home. I'm renting a cute house in Minneapolis, MN right now, and just living here and understanding how everything works here has given me insights as to what I want to do later.
So, here's to a new year! Granted, I am running behind, but I'm still getting things done. Thanks for watching!
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