Lexi

So Lexi is being such a mommy's girl today. She has been either on the couch arm rest next to me or above my head on the top of the couch all day! A few times in my lab. Even as I write this she is in my lap licking and biting my hand because I'm not petting her. I love these days! :o) I'm going to feel sooo bad when I have to go back to work. (that's the only thing that I'll feel bad about) I'm soooo desperate to get out of the house that I'm even applying for part time work. Hey, it's the same amount I make on unemployment, but it gets me out of the house!!

Anyways, here are some recent pics of Lexi....we did good when we picked her out!

puppy

This weekend I was really bored and 'lonely' (Erin was all about the video games) so, I decided I wanted a dog. :o) I think I spent about 2 hours looking at dogs online and researching what type would be good for us. Erin says we have to wait a while before we get a dog though. I want one before we have a kid or they suggest to wait until your kid is 7 or something. I looked at Labradors and Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers. :o) Those are the top one for kids and other animals. These are the sites I looked at.
Pets Without Parents - that's where we got Lexi
Pet Finder - I found a lot of cute puppies there too

Ah well...maybe after we get married we can get a puppy. Then I can take him/her on walks and maybe down to the river for walks. But it will make going out of town harder. I really want a puppy! Man, I need a job!

Also, fun news...I have another new cousin, or maybe it's second cousin, I call them all cousins. It's a baby girl born yesterday. :o) Poor Clayton is soooo out numbered now, there are 5 girls now and him. My other cousin is preg, maybe she will have a boy. I have another initial to make. YAY.

Oh and I think I picked out my wedding dress.... :o)

Honeymoon

For about 3 hours I have been searching for honeymoon ideas. I've searched Mexico, Hawaii, Florida - Disney. I've found some great hotels and ideas. But, I wanted to do something that isn't a lot of money and go where we haven't gone before. I remember Jens trip to Asheville, NC and all the fun stuff they got to do. My grandma went there once too and loved it. I figured...October, the weather would be really nice for all the out door stuff and I love doing all that kind of stuff. Plus, we could drive or fly and I found a hotel at a reasonable price. Plus with AAA we could get a discount on tickets.

So, I have a bunch of sites to show Erin when I run the idea by him tonight. Who knows....the only other idea I have is Cocoa Beach FL and asking my grandpa if we can stay in his condo. Then we would just need plan tickets and I found some for $77 a person or about $160 round trip per a person. Who knows....

stuff

I'm hopping that we get to go to the zoo on Thursday. I've been wanting to go since we moved here....2 years ago! I love my zoo back home and am interested in seeing this zoo. Erin can get discounted tickets at work and now the only issue is if it will rain or not. It's supposed to be in the 70's, but 50% chance of rain. I want to go before summer and durring the week....less people. So we will see....that's what I'm hoping we can go, but if not maybe next week...but at the same time we need to save up money for Jens next month. Hopefully gas costs stay low....UGH, I hope a job comes through soon!!

Job fair on Wednesday....I'm hoping something happens...

Wedding list....still need
dress (down to three choices, I just don't know yet....)
photographer (sending links to my dad today to look through)
cake (i think we found a cake person though)
favor/seating card stuff
Oh yeah....and figure out a honeymoon....

So we have a lot of things done...I mean we are down to 5 months next month. I'm sooo ready!

I did order a corset thing for under my dress. (even though I haven't picked the dress yet) I got it on sale for $14.99 from $60.00. It's a Dr Ray shapeware thing...he is from Dr. 90210. I figure for the cost it's worth a try. My aunt saw him on QVC the night before I tried on dresses and it's all she talked about.

Well back to laundry and crafts....I'm getting close to being done with our wedding sampler and the new blanket is on it's way...I really like it! I also need to get some new cloth and get an 'M' made for one of my cousins kids. My mom was working on it but doesn't have time to get it done, I have nothing but time, so I'm going to get it done for her.

Wedding gifts...

SO, We had talked about getting each other watches as a wedding gift to each other, or just doing something over our honeymoon. However, when Erin talked to our DJ, also his childhood friend, the friend mentioned catching a hockey game after the wedding. Erin was sooo excited when he relaid that to me. The friend thought it would be cool for us to all go in our wedding attire....I think NOT! At first I just looked at Erin wondering if he was really serious about relaying that to me. I told him it's my wedding night and you want me to go to a hockey game?! OR you want to go without me?! Then the next night I told him, maybe we could go, if everyone from out of town would want to, but that would be his gift and we would NOT go in our wedding attire. We will see though. They don't have the schedule up yet and I don't know if any of my friends would want to go. I am not even sure I want to go. :o)

Also, we keep talking about this house. I don't want to get too excited about it, but I am. Unfortunately I have had bad luck with jobs and what if my next job were to fall through....again. What if we can't get a loan? What if we can't get a down payment? What if?! I almost think we should go talk to a realtor sooner than later just to see where we stand and what to do over the next year to be in good shape. Who knows....

YAY

MOM AND DAD ARE MOVING HOME!! :O)

Harpers Island Recap

This is how bored I am these days....I'm going to start a Harper's Island Recap. :o)

The 'X' means they are dead, the '0' is who I think is the killer. (I know it's a little small and hard to read the pictures, but it you watch the show, you know who is dead. :o)

Right now I have the '0' on Jimmy....Beth's old flame from the island. I sort of thought maybe it was Hunter, but he was killed last night. Just think.....Jimmy conveniently didn't uncover the cousins body under the boat, remember he went in the water to get whatever ever was stuck out. He lives on the Island, so he knows where to kill these people, and no one is being found! Also, the boat thing last night...he works on the dock, owns a boat....But besides Kelly being killed, I'm thinking it's all a case of wrong place/wrong time, like he isn't doing this in any order.

I know I'm probably wrong. Maybe John Wakefield is alive, or Jimmy was his son.... :oP (my active imagination)

Who do you think it is?!

Erin bought me a new suit today. :o) It's pretty. I have a job fair next week. I signed up for it, but I don't have a suit...I have mix and match stuff, but nothing that I bought together. So yay. It's brown, Anne Klein, we got it at Macys and it was more than 50% off! Plus I tried on this dress: (in green)I was thinking it might be cute for our pictures next month. But, I wasn't ready to spend the money on it. I figure Erin and I will go back in a few weeks and maybe it will be on sale. :o) I wasn't in love with it but Erin liked it.

We went to the Jessica M store and although they didn't have my size in the dresses I wanted to try on they did have some I could slip on and get an idea if I would like them. I really liked this dress.

We have an apt to go to Davids Bridal at 2. I have three more I want to try on and then I'll go from there. Erin is just going to take pictures. I figure in the end he won't know which one I pick and what store I get it from. He is being really nice today. :o) (maybe it's because I'm making him pancakes for dinner)

That's it. Ready for Harper's Island tonight! :o)

DJ is a check! Erins friend came through and he is going to be our DJ. I'm soooo excited. We will get a discount and I think we are going to get his room too, he is coming from NY. YAY! One less thing for me to do.

I found The Cake Studio on weddingchannel.com. I've emailed them, hopefully they are available for our date and then all that is left is a photographer...I really need to get on that. :o)

I am going to try on a few more dresses tomorrow and email them to my mom and then hopefully we can purchase one and I'll have my dress....

It's all slowly coming together. :o)

I finished....Erin blanket! :o) I bought yarn yesterday...I needed more blue to finish the blanket and then I needed new yarn to start this new blanket I like. I spent $40! BUT, it was bday money and I think I have enough yarn and won't need to replenish for the new blanket.

Other than that, nothing new. We are thinking about getting a house next year. WE are renting this place until May, but Erin said if I have a good job and we want to stay, why not look into getting a house. His brother has a great Realtor. So I think in December we will go talk to him. This gives us time to relax after the wedding. I would like a house before we do the baby thing. Plus, why not...I mean rent is as much as a mortgage, why not have it go towards something useful. :o)

As of wedding stuff, Save the Dates were mailed yesterday. YAY! Um, we need to get a photographer and dj and then I think we are good. I need to do the dress thing still. I have one, but I can't say it's the one until I try on the ones at the Jessica M store, I'll do that Thursday. Then we have a tasting in June. But other than that, we have the florist and makeup/hair person. OH I need to find a cupcake person...hmmmmm

Well off to attack the invasion of laundry! There is TONS! It's completely covered our dinning room floor!!

I forgot....we went to Moochie & Co (the kitten on the website looks like Lexi!) while waiting to go to lunch today and we bought Lexi a collar. Long story short she got outside the other day when I came in from getting the mail and I almost didn't notice. She didn't get far...but it was enough to scare me! So she is going to start wearing a collar and a tag. We have a pink heart one with her name and my number on it, but I'm going to call Banfield about getting a tag that says she is microchiped, so people know to take her to Banfield. But anyways, I think this is a cute collar...and Erin thought it was just a dog store. :o) I'll start her on the collar by Tuesday, I'm sure I'll have picks to post of her trying to get it off. Then when she is used to it we will put the tags on.

My Save the Dates arrived this weekend! I was going to wait and work on them tomorrow but I just couldn't! So, I worked on them while we watched Harpers Island. I just have to seal the envelopes and get stamps. I'll get stamps tomorrow....I think I'll get the heart ones. Here are some pics....

SOOOOO PRETTY!! I did the business card....

Well Jen designed everything, but I

printed and cut the business card. :o)

Lexi decided to help me.... :o)

Almost ready for the mail....

Also, here is our wedding site, it's pretty much done.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! :oP

Could it be?

I tried on dresses today...I had my mom and aunt with me. We loved the first one I tried on. My mom almost cried, but I couldn't believe that the first dress I tried on would be 'the one'. So we tried on a lot more...it wasn't the experience I thought it would be...my mom was helping me, it was hot, the consultant obviously wanted to be somewhere else....UGH! So the last one I tried on...again...could that be it? We then went back to the first one and I put it back on...it just might be 'the one'

We will see though....I want to try on one or two still at the Jessica M store. But, I could have picked it with that first one.

Also, my mom couldn't believe how simple I wanted everything....as I'm ripping out the flowers the consultant put in my hair...when I didn't ask for it! Yep...I just didn't like the consultant! :oP

Well, hopefully when I get home tomorrow I'll have some good things in the mail! I'm sooooo ready to go home! I miss Lexi and didn't sleep well and am just not feeling great.

However....the registries were soooo much fun! But I can't get logged on yet to fix some things. Ugh...I think I'll be able to log on tomorrow.

not yet....

No Save the Dates yet... :o(

I was really hoping they would get here before we leave so I could work on stuffing envelopes this weekend and show my mom since she isn't getting one.

Ah well....maybe they will be here when I get back on Sunday.

Friday?

So I just talked to my dad and I'm very excited. First of all they are boarding the plan for IN right now. YAY! Then he asked me to make reservations for Kincaid's. It's sooo yummy. We went there for my birthday last year. :o) I can't go there unless my daddy is paying. :oP Well, and they aren't here in Columbus.

Also, I think I just convinced Erin to do some gift registry on Saturday. We want to register at Target but there aren't any really good Targets here. But there is a Super Target in Indy...so why not. We don't have much going on now for Saturday anyways. Plus it gives us a reason to go to Castleton for Macys and then visit my coworkers at Von Maur. :o) He is so nice too...he mentioned inviting Travis...I think he just wants man backup while trying to convince me to ask for a PS3 game. I won't let him have that scan gun! :o)

Is it Friday yet?!

Waiting patiently for the mailman....I hope I can post pictures of my Save the Date cards today....otherwise I'll have to wait till next week. I really hope they get here today, they were mailed on Monday....

great cause!

I just read the Hostess blog and she had blogged about Operation Shower. It's baby showers in a box for military families.

Read the letter on this blog -- and then donate

I'm definitely doing this!

You can too, they have things starting at $20.00. I can spare that. :o)

my crafts

So I've been very busy making things the past few months. I figured I'd show off a little and post pictures. :o)
I made this for Hannah Loving. :o) I just have to frame it. She gets it in May (since that's when I get my bday present. :oP ) Isn't it cute! I picked it for the butterfly.

Then, I think I bought this kit last year for my bday. Well, I finally finished them. Now I just need frames. I think I'm going to put them in our dinning room as soon as the armoire is gone! If it's not sold by May.....I don't know what I'm going to do!

Now I'm working on our Wedding Sampler. I have the boarder left to do and the outlining and the wording...so I have a lot to do still. But I have until October. :o)

And my new project....Erin's blanket that I promised him years and years ago. I would have been further along, but I realized Sat night that the edges were really not straight! I blame it on the fact that Jen was not here to help me. SO, I restarted it on Sunday and the sides are even and staying in the shape of a rectangle....it wasn't before. :oP I just have to decide if I'll put the fringes on it or not....Lexi is a pain at times and I'm afraid she will think the fringe is something for her to play with. She already thinks the yarn is.....there has been a lot of water bottle spraying....

SOOO many posts today! BUT, I just ordered my Save the Date cards! YAY!! :o) I'm soooo excited! I can't wait to get them in the mail and hold them. They seem more real now that I have ordered them. I jsut can't wait. Shipping it 14 days...but maybe I'll get them earlier.

I can't stop smiling now. : D

Look at the fabulous Save the Date card that Jen made for my wedding! Now I can print off the hotel cards and to think I almost bought the card stock today. Oh well, looks like I'll have to go shopping again....

for Jen

Ok, Jen here are 6 dresses. I've narrowed it down to 6. :o) Click the numbers to look them up on Davids Bridal. :o) I will order them with out trains...

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

(5) (6)


Erins top 3 are ---- 1, 3, and 4

My top 3 are ----1, 2, and 4

Jens top 3 are ---- :o)

I woke up feeling crafty today. I've been cross stitching like crazy! I'll have to post some things I've made later on. But, Erin joked about the afghan I started making him like 4 years ago and never finished! I can't help it I left Jen in Muncie and crocheting just wasn't the same without her. :o( So I haven't crocheted in probably a good 2 years...possibly more. SO, I decided I would get to work on Erins blanket. But, I don't have the original... :oP I do still have all my books and supplies. I found a pattern and I'm going to go to the store in a bit and get the yarn. I'm actually a little excited! :o)
Also, if I can get my account to freaking work on Davids Bridal I'll post a few pics of the dresses I like and want to try on next Saturday with my mom. I have picked out 7 and then my top 3. I had Erin picked his top 3 and I'll have my mom do the same. They let you pick three, so this is how I'm narrowing it down. Yes I let Erin pick out 3 but he won't know what I pick until I'm walking down the isle! :o)
Ok, well time to go get yarn. Maybe a trip to Blockbuster too...it is Easter weekend and we don't have anything to do. :o/


By the way....ONE WEEK UNTIL IN!! : D (If I could I would pack now...)

My shopping day

Erin took me birthday shopping today.
Here is what I got! Everything was on sale too. (except the shoes)

Then, he even let me get some new make up from Clinique and some stuff from Victoria Secret. :o) YAY! Then we went to lunch and he got his hair cut. I had mine trimmed yesterday. Now its time for rest and relaxation. Shopping is hard work. :oP I can't wait until next weekend! I already have my outfits planned out.

SO today I decided it was time to get the summer shorts out and rearrange our closet. I think it looks a lot better and Lexi had fun with a hanger on the bed.

Our closet before:

Our closet after:


Lexi loves hangers!


I think I need more shoes....Oh wait, I'll get more tomorrow! :o)

I think that's all. I go book our florist next week and talk to her about another centerpiece idea. I really like her. Tomorrow is bday shopping with Erin at the mall. I'm not getting a lot, but I think we will make a day of it, maybe go out to eat. Who knows. Oh and today I bought my last Martha Stewart Wedding magazine. I won't need anymore after this one...and I really don't need this one. I just had too though.

It's snowing! UGH!

Anyways, yes it's true, I went hunting for photographers through Craigslist last night. I may have found one. :o) We are not spending a lot on the ceremony/reception site and I just can't imagine spending as much on the photographer and flowers combined that I did on the site. Possibly more! I just can't. Plus, a lot of the photographers through The Knot and The Wedding Channel offer a lot of extras that I just don't want/need. Jen is going to take some photos in May...as our engagement photos and if I can convince my mom on the idea, a Trash the Dress session after our wedding. I don't need all the albums and photo books. They are nice, don't get me wrong, but not for me. After I order what I want, just give me the cd and I'll make my own album, thank you.
Maybe it's because growing up, my parents had two wedding pictures. One of them in the limo leaving and the two families combined. Then a little album of 3x5's. Granted that's probably all anyone did in 1980. Who knows.
So anyways, all these photographers and their prices are all these extras and 6 hours and 2-3 people. I don't feel I need that. I'm thinking 4 hours, they don't need to stay the whole reception. I don't need it. Just before, ceremony, after, and the dances at the reception. That's it, so I found a few photographers on Craigslist that will do that and I like the prices! Plus they take good pics and have nice websites. They are just more, I do this for fun, or I'm a mom and this is just part time, or I am just starting out. Who says I can't get good pics from them?! I think I can. We will see what comes from it. I only have received one reply so far, but I did this last night at 10 so I'm sure I'll get more as the day goes one.

Oh, and I go bday shopping in 2 days. :o) Shoes here I come! Oh yeah...clothes too.

My mom insists...we are getting a florist. I think I'm secretly excited about it. :o)

centerpiece idea 3

So I came up with another idea for the centerpieces. I'm still trying to get the cost down...It's that unemployed being in me. :o)
So idea 2...well I guess 3, since we already have 2....
Go with a tall round or square vase with one calla lily, one of the big ones. Maybe put some rocks at the bottom of the vase. Heather (the florist) can still put the ribbon detail on it. Then in a circle around the vase, we can do the square box favors. Then that will bring in color, because there will be paper on all sides of the box.
My mom likes the idea. I think it's cause she likes the box favors better than the bag ones. :o) Plus this gets the cost down to like $10 a flower. Maybe $11 because of the ribbon detail...although, I could do that.

Who knows....

Flowers

So, they don't have tulips in October...UGH! However, Heather was wonderful in coming up with other ideas for me. She could tell that I just didn't know which way to go after the tulips were a no. So she took over and used my ideas to came up with some great ideas. Sorry no pics...there aren't really any examples to show.

My Bouquet:
Deep pink roses accented by miniature yellow calla lilies. We were going to tie it off in white ribbon, but now I'm thinking blue (Tiffany blue) to act as my something blue. And you'll see why else as you keep reading.
Then Erin will have a miniature yellow calla lilly as his boutonniere. (we will be the only two with the lilies) the stem will be tied off in the Tiffany blue. (they guys are in brown suits with blue vest/ties)
The Girls Bouquets:
The same deep pink roses as mine paired with yellow roses tied off in Tiffany blue. (they will have something with blue on them...possibly...shhhhh) :o)
Then the men will have yellow rose boutonnieres tied off in the same Tiffany blue.
The parents:
White or pink roses with sheer or Tiffany blue ribbon. Men defiantly blue ribbon, mothers, depends on their outfits.

Now, the reception:
We will either do one of two things, maybe a combo...who knows, the price difference between each option is $20.
Option 1.
Cube/rectangle shape vase with a strip of Tiffany blue ribbon along the base with one single orange pearl as an accent. (Will look like a button holding the ribbon on) Then there will be deep pink and yellow roses in the vase.
Option 2.
Mini vases (almost like shot glasses or mine flutes) will hold 2 roses. (total of 3 vases, 6 roses a table)

I love it all. She was great! And I realized after lots of tears that the estimate was off by at least $400 because we came up with some random table number...I don't even know what we were thinking! 5 people a table!? Who knows. And, the cost isn't final, we can make changed and the cost can again go down more. So, we will see....will I do the work? Will we hire the florist? It all depend on what my parents decide. :o) I just need to take myself out of the mix right now.

Still have one more flower appointment today, but we really liked the first one. I'll post more after our second appointment. Slight problem....tulips are out of season in October. So not only am I absorbing the shock of the cost of hiring a florist but a new flower vision, since I can't have tulips. :o( I'll post our favorite later tonight.

I am trying a new gradual tan lotion. It's Nivea Sun-Kissed Beautiful Legs. I bought the one for fair to medium skin, so we will see how it works. Plus it's supposed to help so you shave less often. :o) Also, weight news....we bought a scale. I don't weight as much as I thought I did, but I want to lose about 30lbs...maybe more. I am not working out tomorrow - my body needs a break. I think my legs are ready to quit on me. Oh well, no pain no gain. lol

I took Erin to Target today and got him excited about our registry. :o) We spent 30 min just walking up and down the aisles pointing out things we wanted. Can't wait till the end of April. That's when we will register, plus, that's about the time I'll mail out Save the Dates so that way the website will be all done by the time guests get their cards in the mail. K, time to get ready and go to the florists.

Beautiful Day

It's sooo pretty outside today! Today and tomorrow are supposed to be in the 60's. I think I'll have to do some reading outside today. By Sunday we are supposed to get snow. UGH! Maybe I can convince Erin to go for a walk tonight when he gets home from work. :o) I'm already going to try and get him to work on the flower bed, if that's what you want to call it, on Sat after our movie date. :oP I took some pics after my work out of Lexi watching her new friend. Here is her friend....I might feed him to come play for Lexi....

It's sooo cute, yesterday he got too close to the sliding glass door and she attacked the door. Thank goodness it was closed!
Also, triumph for me...I worked out with 5lb weights today! :o) I might not be able to move much for the rest of the day, but still 5lbs! Tomorrow I'm just going to do 5 min of cardio and 5 min of weights. A light day. Then I might take Saturday and Sunday off....well at least Saturday off. And why do they have you do 30 min of weights and then push-ups...let me do push-ups first! Ah well, We will see if I've lost any weight tomorrow when I put on my jeans. :oP I've even been eating less during the day. I had 5 glasses of water yesterday. Plus, last night we bought yogurt and cottage cheese for me to snack on during the day. I'm serious about this! For real this time! :o) If you want some good workout DVDs I highly recommend the ones from Self. There are a few more than what is on their website.