Wedding Wednesday: A Pat on my Back

Happy Wedding Wednesday!!

Last week I spoke with my wedding coordinator, Liz, because sometimes I get in a little bit of a panic.

Like, when I look at those "to do" lists for brides and it says I have to do something by a certain time and I haven't done that something yet. Liz assures me that it is A-OKAY. Especially if you read her book The Mad Dash Down The Aisle. I loved it! It always calms me down!

Anyway, I am going to make myself a list of minor goals, and give myself a pat on the back for the other things I've accomplished during the holiday season!

Goals:

- reach out to our officiant and nail it down
- set up a date to meet with my uncle re: music
- speak with Iman's cousin and set up a date for our meeting with the florist
- go to the bra store!
- make a list of all of the things we need to buy (including things for the DIY)
- go to the Social Security Administration and get a new card
- apply for passport
- when Iman gets his bonus, buy our honeymoon plane ticket!
- finish up wedsite
- look at wedding band designs while in Vegas [our jeweler is in Vegas]

Accomplishments in December:

- order and receive invitations (YAY!)
- Girls' bridesmaid's dresses!
- purchase bridesmaid's gifts -- they don't know I did this ;)
- purchase some of my wedding jewelry
- choose wedding cocktails
- save a good chunk of our venue cost!
- start getting into shape and eating healthy as a couple!! Finally!

Do you ever get in a little tizzy about all of the wedding things to do? How do you battle it? 



P.s. We are STILL looking for someone to take our old venue if anyone knows anyone interested!

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Things I Should Be Doing But Don't

As I'm writing this, I'm sitting here in Iman's basketball shorts [in my case basketball capris since I'm so short?] while I wash 7 loads of laundry. I've run out of bottoms to wear and didn't much feel like wearing a beautiful dress at 10:30 pm on a Sunday night.

Today, I had to face that I needed to do laundry. I hate that realization. Usually I've run out of socks to wear and can't justify buying more [again]. It got me thinking to all of the adult things that I should be doing on a regular basis and I don't do...until absolutely necessary.

1. Laundry. If I did a load a week, I'd probably be much happier. Who likes to spend hours of a day hanging up all of their clothes?

2. Dishes. Seriously, why are doing the dishes so hard?

3. Cooking dinner. I'd much rather go spend $20 on two of us because I am hungry now. 

4. Washing my face, wearing makeup, flossing my teeth, taking a shower more than every other day. My old land lord's joking comment that I shower once a week will always haunt me. C'mon! I shower every other day!

5. Throw out the little pieces of papers I don't need. 

6. Mail the things I say I am going to mail. Always struggled with that one...warrior queen bracelets are coming, I promise!

7. Paint my nails. I always want them painted...but then ignore them.

8. Keep my car clean. Once I tried to do a From Hot Mess to Organized Challenge for a month. I failed.

9. Work out. Okay, I'm working on this one with...dun dun pole dancing classes. You bet there will be a post about this strenuous / fun / outside of the box workout.

10. Call and cancel services I don't need, get a replacement phone, etc.

Things That I'm Doing Instead: 

Obviously, I am a crazy cat lady....time to switch the laundry! 

Did you link up for our Sunday Social? Don't forget to check out my guest blog on A Writer in Love. I break down the definition of a warrior queen.




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Chuck the Truck Fix Me Up

In honor of Chuck's big day passing smog, [I hope] I wanted to write yet another fun post about my truck. Mainly, the quirky things I love / the things I want to fix!

This is Chuck the Truck. 

I love the 5 pt. harness seatbelts when we're offroading, but I want to install regular seatbelts, too. No one knows how to put them on! 

I love that my truck has poles in it. And that he's been gifted with koozies from Gibson. 

I need a new horn! The wires look like this because one time in 2010, while I was at work someone came in and told me truck had been honking for the past hour. When I took the horn part off, smoke came out at me!

So we don't hit our head, there are pool noodles on the poles! But these noodles are old and flaking off in people's hair. Easy fix!

I love that my truck can go into 4 wheel drive!! 

Clutch Start Cancel was my lifesaver in high school. I would go out and warm it up, without having to jump all the way into it. 

These are my speakers. Conveniently located between my two seats, never installed. Obviously, I want to install a real radio system.

For the first few years of Chuck in my possession, he was without a radio. My grandpa hotwired this to the speakers and ziptied it. We're ghetto like that. 

Stick shift! And my little baby 4WD stick shift. 

That damn parking break. I need to get this fixed, ever since he rolled down a hill and hit another car in 2010 while I was babysitting.

I need a new key! This one is so warn that it will fall out while I'm offroading. 

I love my upside down Toyota sign!

Ram bar. The better to hit you with? That's what this kid in high school thought. Uh, no, this is better for duning.

The very first thing I fixed on my truck was replacing the head lights as a teen. I left the monkey wrench on top of the battery and short-circuited my truck on the way to the desert. Oops! 

Don't forget to check out my guest blog over at The World View from Two Teenage Girls.


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Wedding Wednesday: To Do

A few weeks ago, I mentioned my budget woes. On the bright side - I've got that handled! I finally made a sort of budget and started working through everything. On the downside - it is ridiculously expensive and I'm not sure where the money will come from. I know that I have a lot of people who love and support us and will do anything for us. I'm not worried, but I am. lol. 

Today I decided to do a To Do Checklist :) Let me know if you think I forgot anything - I took this off of the Real Simple website. As always, linking up at Chits and Giggles!

Sixteen to Nine Months

Start a wedding folder or binder.

Work out your budget.

Pick your wedding party.

Start the guest list.

Hire a planner, if desired.

Reserve your date and venues.

Book your officiant. (sort of / kind of. I know who we want...and are hoping to ask her in the next week or so)

Research photographers, bands, florists, and caterers.

Throw an engagement party

Eight Months Before

Hire the photographer and the videographer.

Book the entertainment.(Need to touch base with my uncle on this)

Meet caterers.

Purchase a dress. (Mom's working on this!)

Reserve a block of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests.(I've been researching!)

Register.

Launch a wedding website.

Seven to Six Months Before

Select and purchase invitations.

Start planning a honeymoon.

Make sure that your passports are up-to-date, and schedule doctors’ appointments for any shots you may need.

Shop for bridesmaids’ dresses.

Meet with the officiant.

Map out the ceremony and confirm that you have all the official documents for the wedding (these vary by county and religion).

Send save-the-date cards.

Reserve structural and electrical necessities.

Book a florist.

Arrange transportation.

Start composing a day-of timeline.

Five to Four Months Before

Draw up a schedule of the event and slot in each component (the cake-cutting, the first dance).

Book the rehearsal and rehearsal-dinner venues.

Check on the wedding invitations.

Select and order the cake.

Send your guest list to the host of your shower.

Purchase wedding shoes and start dress fittings.

Schedule hair and makeup artists.

Choose your music.

Make decorations. 

Three Months Before

Finalize the menu and flowers.

Order favors, if desired.

Make a list of the people giving toasts.

Finalize the readings.

Purchase your undergarments.

Finalize the order of the ceremony and the reception.

Print menu cards, if you like, as well as programs.

Purchase the rings.

Send your event schedule to the vendors.

Two Months Before

Meet with the photographer.

Review the playlist with the band or deejay.

Send out the invitations.

Enjoy a bachelorette party

One Month Before

Enter RSVPs into your guest-list database.

Get your marriage license.

Mail the rehearsal-dinner invitations.

Stock the bar.

Send out as many final payments as you can.

Confirm times for hair and makeup and all vendors.

E-mail and print directions for drivers of transport vehicles.

Assign seating.

Purchase bridesmaids’ gifts.

Write vows, if necessary.

Get your hair cut and colored, if desired.

Week of the Wedding

Reconfirm arrival times with vendors.

Delegate small wedding-day tasks.

Send a timeline to the bridal party.

Check in one last time with the photographer.

Set aside checks for the vendors.

And put tips in envelopes to be handed out at the event.

Book a spa treatment.

Send the final guest list to the caterer and all venues hosting your wedding-related events.

Break in your shoes.

Pack for your honeymoon.

What stage are you at on wedding planning?

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25 Before 25

On Mondays I like to post lists. It makes me feel more organized in my week, plus it's a fun way to get through a dreary Monday. Over the weekend I saw Paulina @ Color Me Brave 's post with her list of 24 before 24. Twenty-four things to do before she turns 24. Well, since it's only 2 months after my 25th birthday, I think I still have enough time to do a 25 before 25!

This was a LOT harder than I thought it would be, but I love that it made me sit down and think about my goals. I also didn't want anything to be wedding related, because that is a given. So here it is. I'm going to update my progress monthly, hopefully. Which leads me to the notion that I have to update my blog goals! I didn't do that for August, but maybe I will just do a 1/2 through August - October thing. Every 6 weeks?

1. Keep my room clean every day. This has been a goal since childhood -__-
2. Create and keep a Bedtime Routine. 
3. Do a 30-day Challenge.
4. Read 25 books. 1 down!
5. Blog 10-15 x a month.
6. Become confident in my design ability.
7. Make healthier eating habits - don't eat take out for 1 month. 
8. Jog 5 miles without stopping.
9. Take my quad up China Wall. This ties in with wanting to go to Glamis more.
10. Donate Blood. This is a big deal as I am afraid of blood / entering the Red Cross buildings
11. Give Chuck some TLC. Most notably - attempt to have $$ to fix exhaust leak, definitely at least replace the Roll Cage Cushion and put in the regular seat belts, detail the inside
12. Find something for Iman and I to do together regularly (i.e. cooking class or a team)
13. Wear an "outfit" to work every day for a month. Including accessories and makeup
14. Sell something for WQ
15. Cook dinner every day for 2 weeks
16. Meet a blog friend in real life. Megalin??
17. Organize my stuff in the garage / storage unit. 
18. Go Paintballing. We have already purchased 2 packages...we just haven't used any.
19. See a meteor shower with Iman
20. Ride in the Great Orange Balloon.
21. Learn to cook on the Weber
22. Decorate a cake.
23. Make a difficult recipe.
24. Send my OSU friends a letter/card once a month starting in September.
25. Start to Vlog again.

What is on your list of goals for the year?

8 Girl Power Movies

via

Today, I thought it would be fun to make a list of my favorite Girl Power movies! Of course there may be some things that I and other feminists have an issue with in each of these movies, but I'm not looking to break down anything. This list is of movies that make me feel empowered.

Let me know if I missed any of your favorites!

1. Spice World. Of course this had to be number one, since I named the title Girl Power :P
2. Legally Blonde. This movie came out when I was a preteen and so many girls in my generation are probably lawyers because of it. Thanks, Elle Woods!
3. Charlie's Angel. I love girls who kick butt. As I mentioned on Tiffany's sponsor intro (go check her out!), Powerpuff Girl's was my favorite TV show.
4. Sex and The City. These girls.
5. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I loved absolutely every movie, and probably bawled my eyes out for each.
6. How to Deal. This Mandy Moore movie is probably not remembered by a lot of people. But I absolutely love it and the character she plays. It's also a book!
7. The Women. All female cast. All female crew. What could be better?
8. He's Just Not That Into You. The most beautiful part about this movie, is that every girl portrayed is the way that we each feel at some point. It's all real.

I really want to see "The Help" - although I have read the book - and Renee The Movie, by TWLOHA.

Check out these awesome "Girl Power" movies out this summer.

The Never List

Sometime in high school during a peak in my list-making past, I created a list of the things that I had never done and wanted to do. It included silly things [like going toiletpapering] and serious things [like falling in love]. Throughout the years, I have updated it and posted it on my Xanga.

I've forgotten about it for the last few years [curse becoming a grown up!] but this past week I've redone it!

Never List 

• Had a surprise birthday party
• Broken a bone
• Been to an exotic country
• Written a full book
• Spent a day without worrying
• Kept my room and closet clean for a year
• Been to the Grand Canyon
• Made amends with family members lost
• Accepted that I can't control everything
• Gone to prom
• Surfed
• Been on the radio
• Had breakfast served to me in bed
• Gone toiletpapering
• Swam with dolphins
• Bought and worn dominatrix boots
• Learned to play guitar
• Raced a car
• Done strip-tease aerobics
• Driven up PCH from start to finish
• Played spin the bottle
• Rode a skateboard in heels
• Known more than two languages fluently
• Been seduced in a foreign language
• Gone paintballing
• Been serenaded in public
• Had a cake fight
• Gotten married
• Been to a Michigan Game
• Been a mommy
• Laid down in the middle of the street
• Watched Aurora Bourealis
• Seen a meteor shower with someone else
• Seen a Shooting Star
• Been to Mardi Gras
• Owned my own house
• Been in a hot air balloon
• Made my own fashion line
• Gone to an NFL or NBA game

What is on your list of things you've never done? What should I add to mine?

Show your Appreciation

It's easy to get caught up in what I like to call the white noise of life. All those nitty gritty stuff in your life that stops you from following your dreams, having fun and appreciating the good and people in your life. I like to think of the simple things that I can do to show my appreciation.

1. In the world of technology, it's easy to send a text or Facebook wall post that says, "how are you?" I think that question is severely undervalued. 

2. Go to the Dollar Tree and pick out something that reminds you of your friend.

3. If it's a coworker-friend, pick up some extra Starbucks on the way to work (you know you were going there anyway)

4. For far away friends make them a little "care package" of cheap / free things.

5. Friendship bracelet's are ALWAYS appreciated :)

If we all just took a second to breathe and think about it, no one would ever feel unappreciated. It's easy and takes just a couple of minutes and could probably save a lot of your friendships that might end up fizzing out. Never underestimate the value of KIT, even if you think that your friendship should withstand periods of separation. 

Any other suggestions Warrior Queens?