Productively Unproductive Day/Wedding Planning: Day 87 Until the BIG day!

So today has been cool.

I was awake before I wanted to be, took my time getting ready, got to work where they told me I could leave because it had been a slow day, I bought milk, left work, went to the post office on campus, came home, organized the fridge for the second time this week (it's only Tuesday), swept the kitchen floor, vacuumed the apartment, attempted to study for a scary (but apparently not scary enough) statistics test, watched Glee, went through some boxes and my closet and bagged some things up to donate, snacked on some graham crackers, browsed men's wedding rings and apartments online, tried studying again, and now this.

Fun, huh?
I mean, I've been productive, right? Sooo maybe I haven't gotten done what I really needed to do today, but at least stuff has gotten done!

Also, I will never understand how the one person who cleans out the fridge just to have space for all 3 items is unable to purchase and put her items in the fridge before more food enters, thus again, leaving no room for said 3 items, calling for more careful organizing. I will also never understand certain people's tendency to buy large amounts of food that sit in the fridge/freezer until they expire or rot without hardly being touched or opened by the purchaser.

Onward - to more exciting business!

The wedding planning is moving along! Plates, cups, and utensils have been decided on and they're lovely! I also found delicious glass containers to house oodles of candy and other goodies for the candy/goodie bar. I've confirmed and reconfirmed to myself that I love my sparkly ring. I don't know why, but it happens often. He did good! :)

I've also started to wear my retainers to be more frequently. Yummy news, yes?
Next, I will conquer my ornery skin with a microdermabrasion home-kit, because, let's face it; I can't afford the real thing on this tiny budget/income. Fingers crossed that it actually works and doesn't leave my face in a red blustery mess. Nice visual, right?

Ohhhh, but the best news is.. [are you ready??]... the soon-to-be-mother-in-law is coming! COMING! Here! This weekend! Oh golly! Yes, when I first found out my stomach sunk a little and my face may have lost a little color. I felt bad; real bad. However, my stomach and face returned to their normal, weird selves and I am happy. Very happy, actually. Super duper excited, really! I'm going dress shopping dudes! And not alone! We already have two appointments set up because she's awesome like that.

With any luck, I will have made a very huge [monetary-wise and importance-wise] purchase by Saturday! I sure hope we're lucky. I'm not normally lucky. Not ever.

We've also scheduled out engagement picture session with a very lovely friend of mine, which means nothing else but.... an excuse to go shopping for awesomely cute outfits! Well, and I guess it also means we'll be sending out invitations soon!

I have also picked out Matt's ring! (Since he picked out my ring without any of my input, we agreed that I could choose his.)

[Take note that the shapes on his match the cut of the diamond on mine!]

I think I did pretty good.

Alright, ya'll. It's way too late to be awake right now.. It is a couple hours into Wednesday now, thus it is bed time. Goodnight lovies.

xoxo.

Ramblings of one stressed out bride!/ Wedding Planning: Day 93!

Now that the initial excitement of the engagement is wearing down, and considering that we have a mere 13 weeks left before the wedding, stress levels are rising and reality is setting in. 

What have I gotten myself into? 

How are we going to pull this off in time?

Dress!? What dress? Where do I even begin?

SIX groomsmen, you say?! I have barely settled on four! 

Ya, I'm stressed.

I think I'm thinking too much, or rather, I'm just thinking too much about a few things.

I need to try to remember that I have awesome people 750+ miles away helping plan my wedding, and that I'll be able to do everything one step at a time. 

Unfortunately, the biggest thing right now is finding a dress. I am not particularly fond of shopping, especially when it comes to clothes for myself. (Shopping for babies, on the other hand, is a breeze!) Ya, I am a girl who gets frustrated with shopping. This is mainly because I am not average sized, and apparently don't have average taste in clothing. Not to mention I am poor. Very poor. As such, I work 8 hours four days a week, and the days I'm not working, I am in class and/or doing homework. AND I'm planning a wedding? Yes. 

Anyway, my future parents-in-law (Is that a legitimate phrase? It sounds different. Meh.) kindly reminded me that I need to find my dress soon as it will probably need to be altered and ready in ample time before the wedding bells ring...(except there won't be any actual bells ringing. :[ ). Moving on! I've mentioned that I'm marrying into an almost incomprehensibly amazing family, right!? Welllll, tonight they suggested that Matt's mom, Letticia (they have refused to let me address them as Mr. or Mrs. EVER.) fly up to shop with me, since I am a sad lump that has yet to establish close enough of friendships here in Utah to comfortably accompany me to a bridal store. 

Part of me, the inner traditional, girly part, longs for the typical mother/sister/daughter wedding dress-shopping experience that I will not be able to experience with my own. That same part of me wants to scream "yes!" to their offer and tear up with overwhelming happiness. At the same time, I do not know how to comprehend such generosity, especially considering the times that they have paid for mine and Matt's plane tickets home for the holidays. The logical part of me tells me that the cost of her travels up here would be very costly, and I don't know that it would even be worth it if we are not even able to find a dress. And would I be considered unbearably selfish if I accept? Or would I be selfish to say no? She did make the point that she doesn't have any daughters of her own to do this with. How would my own mother react? Would she care? Would she want to be sharing the experience with me? I don't know. Am I thinking too much again? I think I am. I think I'm making too much of this. 

Would it be weird if I went by myself? I think I could get a lot accomplished. I tend to find the best things when I'm alone at a store rather than when I'm with someone because I feel rushed. I'd be fine, right? Yep, definitely thinking too much! 

I'm going to hit the hay, folks! Sorry for the rambling. 

I hope you didn't waste too much time reading this post! It's mostly an outlet for me to gather my thoughts, I suppose. 

Anywho, wish me luck! 

P.S. I got to go on a Sunday stroll this weekend, 

and we got to look at the tulips around campus and we took pictures!  

May the "fourth" be with you. ;]

xoxo. 

Comfy Saturday in./Wedding Planning Day 98!

Do you ever plan things to do, get distracted, and completely forget about your plans until you nestle up in your comfy clothes for the night? I do. All the freggin time!

Today I finished work at 4 and got out of coming back for my second shift of the day that was scheduled at 6. (Yay!) My lovely fiance picked me up, and I quickly reminded him of the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival, which I thought ended today. It didn't, but that's besides the point. He was a damp towel today. He decides to be spontaneous at the most inopportune times, and today was not one of those day. On the drive home we passed the beautiful tulips planted all around campus. We compromised and decided we'd take a walk and take pictures of the tulips around town [awesome!]. Then we got to his place where he showed me some delicious pictures! (more about that later) I am now home in my comfy little bed and just realized that we did not go on a little walk to see the tulips. :(! Tomorrow I'll get that little bugger out of the apartment and make sure to keep him from napping - I swear, if there was a sleeping profession, he'd be CEO. That man can sleep anywhere, anytime.

This is what I missed out on today. Luckily the Tulip Festival ends May 7th! 

Onward! With the help of the lovely 'Mama Casti', little bro Daniel, and aunt Linda and uncle Dean, we have a location! A LOCATION people! Ohh, how happy we are to have such wonderful people in our lives to give us a free place to exchange vows and be forever married to each other (and to celebrate and dance the night away with more amazing people!). 

I've always wanted an outdoor/backyard wedding, and that's what we're gettin' folks! I know you're dying to get a sneak peak, and I'm dying to share: (the delicious peectures I referred to)

We're envisioning greatness! Aren't youuu?

I think we're off to a pretty great start! I'm lucky to have some pretty stelar people helping us out! And in about 3 months I'll be able to officially call them family! 

On a side note, I hope to be able to be excited, interested, and involved in all of my family's (and future children's) exciting events. Many of them will only happen once. I hope I have the patience and remember what it means for people to earnestly care and communicate their interest, love and appreciation for their lives. I hope I remember their feelings and don't hurt them when they have something exciting to say when I have a thousand other things on my mind. I just hope I'm able to remember what I've learned and remember that family is everything - because it is. I hope I can be excited and proud of them no matter what. Do you ever learn what you don't want to be like or do from others? I have, I do - all the time. 

Regardless, I am excited. I am happy. I am in love with the man of my dreams. And I am lucky. 

Back on topic, woman!

I likes des cakeee:

xoxo.
Are you wondering what we'll accomplish next?
Me too.

Wedding planning: Day 99 Until the BIG Day!

Hey all!

We did it! 

We bought our first wedding-related purchases tonight! 

AND picked our colors! 

Orange, Pink, Blue, and Green!

Adorable, no? 

My face hurts from smiling so much tonight!

I love that things are coming together so smoothly.

Plus, it's SO much fun! 

Now you may be wondering that these little squares of fabric are for.

I guess you'll just have to wait and see!

But know, they are delicious; tasty even!

In other news: I have discovered that I have a problem.

I am addicted. 

Addicted to Sarah Seven dresses. 

Now you're addicted, too!?

The problem: I don't have $1500 to spend on a dress.

What, you want to donate to the 'Amanda Needs a Sarah Seven Dress Fund'?!

No? Well, it was worth a try. 

Anyway,

Happy spring, ya'll! It's snowing here in good ol' Utah. Yep. Yesterday it was in the 70s. Mother nature must have realized she made a mistake and gave us back our snow... as if we didn't get enough during the winter. Enjoy whatever rays of sun you can for me! 

xoxo. Smile!

What's sparkly and rhymes with "bling"?

That's right!...

RING!

Surprised? Not as surprised as I was!

I'm engaged to the most wonderful guy on the planet! 

The future Mr. and Mrs. 

But guess what? 

I only have 100 days left to plan! Yikes!

[For those that do not want to do the math, August 6th, 2011!]

Follow me through this exciting, slightly stressful, once in a lifetime experience!

So far:

• the guest list has been compiled
• tentative colors have been picked
• a date has been settled on
• a cake design has been selected

And nothing else. Is anyone else wondering how everything will be able to come together in only 100 days!? I sure am. 

I think I can, I think I can!

xoxo. 

Help.

I do what I want.

Tonight I'm staying up late because I can.
Not because I have homework, or a project, or studying to do.

Just because.

I am not a bum! I got many many things accomplished today.

And I am done with finals.

But this little break, this little time of no school, 

Is me time!

I plan to: 

• go running,
• read books (for fun!),
• organize my room, 
• plan stuff [ ;D ]
• find and listen to new, amazing music,
• watch movies,
• etc.

Tonight after I got off work I listened to Pandora, watched one of my roommates pack (and got some pretty nifty things that she no longer wanted!), took a long shower, picked out my outfit for tomorrow, and painted my nails. 

Purdy purple!

Now, I will sleep a wonderful sleep. 

Tomorrow is my roomie's graduation! 

Beauty sleep & sweet dreams, here I come!

xoxo. Peace & blessin's. 

Implosion?

Last night around midnight I was welcomed home, again, by the aroma of garbage. It seems as though the two trash bags from the other day reproduced. The new bag must have spit up or not understood that trash was supposed to be inside of it, not all over the kitchen. 

[No picture, sorry! But it was quite the site, as you can assume.]

I held my ground.. for a whole 10 minutes. After deciding that, "no, I do not want to feel like throwing up in my own home," I took out the entire family of trash bags that had over-stayed their welcome. Wow, we have a trash can and a floor in that corner of the kitchen! What a difference. And, what?! I can breathe? Such were my thoughts. I was pretty worked up, as you can guess. It's times like those that make me think living out of my car would be a more pleasant experience than student housing. 

But, wait! There's still a mountain of dishes in the sink, on the counter, the kitchen table and on the stove top! How did I make such a mess when, the past week and a half, I've only been home to sleep?! Boy Amanda, you've gone and done it again. Never ceasing to amaze. 

[Nearly an hour later...]

We have a sink, and a counter, AND a stove top! And suddenly our tiny kitchen looks huge! No longer does it look as if the garbage bags barfed, or like the dishes decided it was a good idea to have a mad rage, or as if our kitchen imploded. 

[It is now 1 AM.]

Oh, What? It's finals week and that hour could have been spent studying or, better yet, sleeping!? And here I am, Thursday morning, venting my frustrations when I should be studying for the test I have in a couple hours. 

Have a great day, world.

Do something fun for me.

xoxo. -_-