I ♥ Wedding Planning!!

Ahhh, yes, for a while now, I have been delighting in the joyous event that is WEDDING PLANNING! For any of you that know me, I ♥ planning events. Parties. Gatherings. Anything that requires an invitation, I'm in. And now, I'm getting in to the thick of the planning, as the big events have been checked off of my list for months. The big items were easy. Ceremony venue? Check! Reception location? Check! Dress? Check! (And all of those involved signing checks, as well.)

But now it is beginning to get into the nitty gritty. This is the part that separates the girls from the women. And OOOOHHH, how I love a challenge. I'm currently debating the merits of hues such as seafoam, pearl, blush and peony. And did you know how many variations of milk glass there are? Well, I do.  If any of you have any ruffled hobnail vases or medium compotes laying around, holla at me.  Two hundred and forty one days until my wedding, you tell me knot.com? Well, that is two hundred and forty one days I can plan a delightful, glorious wedding extravaganza!

I realize that my vision is different than  most. I believe in the hand made, the sought after, the uncommercial. The older, more vintage or retro it is, the more I want it. This makes my search a little tricky, but more rewarding. However, it makes it also virtually impossible for me to walk into a Michael's and find anything relative to my vision. So on I search!

Observations on wedding planning to date:

• Putting mason jars on your tables does not original make. It does however, make you cheap, and unoriginal.
• If I see another blog featuring a grey and yellow wedding scheme, I am going to unhook my computer and launch it into a wall.  Because it will be SO fun explaining to future generations why you picked the most hideous color palette alive because it was "popular" at the time.
• I will not be wearing a bird cage on my head on my wedding day. As much as I love a good bird cage veil, this trend is SO last year!! LY!! LY!! (Nor will I be sporting a Carrie Bradshaw bird on my head. 'nuff said.)
• I knew what my wedding makeup would look like before I envisioned my dress. ♥
• Women should not be allowed to bear children during bridesmaiding years. I say this from firsthand experience, as I was three months pregnant at my good friend Jen's wedding. Not only was I POPPING out of my dress, I couldn't drink, but I had to pretend that I was. Not fun. And the planning process is scary when you think someone will be with child. Also, there was an incident (Courtney) that involved scissors and a bathroom that we won't speak of. All you need to know is that being pregnant and a bridesmaid is a BAD combo!
• Having a baby out of wedlock actually proves beneficial on your wedding day! My daughter will get to see me marry her father. How cool is that?
• At the end of the day, it's still just another day, another party. I tell myself this. But that doesn't mean that I don't want it to feel a little (ok, a LOT) magical when that day arrives.

♥ V :)

Flashes of eyelashes

I open my eyes and it is early and dark outside. It is the middle of the week, which is better than the beginning, but there is no delicious feeling that it is Friday or Saturday. I think of the day ahead of me, and all that there is to do and all of the places that I have to go. I cuddle next to Ian, and drink in our togetherness: warm and sleepy and nestled together like bears, in our cave. I entertain the idea of getting up early, but I decide instead to go to my cub's den and retrieve my baby bear. I creep in her room in my nightgown, with the stillness of our house surrounding me. Her bottom is up in the air, with her arms tucked beneath her, just as she always sleeps. My heart sinks that maybe she is not awake. But alas! I peek over her crib, and she rolls over to look at me with her big blue baby bear eyes. We make no sounds as I scoop her up gently. I slide her into bed with us, all of the bears together now, safe in our cocoon.

We lay cuddled together, and I stroke her face and stare into sparkling eyes. Eyes that are my own looking back at me: big eyes, surrounded by her daddy's thick lashes. It strikes me how rarely we lay still together with all of the routine of daily life, and I soak up the moment and store it deep into my mommy memory.  She coos and speaks her baby talk, and we laugh and play games. I point to her nose and eyes and ears. I rub her chubby cheeks and admire her newly minted baby teeth. I run her curls through my hands and wonder what she thinks in this moment.  I think that she knows that her mother loves her very much. And I wonder if she can literally feel the love I have for her, passing from my aura to hers. 

My gentle child strokes my arm in return. I don't know how or why God blessed me with this gentle, lovable sweet child. She is truly a dream. I don't deserve such an easy, wonderful effortless child. I hear stories of other people's children, and I can't even wrap my head around how difficult they sound. We don't have any of that. Will it come one day? I don't know.

In a flash, she will be grown. Gone. She will be too big to lay on a cold, early morning with her mother, wrapped in blankets. But today, we have this moment, together. I mentally capture her beautiful face and eyelashes and wish we could stay in this moment forever, my sweet baby girl and I.

♥ V :)

Thankful

With all of the changes that have been going on in my work life, it's nice to spend the weekend with friends and family and really relax. It's a funny thing I'm finding, that when you don't hate your job, you feel so much more energized to do all of the other one million things you are required to do.  Hating your job is a very exhausting and arduous task that sucks the life out of you, day by day. Now that I don't hate my job, I'm finding I have leaps and bounds more energy to devote to my personal life. I knew and hoped that this change would be for the better, and I'm really relaxing and letting myself breathe again.

I've been thinking lately about how we are always thinking and working towards the next big thing, or goal. When you really think about it, at what point are you really ever thankful for and living in THIS moment? Where you are today.  Once I started my new job, I started to ask that question. How long can I enjoy this moment and appreciate where I am, before it becomes about getting to the next level? I realized that if you never slow down and feel thankful, you're never truly in the moment, appreciating this part of your life.

I'm consciously trying to slow down and enjoy "this phase." This phase where even though I still have career goals, or may want a bigger family, or a bigger house, I enjoy THIS phase of my life. It's not something I'm accustomed to, because I'm a very forward looking person. I guess maybe some people don't have to work at this, or maybe don't think about having to do this, but I realize now that I do, and I want to do it.

This phase for me is about many things. It's about spending time with Ian, who I love dearly and who spoils me with treats and is entirely way too good to me. It's about loving my beautiful daughter, and seeing how she changes into a little girl every single day and leaves her baby self behind. It's about bonding with my step daughters: having fun bundled up in blankets watching Disney movies, enjoying our new kitten Frank, and singing and dancing with Lauren. I'm watching their sister bonds literally form before my eyes, and I'm still working on getting to know their personalities and who they are as people. This phase is about watching my parents enjoy being grandparents, and seeing the joy that Lauren brings to them. This phase is about enjoying Ian's wonderful family, and being appreciative that I have a second home away from home. It's also about staying close with my girlfriends and keeping it real and having fun. Even though we are older, sitting down with my oldest friends makes me feel young again. All of these things are important to me, make me happy, and for that I'm extremely thankful.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, in between the crunchy fall leaves, chocolate covered, scary, holiday of Halloween and the larger than life, happy, exciting, (stressful), holy Christmas holiday season. This year I'm going to try and really enjoy it!

"If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for." ~Unknown

♥ V :)

Latest and greatest...

Yikes! I haven't blogged in over three weeks!  Must blog, must catch up, must share the latest...

Hmm...well, I've been adjusting to lots of changes at work or course, which has been interesting and wonderful, and also exhausting and draining. I find myself completing very little work, because I'm learning how to do everything at my new job for the first time, yet coming home strangely EXHAUSTED. Like, pregnant exhausted. (Don't worry, I'm not, but you get the idea.) All new work, people - it's been taking it out of me. Don't worry, they are good changes...I can't say enough good things about how interesting and refreshing the work and people and my new surroundings are. (And lets just say that I didn't picture myself running audio and video equipment for four satellite offices at once with a DVP of leasing in the room. Note to self: MUST LEARN VIDEO EQUIPMENT!) To cope, I've enlisted Mr. Awesome to pick up a few more child rearing duties, such as giving Lauren a bath a couple of nights a week, which I'm hoping will perk me up in no time!

Lately I've been obsessed with style, and fashion, and...boots. Let's just say that I need to "tweak" my wardrobe a bit to dress for my new job. No more uniform of colored button up with dark dress pants. Nope, not going to fly. I've been seeing lots of belts, sweater dresses, tights, and leggings on my coworkers. Because after all, we do work in retail, and now that I'm technically on the leasing floor, it's all about sales and presentation and style. So, I'm about to undergo a style change. I can NOT figure out the boot situation at work, however. All of the styles are somewhat hideous and look uncomfortable and weird. But I'm going to have to do it! Bite the bullet! Wear new styles to work! Buy patterned tights and wear them with boots and belts! (Audrey is eleven and owns seven pairs of boots. WHY is an eleven year old out dressing me I ask?)

My also-new coworker has a 4 month old baby at home, and comes in on Fridays with 3 inch heels in a sweater dresses, tights, a belt and a chunky necklace. For the love of God, if SHE can do it, I have to step up my game. However, I draw the line at blue nail polish. I ACTUALLY saw a leasing rep come into a meeting with blue nail polish on and a large blue ring. I mean, really? She thought, "Yes, I'll go with blue, that will look GREAT!" Arrrgh. I'll always be a geek at heart, but I've got to get this fashion thing figured out STAT. So, I've been focusing on this and hope to get it under control soon.

I've also been obsessing about my hair quite a bit. I have had to push my hair apt back about 3 times...there is always someone I have to see or somewhere I have to be. So today, I had to do a mini salon apt in my bathroom that consisted of a box of dye and Ian's scissors from his shaving kit. Roots are gone and I successfully trimmed my own bangs. It's amazing what you can do once you become a mom. Amazing! In Lauren news, I believe that she might become a hairdresser. She likes to play "beauty shop." After work, I sit on the floor and she plays with my hair every day. She also takes my straightener out of my gym bag and "straightens" my hair...err, wacks me repeatedly in the head with it but it's so cute I let her do it! ha!  (It's probably a good thing that she knows how to use a straightener early on because have you SEEN her hair? I have nightmares about her in junior high with red, curly hair....NIGHTMARES.)

But she is just getting cuter and cuter every day it seems, doing more big girl things. We recently have started having dance parties in my room with her sisters where we put Britney Spears on and dance...and we may or may not have put makeup on Lauren. Lets just say that she knows her way around lip gloss and she's not afraid to use it. After all, she was blessed (cursed?) with a product-loving mom and two adorable older sisters.

Well, need to get some shut eye before another big work week. Maybe the boot fairy will visit my bedroom tonight?!?!?! Yes?? One can hope...! Everyone have a great week. :)

♥ V :)

Fall Friday

Lauren and I ventured to the monon this week; a week night treat. There are two beautiful horses that reside in a field by a monon entrance by our house, so we stopped by to see them before we set out on the trail. I see people stopped with their strollers, admiring them with their children. And if there are horses to be seen, then my Lauren is going to see the horses!  We strolled (literally) over by the fence, and they galloped over to greet us from the middle of the field. No doubt they thought we held carrots or apples, and we did not. The beasts were huge and magnificent and beautiful. Lauren was very impressed. Chalk one up for mommy!

Next, we headed out onto the trail.  The air was crisp, the sun was shining.  The leaves were too beautiful to describe. It was a perfect fall day, and we, together, were spending it in the perfect way. ♥

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A friend of a friend forwarded me the link today of her blog describing her travels through Africa. I know her friend; we are acquaintances. I have stayed at her apartment in Chicago where she lives. Recently, she turned 30 years old, quit her job and began traveling all over the world, but mostly in Africa, for months.

So there I was, drinking my coffee, going through my Friday routine, and reading about her travels to Africa.  It was beyond fascinating. She's working with children, teaching them in school.  It's at this point when you begin questioning a few things about your own life. What makes one person decide to uproot her life, and not another? Are my options to do something like this gone forever, now that I am a mother of a small child? (And let's be frank: I am not suggesting I am the type of person to take showers from a bucket and live a foreign land.) 

I think about travel a lot, because once you have a child, your options become limited. I also think about travel in terms of my job, because I may have to travel again eventually if my new position leads to a leasing position.  Here is what I have decided: it is great to live in the moment. And it is great to live each day as if it were your last. But all of us simply don't have those options, all of the time. There are children to be raised, and men that need us at home. I still have dreams of traveling again, to faraway places and even more extensively here in the US. But right now, at this Time In My Life, there are people that I have to care for at home. 

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I start my new position at Simon in less than 6 working days. Six! Several people have asked me what I will be doing. Well, I'll tell you what I won't be doing: Accounting.  I'll be working in a department called Portfolio Review as an Analyst. Basically, I will be a liaison between our leasing reps (sales force, who lease our shopping malls) and the tenants (i.e. Gap, Gucci, etc.) The tenants often come in and negotiate global deals for more than one mall at a time. I will be helping coordinate those meetings, sit in on the meetings, work with leasing to forecast "what if" situations for different deal scenarios and form relationships with the tenants. I will be watching the leasing reps, seeing how they negotiate deals, see what works, and what doesn't. It will be an entirely new and different world than what I am used to.

This is one of the last Fridays I have in my current position. I'm trying to enjoy the feeling of knowing what I'm doing, because I suddenly won't in a little over a week. To celebrate, at lunch I picked up the new issue of Allure, my beauty bible, and a slice of pumpkin bread at Borders. I sat down on Monument circle and enjoyed the sunshine, and read my magazine, and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the people around me.  It was a beautiful way to wind down the week. Everyone have a lovely weekend.

♥ V :)

DIY Cute Fall Wreath!

I made this super cute, easy DIY fall wreath today, mostly with items from the Dollar Store!  The whole thing cost roughly $10.  You will need 3-4 packages of loose fall leaves, spray adhesive (Elmer's makes one for $3.99) ribbon, glitter (optional), a brooch you can find at Michael's (optional), and a white Styrofoam board. Then pull out your glue gun and scissors and get crafting.

First, measure and cut your cardboard to 20" by 20", with 4" sides. Next, I took several colors of glitter and laid my leaves out. Use spray adhesive to spray each leaf, and then spoon the glitter on. I didn't do all of the leaves, probably about half, but it really gives it that extra sparkle! :)

Look in the dollar bins by the checkout lanes at Michael's for scrapbook glitter. I got 4 different colors in each pack for $1! Martha Stewart Glitter is $19.99 for about 12 colors, but these were much cheaper. The leaves are from the Dollar Store, and the brooch is from Michael's in the bead section.

Pictured is the frame, and glittered leaves. I used all different colors of glitter on the leaves...gold, red, orange, brown, green...there are endless options!



After you get your leaves glittered, plug in your glue gun and get it hot. First, glue your ribbon to the back of the wreath, in the center. Then, start layering leaves all over the frame. Make sure to layer the leaves over the edges so that you don't see any white showing through.  Hold the wreath up several times to see if there are any visible white spaces.

After you cover the entire wreath with leaves, glue your brooch under the ribbon in the center of the wreath. To hang mine, I measured the length from the top of the door to exactly where I wanted it to lay (mine was 20'').  I then hammered a flat tack on the top of the door (hidden) and voila! My beautiful wreath is complete!  You could do your own with different colors of leaves, glitter, and ribbon. I like bright colors so this was perfect for my home. Happy crafting!   

♥ V :)

Nine reasons you might be happier than you think you are

I absolutely love this article I came across yesterday on Yahoo!

Your emotional well-being isn’t just about your genes or the kind of home you were raised in. It turns out that some pretty interesting factors—backed by science—play a role in how joyful you feel:

You were a smiley student
Adults with the biggest grins in their college yearbook pictures were up to 5 times less likely to be divorced decades later than those who looked less happy, according to a new DePauw University study. A smiler’s positive disposition may attract other happy people or rub off on a spouse.

You have a sister
People with at least one female sibling report better social support, more optimism, and better coping abilities, according to a study presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference. Sisters appear to encourage communication and cohesion in families.

You're not glued to the TV
The happiest people spend 30% less time parked in front of the tube, according to a University of Maryland study that analyzed 34 years of data from more than 45,000 Americans. They’re more likely to spend time socializing, reading, or attending religious services—habits that are linked to better moods and health.

You keep souvenirs on display
People who use mementos or photos to remind themselves of good times better appreciate their lives and are happier, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, a professor of psychology at University of California, Riverside. Good memories remind you of your “happiness potential” and promise that soon you can reach it again.

You make exercise a priority
People who exercise more are less likely to be stressed and more likely to be satisfied with life, according to Danish researchers. Compared with sedentary people, joggers are 70% less likely to have high stress levels and life dissatisfaction, the study found. Couch potatoes who start moderate exercise—the equivalent of 17 to 34 minutes a day—experience the greatest happiness lift.

You have a healthy love life
Physical intimacy is a key contributor to happiness, found a study by Dartmouth economist David Blanchflower, PhD, and Andrew Oswald, PhD, of England's University of Warwick. Married people report 30% more sex than singles, which may be one reason they also report being happier.

You hang out with happy people
Socializing with a cheerful person in your neighborhood increases the likelihood that you’ll be happy too, according to a new study. How often you get together matters most, say the researchers: People who live within half a mile of a buoyant buddy increase their odds of being happy by 42%. If the friend lives farther away (within a 2-mile radius), the chances drop to 22%—probably due to fewer get-togethers.

You stay warm with hot cocoa
Clutching a steaming beverage—coffee and tea also do the trick—can elicit a flood of positive feelings, according to a Yale University study. This may be because people associate physical warmth with emotional warmth, say the researchers. Study subjects held cups of either hot or iced coffee; those gripping warm mugs were more appreciative of friendliness in others and also felt more generous and trusting themselves.

You have two best friends
Among 654 married adults, those who said they had at least two “best friends” (not necessarily including one’s spouse) were likelier to have better mental well-being, says a study. But additional friends didn’t lead to any more happiness than just a pair.

I love all of these! I find myself to be a pretty happy cat...almost all of these are true for me most of the time. Love it! Goes along with my recent reading of Gretchen Rubin's "The Happiness Project." All good food for thought.

TGIF! (That's a good reason to be happy right there...)

♥ V :)