Our Simplicity

new home

2012-01-18T11:15:00.000-05:00

After years of being with Blogger, I've decided to make the jump to Wordpress.

If you want to keep reading about our wacky adventures (or, um, wasting valuable google reader space while you wait for me to update), please come find me at As our garden grows.

Hope to see you there - don't be afraid to leave a comment!

Lettuce marry! (A-D)

2011-12-13T13:09:00.001-05:00

Oh, you guys.

I'm so sorry.

I never meant to make you wait so long to start wedding recaps, but my schedule is insane. When I say I have a 'day off', I actually mean I don't have to work a double shift, not that I truly have a day off. (Yeah. I know.)

That, coupled with the fact that our photographer took a full month to get our pictures to us, means that it's now December and I'm just starting on recaps now.

So, enough babbling. Let the recaps commence!!

PREFACE: I am blatantly stealing this recap format from hillarywithtwoL's. I only wish I were this original. You can find her wedding recaps here.

Lettuce marry!

A – C

Awkward: First, you need to know that we stayed in a loft suite, with a king bed downstairs and a queen in the loft. Now, onto the story itself: While we were getting ready in the hotel the day of, the fire alarm went off. We debated for approximately five minutes what to do – I had most of my family staying in the hotel and wanted to avoid seeing them in my lovely half done state (I believe I even had a green hair clip incorporated in my hair at the time) and we were debating – is it real? Do we grab the dress? WHAT DO WE DO OH MY GOD. Finally, we all evacuated – leaving the dress – while Peggy and I went down the back stairs in an effort to avoid seeing people. Thankfully, it was a false alarm, but when we came back, my flower girl noticed someone sleeping in the loft bed. When we went to wake the poor guy up, he was so out of it he told me this was ‘Brad’s room’ and forgot his shoes. I don’t know what his deal was, but holy awkwardsauce.

Bridespeople: Keith and I each had four people standing up for us – of both genders. I had what I affectionately called a ‘bridesman’ and Keith had two groomswomen (I also had my two best friends and my sister, along with my most favourite nine year old in the world as a flower girl/Jr. Bridesmaid, and Keith had his brother and a good friend). Based on the number of comments I received, all of our guests were so impressed that we broke with tradition – something I will never understand. It’s 2011; Keith and I both have opposite gender friends, why wouldn’t they be included in our special day because they don’t have the same parts? (Although I suspect I will never be quite fully forgiven for the number of times Shawn got called the groom during the various things I dragged him to during the planning process. Sorry dude).

Cake: We had a fairly traditional four-tier cake done by TheCakeWhisperer. The bottom and top layers were red velvet with cream cheese and the two middle tiers were chocolate with raspberry filling. Too bad I had approximately one bite of the entire thing. We also had her make two additional toppers – an Andy Moog goalie mask for Keith and a copy of HitchHiker’s Guide for me.

Colours: Our colours were orange, silver/dark gray, with white to balance it out. It worked out beautifully – a million thank you’s to Shawn for suggesting the combination. I was going to do the boring, traditional colour scheme associated with fall. Let’s just say it would have been quite a different wedding.

Dance: We fought for weeks over what our first dance would be. We finally settled on “Lay me down” by Ashley MacIassac the Thursday before the wedding. When we went to dance, my brother side-whispered that he accidentally downloaded it onto the wrong computer and didn’t have it. I still don’t know what song we danced to, and I suspect I won’t ever know – and I’m okay with that. We were too busy figuring out which of our guests were tearing up watching us dance. I think my sister won.

Dresses: I got so many compliments on my outfit – I wore a strapless lace gown with a sweetheart neckline, with lace detail and a long lace train. I LOVE lace, but in my size (bridal size 20 when I bought it) there aren’t a lot of lace dresses. I went to four stores and only tried on what I could fit into. I added a three-quarter sleeve lace shrug because it was October and we don’t live in Florida; I feel as if it really ‘made’ the dress. The only thing I would have done differently would have been to sew the shrug to the dress itself because I was fiddling with it all day. Also, my bustle broke within three seconds of putting it in, so Peggy ran around finding safety pins and pinning it up the best she could all night. But other than those two issues, my dress was absolutely perfect.

My girls dresses I found on Etsy. I knew I wanted the colour (dark gray) and the length (knee) but I also wanted to give the girls some choice and freedom of what kind of neckline they were comfortable with, so I thought the wrap infinity dress would be the perfect fit. In the end, I’m not sure it was worth the stress of trying to figure them out, but everyone did something different and looked amazing.

The groomswomen were given a few instructions, which they ignored all but one (the colour, black). Let’s just say it was a nice lesson in letting go and leave it at that, shall we? [ insert huge sigh here ]. Oh well.

Check back soon for recaps from E-H!

aaand thump

2011-10-30T22:30:00.000-04:00

At the end of September I received a letter from the student loan national centre saying because I had failed a course in the summer semester, I would be denied any further funding for a period of three years.

Let's face it; if I leave my program now, and for three years, there is a high possibility I will never go back. There's really only one option - funding the rest of my degree (and my living expenses) completely on my own dime. Cue panic. Originally I thought I had to come up with full Winter tuition - just under 2900$ - by the end of December. Thankfully, that's not the case - I have until I go to re-register in late April/early May to pay the full amount (WHEW).

Thankfully I already have a full time job, so that takes care of my living expenses. I immediately started searching for a second part-time job to cover tuition, and received an offer of employment last Friday, the day before the wedding.

This past week was my first week working two jobs, although I wasn't quite successful. It took until at least Thursday to feel even half decently rested from the craziness that was the week before and weekend. I fully understand why people take a honeymoon immediately after the wedding - its needed (it also didn't help that Keith took the week off himself, so all I wanted to do was be home with him and snuggle a lot). I should have taken this week off regardless of the financial picture; I only managed to work 19 hours at my full time job (as opposed to the 38 hours I usually work) and 18.5 at my new job. This paycheque is gonna hurt.

This week? I work double shifts three days in a row, and again on Thursday and Sunday. I predict consuming A LOT of Monster in my future.

Have you ever worked two jobs? Any tips on how to survive? How did you pay for post-secondary?

Finally! I'm a Mrs!

2011-10-24T23:24:00.001-04:00

Hey!

I'm MARRIED, y'all!

And it was AMAZING. Everybody has been raving about how great it was and how perfectly everything looked and went.

My mom actually said I should go into wedding planning - and this is coming from someone who thinks weddings are silly, unnecessary affairs. I WIN.

For recaps I'm going to wait for the professional pictures to come back, but for now I'll leave you with what is going to be one of the best pictures of the day (I just know it):

you & i together forever

2011-10-16T21:08:00.000-04:00

Mine:

-6

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take the test!

Keith:

As a 1930s husband, I am
Very Poor (

Failure)

Take the test!

Aboot (need not apply)

2011-10-15T00:46:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to pop in & do this accent vlog that's been going around.

(and yes, completely in denial about what's happening in 7 days. do. not. judge).

So you're supposed to say these words:

Aunt, route, wash, oil, theatre, iron, salmon, caramel, fire, water, sure, data, ruin, crayon, toilet, New Orleans, pecan, both, again, probably, spitting image, Alabama, lawyer, coupon, mayonnaise, syrup, pajamas, caught

And answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that curls into a ball when you touch it?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?

hair & makeup!

2011-09-27T22:21:00.000-04:00

I'm so pleased with all of it. Especially my hair.

Fail

2011-09-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

Over a month with no posts? Well, I totally fail.

I got a job, in other words. An overnight job with full time hours - and suddenly, I went to being bored and antsy to being way too busy and tired for words.

Plus, this wedding planning schtick? holy bananas. I went to update the RSVP count yesterday and literally yelped. Somehow we only have 34 days until the big day, and oddly enough, after wishing for a whole year that the day would just get here already, I'm suddenly feeling like we need triple that time to get everything done and paid for.

Over the past month I've had my bridal shower, Keith had his bachelor party (last night! He came home with the word 'slut' written across his forehead in florescent marker....yeah, I don't even want to know), Keith received his wedding band (still waiting on mine, unfortunately), and I have my hair and makeup trial later today. We're also getting our marriage license later this week and meeting with the officiant next Saturday to plan the ceremony.

Like I said.
holy bananas.

My albatross

2011-07-26T12:17:00.001-04:00

I hemmed. I hawed. I blogged about it. Multiple times.

After I told you guys about the whole flowers and lanterns debacle, I went in search of suitable vases.

And quickly realized the vision in my head did not match up with what were on the shelves. At least, not at the price I was willing to pay per vase.

(insert big huge sigh here)

So, it was back to lanterns. I actually found suitable ones at Wal-Mart earlier this summer, but had to wait for the money to actually purchase them.....and while I was waiting, they all disappeared.

What's a girl to do? Stress, of course. I was seriously wondering if I could pull off not having centerpieces as just a odd quirk to make my wedding different. (Oh yeah baby, I went there).

Long story short, my endless browsing paid off, and I found these Ah-MAZ-ing lanterns for cheaper than what I would have paid for the same quantity at the previously mentioned store.

Must say, am SO glad this aspect of the wedding is dealt with and DONE.

Sigh.
Aren't they gorgeous?

Invitations!

2011-07-25T05:00:00.001-04:00

I've wanted to show you guys these the moment they came home with me and I did fifteen of them the first night. I forced myself to wait though, until our lovely guests (especially the ones who read this blog!), received this in their mailbox before posting it here. I have been working on these since February - the amount of time and effort spent on these was kind of ridiculous, but I firmly believe every bride has one area of the wedding they end up going a little crazy over. And my area? Definitely invitations. I love these - they are really my babies. I can't believe I had to send them away! (sigh, sniff, sob).

These invitations were semi-DYI: I ordered the orange envelopes (tangleo) and 5x7 gray (storm) z-card from Envelopments. Kamie actually designed the actual invitation/RSVP/monogram tags (and did a FANTASTIC job. Seriously. She should really do this for a living) and I had them printed and cut. All assembly was by yours truly.

The Process:

The envelopes...not a good photograph but they have this amazing shimmer. I will be printing our guests' addresses directly on them:

When you first open the envelope, our guests will see this. Yep, no inner envelope. Or envelope liner. Eff you, Emily Post!

Take it out of the envelope, and you get this: a 5x7 z-card (basically, a pocketfold without the actual pocket, I’ll get to why I did that in a second). I made a 2x2 monogram of our first initials and attached it to a piece of orange cardstock with double sided tape. The sheer orange ribbon is attached between the layers, again with just double sided tape.

When you take off the ribbon tag, and open the Z-Card, you have the actual invitation. I couldn’t find ANYTHING pre-made that wasn’t too froo-froo or girly. Nothing that spoke to Keith and I as a couple or with our style. See the reason why I didn’t get the pocket? In an effort to keep down costs and pieces of paper, all I have is the RSVP. All other information (hotels, directions, etc) can be found on our website. I attached the RSVP to the z-card with self-adhesive silver photo mount corners. I also just attached the invitation to the card with double sided tape.

The RSVP is a 4x6 postcard. On the front:

And the back:

We went through and added the # of seats (in black) to each RSVP. In retrospect, I should have gone through and added up how many I needed to print with “1” or “2” or whatever else, and had them printed on. Ah well.

Issues:

I TOTALLY underestimated the cost of the supplies - the ribbon, tape and cardstock - needed to complete these. I thought for sure 1 roll of tape and maybe two rolls of ribbon would do me 65 invitations. I was SO wrong. It took me (this is a rough estimate, I completely lost track) about 5 rolls of tape, 4 rolls of ribbon, and another 5 pieces of cardstock. It felt as if I was running to Michaels every few days to buy more supplies. I haven't included the tape in the cost breakdown, because frankly, it makes me sick to think about it. If I say it's not in the budget, ITS NOT THERE LA LA LA.

Three last minute invitations came in when Harry finally gave me addresses for Keith's mom's side of the family - and thankfully I had just enough supplies for those extra three.

One last unexpected expense was the printing of addresses on the envelopes. I tried on my home printer, failed miserably, and then completely ran out of toner. I jumped on my computer and fired off an email to the vendor I got my supplies and printing from, and for .40 per envelope, my problem was solved.

Postage:

These bad babies weighed in at 40 grams. Heartbreaking, considering "regular" mail is considered 30 grams and below, and once you go over that magical threshold, your postage pretty much doubles - from .59 to 1.03! I nearly had a heart attack when I heard the final price, but Harry - bless his heart - paid all of our postage costs for us. So grateful for him covering the cost - 115$. (I KNOW. Don't tell me, I'm in my happy place. HAPPY PLAAAAAAACE.)

Cost breakdown:

All told, these were slightly pricey (even though the lovely Martha said I had 350$ for invitations, so really, I was way under budget. Really), but I love them! I totally think they look way more expensive than they actually are.

For the envelopes: 65 x 1.10 = 71.50$

The Z-cards: 65 x .60 = 39.00$
All printing: 46.50$
Ribbon: 10$
Cardstock: 5$
Photo corners: 6.69$ for 210.
Cutting of all three (to reduce costs I had both the RSVP & actual invitation printed 2 on a 8.5x11, and 20 monograms on 3 sheets): 5.00$

Printing of reply & guest addresses: 65 x .40 = 26$

Total cost: 209.69$
Total cost per invitation (65): 3.22$

Did you have any budget busters while planning your wedding?

A meal fit for a king

2011-07-24T02:20:00.016-04:00

This Saturday we went out to our venue to plan one of the biggest aspects of the whole day: the meal.

(Can I just say how happy I am with our venue choice? It's simply gorgeous! They were set up for a wedding today so it was super nice to walk in and be able to picture all my decor ideas in the space and affirm that everything I've chosen so far will work the way I'm picturing it in my head. Such a relief!).

(Also. LOVE that our event coordinator did not bat an eyelash when I requested our napkins be rolled on the plate instead of inside the wine glasses. LOVE.)

(yes, I'm crazy. And yes, I am okay with it).

We decided to go with a four course sit-down meal instead of a buffet. In our case, having a buffet would be the same price, so why not? Besides that factor, Keith has informed me he 'just doesn't like buffets'. Ooookay then.

(yes, he's crazy. And yes, I'm okay with it).

Our main course: walnut encrusted rack of lamb

with rosemary reduction

Our cocktail 'hour' is necessary for three reasons: (1) our venue is kind of remote, so guests can't easily leave in the time between the ceremony and reception, (2) there's no travel time between the two components of the day and (3) we aren't seeing each other before the ceremony, so we have to build in time after to take formal wedding party shots.

We're offering a few nibbles - nothing that needs a fork and knife is the general rule. There will be two vegetarian options and two meat options in varying quantities - we might have to add a cheese or veggie platter to beef it up a little, but we can decide on that later. Our candy buffet will be set up in the cocktail space, and definitely available if anybody wants to dip in early for a sugar rush.

The actual dinner consists of a soup, salad, main entree with sides, dessert, coffee and tea. We're providing a bottle of white and red of their house wine per table for dinner and toasts. Our cake will be sliced and served later in the night (along with more coffee and tea) and there's a late night snack option that we're still discussing which I'll cover in a later post.

And now, the good part - what we're actually going to be eating!

Cocktail hour:
Vegetarian spring rolls
Spanakopita
Mini quiche lorraine
Chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce

Dinner:
Soup: Butternut Squash
Salad: Baby spinach with pecans, dried cranberries and citrus vinaigrette
Main: Walnut encrusted rack of lamb with rosemary reduction and vegetables
(Veggie Option: Portobello mushroom ravioli with herb cream sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese slivers)
Dessert: Creme Brulee with fresh berries

And if you'll excuse me, I have to go wipe the drool off my keyboard now. Yum!

What did/are you serving at your wedding? Did you do buffet or a sit-down?

five year plan

2011-07-21T07:00:00.027-04:00

Okay. I'll admit it. I don't normally do stuff like this, but I was bored in class last week and quickly sketched out a rough timeline for the next few years. There's nothing quite like tying yourself with another person for life to put major goals in perspective, yes?

So starting from now, the next five years includes - in roughly this order - wedding, honeymoon, moving, pregnancy, baby, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, getting a career-like job, work for a year before pregnancy, baby......

Yikes!! Hello life on turbo speed!

I do have to add: There may be a move to another city for Keith's career if he achieves what he wants to do in his professional life. I have told him that as long as I'm finished with University, we're free to move anywhere. If I'm not, then we'd have to discuss what we'd do. Definitely filing that under "cross that bridge when we come to it", thank you very much.

Gotta know: what's your five year plan? Do you have one? Have you had one in the past? How did it work out for you?

Surgaversary

2011-07-20T10:07:00.001-04:00

A year ago today, I was being wheeled into the operating room for an procedure that would rearrange my stomach and intestines in order to lose weight and combat the morbid obesity I found myself trapped in.

It's been a hell of a year. I've learned so much about myself, and about my relationship to food - and, I have to say - I don't regret having this surgery. I don't regret re-learning how to eat and I don't regret not being able to process sugar (okay. most times I don't). I don't regret losing 113 pounds in a year.

Could I have done better? Probably. Do I have more weight to lose? Yes. Am I still learning as I go? Definitely.

But the most important question, I think, is - Am I a happier, healthier person, regardless of what the scale says?

And I can honestly say - I am.

Miss to Mrs....?

2011-07-13T22:22:00.003-04:00

First off: We're exactly 100 days until the wedding! Can I get a WOOT?

With just over three months to go until the wedding, I think it's time to discuss something a little more serious than the colour of my flowers or what my bridesmaids are wearing:

The dreaded name changing issue.

I admit, I struggled with this A LOT. My feelings are so tangled on the subject I don't even know where to start. But can I just say how freaking unfair it is that women have to struggle with this decision, and men do not? I mean, Keith would never, in a million years, consider changing his last name to mine. NEVER. I'm tempted to just tell him to shove it, because if he wouldn't change it for me, why the heck would I change it for him?

Like I said, it's terribly unfair.

I know a lot of women drop their middle name and move their maiden name to their middle. This is a total no-go for me, because my middle name is actually my birth mothers maiden name. There's no way I'm ever losing that piece of my personal history by dropping it. It's a complete non option for me.

So that leaves me with three options: (1) Keep my maiden name as is, (2) take his and drop my maiden name completely, or (3) add his last name to mine without a hyphen and have two last names.

Option 1 - Keep my maiden name as is:
I like my last name. It's short, and simple, it 'goes' with the rest of my name, and it isn't terribly hard to spell (although some people add an R after the first letter or add an E at the end, for some indiscernible reason). In all truthfulness though, I have no great attachment to the name from a family standpoint. I'm not particularly close to my dad's side of the family or anything.

The simplicity of keeping my last name appeals to me - you know how many documents you have to change?! I get exhausted just thinking about it.

I confess: I'm not too fond of his. It's just so silly. Although, in its defense: it's also short, simple, and very easy to spell. And I know this is inconsequential, but if I keep my last name, then I'm a "Ms." - not a "Mrs". Somehow this particular distinction matters to me.

And the children:
This is a big reason for why most women change their name. It does and doesn't apply to me - I grew up with a mom who kept her maiden name. I can't really think of a situation where it was a problem with people not knowing she was my mother. Also, after the divorce, my sister changed her last name from my dad's to my mom's. Which means that currently 2 out of 5 members of my family don't have the same last name - and it doesn't detract from the fact that we're a family.

But I can't dismiss option 2 entirely, and here's why:

Option 2 - Take his name:
This option appeals to the romantic and also the traditionalist in me. It certainly would satisfy all those pesky "what name do we give the children" quandaries. And, after the initial pains of getting my name changed, it's simple. Let's be honest here: as a young bride, I will - more than likely - have his last name for far longer than I had my current last name. As for the career problem, I don't have a career - I'm still in school. There's nothing in my (non-existent) professional career keeping me from changing my last name.
The next reason is a big, sentimental reason, which makes no logical sense, but if I changed my name ... then I would have the same last name as Keith's mom. That link to her - although abstract, and certainly illogical, is a big draw. It's hard to explain, but she married into the name too. I'd be sort of following in her footsteps, in a way. Like I said, it's hard to explain what this means to me, and I certainly can't do adequate justice to the feeling it evokes.

Option 3 - Have two last names:
On the surface, this is the best of both worlds. No hyphen, just double barrel the last name. Easy peasy. Everybody's happy.

Except for the children question. Everybody who I've talked to with a double last name has HATED it. I don't want to do that to my kids. And, while I say having a different last name than my kids wouldn't be too big of an issue, see reference to my traditionalist side up above. I do like the idea that all of us would have the same last name.

So where do I go from here? Right now, I've almost decided entirely on Option 2.

Because in all truthfulness - I'm not a fan of the name, but boy howdy, I sure am a fan of the boy who has it.

I'm curious - was it a no-brainer for you? Or did you struggle with it as much as I did?

tweaking an idea

2011-07-12T22:50:00.000-04:00

I really need to stop looking at pinterest.

It's not healthy.

Especially when we're 101 days away from the wedding.

(wait, 101? are you serious?)

I've always wanted to hang a mass of paper lanterns that are so trendy right now. They're trendy for a reason, people - they're awesome!

I don't want to really light them up as individual balls though - I know there's different ways of doing them but, seriously. Not.Interested.

So - whats a suitable, budget-friendly option for having some sort of illumination and my paper lanterns?

Strings of white Christmas lights hung above the actual lanterns themselves, of course.

I just have to make sure that the venue would allow something like this - I'm thinking it may be deemed a fire hazard. (I don't see how, but better safe than sorry, right?)

I know I have two strings packed away somewhere, and a quick call to Harry revealed he has at least four. A mutual friend promised us one string, and I found three others on kijiji for just 3$. So the cost of this project? Um. Three dollars.

I call that a win.

I want to do.... WHAT?

2011-07-11T22:24:00.001-04:00

Hi, my name is Sarah and I have now officially crossed the bridge into crazy-bridal-land.

I love clutches. I've been drooling over pictures of pretty clutches for months now. I have one purse, and while it's a good everyday purse in a fun colour (lime green!), I've felt my soul yearning for a slightly more upscale purse for those formal events coming up in my life (um, all two of them, but shhh). And what's more perfect for the girls in the wedding party than a cute clutch they can - unlike their dress (sorry girls! I tried!) - use again after the wedding?

Enter major complication: I can't afford these super cute, adorable clutches for each girl in each wedding party. At $35 times 6 girls, it's just not possible.

(see how CUTE these are?!? From etsy seller CreativeThreads)

So I had a hair-brained idea.

Why don't I make the clutches? Like, sew them myself?

Um...let's file this under "things I would never think of doing until the wedding came along".

(This list includes paying over 500$ for a cake, feeling guilty over having a cash bar, and thinking people will care about the invitations as much as I do, among other things).

The kicker is I don't sew. I mean, I know how, but I don't have a machine or anything. The last piece of sewing I did was my prom dress when I was my boyfriends' date in grade ten. And I spent more time ripping out stitches than I did putting them in. My aunt had to finish the dress for me or else I would have gone naked to prom. No lie.

I'd have to make six clutches (three girls on my side, two on Keith's, and one for myself) and sew them by hand. In less than three months. Oh yeah, this is going to be a piece of cake. Ya-huh.

But how could I resist not at least attempting to make these? They're frigging ADORABLE. And I ... want to. Despite the fact I don't sew. And I have to make six. I still want to.

Right now my thought is either to (a) make them all in the same fabric pattern on the outside and then lining them with each girls favourite colour, or (b) tailoring each one of them to each girls personality and favourite colours.

What do you think? Option a or b?

And, really, the big question: on a scale of one to ten, how crazy is this idea?

And they're off!

2011-07-07T23:12:00.000-04:00

I have been working on various parts of these since February, y'all. FEBRUARY. And now, finally, they are out of my hands and off to our guests!

When they arrive at their destinations I'll give you a full run down of what they look like, how I made them, and how much they ended up costing.

And yes, I totally harassed Keith into coming with me to the mailbox at 10:30pm so he could take pictures as I mailed them. I am superdork.

(Special thanks goes to Kamie. Seriously. She is simply too amazing for words. Thank you so, so much, lady!)

Moving...eventually

2011-07-07T02:03:00.003-04:00

Keith has been living in this apartment since February of 1999.

In rental terms, that essentially means "a really, really REALLY long ass time."

Actually, in rental terms, it means this place is now a dump.

(A bit of background history: In Ontario, rental increases are set yearly by The Landlord & Tenant board. This year, the rental increase was set at .07%. This means we pay below market rent since they can only increase it so much every year.)

While the guideline was set at .07%, we received a notice from the rental company that they've applied for an increase above the guideline - they want to increase the rent by 3.5%.
I felt sucker punched when I received that notice. It would raise our rent to something I'm not comfortable paying, for what this apartment is. There have been absolutely no upgrades to this apartment, except for the toilet (which they replaced in every unit about a year ago) and our oven - and that's only because the heating coils caught on fire, rendering it unusable. And, after 12 years, this apartment needs some work.

(Actually, it needs a LOT of work, but I'm trying to be nice. Basically, the only things keeping us in this apartment? The size - it's 713 sq ft - and the low rent).

Finally, the rental company doesn't allow you to move between units of the same bedroom size, and has a income threshold for the two bedrooms - which Keith definitely doesn't make (and it has to be one income, not combined).

We're starting to seriously think about moving.

I'm tired of dealing with corporation-based landlords, where you're just a rent cheque, and I'm tired of living in a high rise with no outside living space (this apartment doesn't have a balcony. It feels .... very odd). Keith hates change (ya think?! 12 years in the same apartment doesn't give you a clue?) so it's time to look for a 2 or even 3 bedroom house or townhouse so we can stay for a good number of years, even when it's time for us to start a family.

I have a few things that have made it onto the 'must have' list; mainly, 2-3 (or more!) bedrooms, no high rises (multi-unit home/townhouse/house, etc), no rental companies, hardwood floors, some sort of outside green space, parking, dishwasher/washer/dryer. And, ideally, no credit check.

Keith just has two: no basement apartments and no Quebexico.

We can't really start looking until the wedding is over - there's no way I want to undertake the task of finding a new home right now, and there's no way we could come up with first and last either.

But, it's going to happen.
Before 2012 is finished.
Pinky swear.

Did you move while planning a wedding, or did you wait until after? How did it go?

Dreaming: wedding edition

2011-07-06T10:12:00.000-04:00

Oh MAN.

I have had some dreams, y'all.

Like last night: I was all dressed, ready to go to the venue, except for two things: (1) I had a red veil. And (2) Keith's ex wouldn't let me leave. Seriously. Would.Not.Let.Me.Leave. Never fear: it was easily solved by Keith bringing the ENTIRE wedding to me. Hey, if Mohammed can't come to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed, right?

And the red veil? I was initially really upset about it, because, hello, everybody knows veils are white, but by the end of the dream I was all for it. I think it helped that my hair was in a French braid, and then the veil was kind of bunched/attached to the French braid, and it ended at the back of my neck. It was seriously cool-looking! I wonder if coloured veils will be the next big trend?

Other dreams I've had were around the time of the big Royal wedding; I dreamed one night we had pushed up our date from October to April - and this was the last week of April. I've never woken up so stressed out in my LIFE. Another one was that the Royal wedding was actually being held in my high school gym - not sure why I was particularly concerned about that?

Other than that particular dream, none of them have been particularly stressy or scary. There hasn't been any "Oh I'm standing naked halfway down the aisle and everybody's watching" ones yet (knock on wood) - just random, kind of weird ones - like the time my 'dress' was a silver and black poodle skirt, with the word "Elvis" on the back, and only fourteen people showed up. Thanks subconscious, I love you too. Really.

Did you have any weird/random/stress-inducing wedding dreams when you were planning? What was your weirdest?

family history

2011-07-05T01:38:00.001-04:00

Today, a group of fourteen members of my family - which includes my brother and my mom - are starting out on a one week hiking journey through the Chilkoot Trail. They're following in the footsteps of my Great-Grandpa, who in 1895 set off from Seattle (although he was originally from Southwestern Ontario and returned there to settle afterwards) in search of gold in the Yukon Gold Rush.

Several members of my family (also including my mom) will then continue on and canoe down the Dawson River for another week to complete the full journey that these Gold Rushers took to make their fortune all those years ago.

I find it absolutely fascinating that our family can re-trace the footsteps of our ancestor in such a profound way, and celebrate our (very small!) personal part in such an amazing slice of Canadian history over a hundred years later.

With the wedding this year, it wasn't financially feasible for me to join them, but I look forward to hearing all of their stories and seeing the pictures when they return.

Anybody else have some crazy summer plans?

weekend

2011-07-04T12:38:00.000-04:00

It was a pretty awesome long weekend over here. How was yours?

Happy birthday!!

2011-07-01T09:28:00.019-04:00

This year Ottawa has some very special guests on hand to celebrate our country's birthday - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be on Parliament Hill for the festivities.

For Keith and myself, we'll be taking advantage of the free admission to the Canadian War Museum (I've been before; Keith hasn't) and spending a couple of hours there. I think it's appropriately fitting that on our nation's birthday we'll be spending time reflecting on the sacrifices our military men made (and still make) for our country so we can enjoy our freedom, booze and fireworks. Keith comes from a military family - Harry served 29 years in the Navy - and Keith is really into World War II history. And I just call an afternoon wandering around somewhere steeped in history a good day, any day of the year.

We'll probably just spend the entire day wandering around downtown and find a place to watch the fireworks at 10pm. Buses are free after 9pm, so getting home will be, well, interesting. But free!

How do you celebrate your nation's birthday?

Winning!

2011-06-30T18:27:00.001-04:00

Guess who just won Katy Perry tickets to her concert this Sunday?!

It'll be my first ever concert - I've never liked an artist well enough to spend 100$+ on tickets.

You wouldn't think Keith would want to go, right?
Wrong.

He campaigned hard. I think he just wants to see pyrotechnics shoot out of Katy's boobs.
Naturally. ;)

(Special thanks goes to Magpie Jewellery who hosted the contest on twitter).

Almost there

2011-06-27T12:34:00.004-04:00

Remember this post, when I said I wanted to be around the 220 mark by early July?

Well.

Awwh yeah, baby.

I must say...I have great taste.

2011-06-25T20:05:00.007-04:00

I did not want a registry.

At all.

It was a long, hard fight I fought until today.

Today, I relaxed, let go of the bridal-guilt, didn't look too closely at the price tag, and thought:

'oooh, that rose bowl looks so cute and omgwant. i will love it and hug it and call it my precious every day'

'i've been wanting those balloon wine glasses by mikasa since I first saw them'

'gosh these 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets are soooooofffft'

'i can see myself serving Christmas dinner for the rest of my life to my family with this china pattern'

All in all, we ended up with roughly 108 gifts. This amount includes when we requested more than one of the same item, like 8 place settings of that fancy-ass china I mentioned earlier (the store recommended twelve. TWELVE. As if. Eight is all I could stomach).

We have a good mix of price points - A LOT of our gifts are in the 25-50$ or 50-75$ range. We have five gifts over 200$ - and three of those I do NOT expect to actually receive. We put them on our registry because we desperately need them, and we have a year after the wedding to complete our registry, with 10% off (okay, so the 46" LCD flat screen isn't quite a 'desperate need', but if it arrives in our house, then I can get rid of the ugly fake wood humongous wall unit that currently dominates the living room and has our current TV residing inside it. With Keith's blessing. HALLELUJAH!)

The other two items were a couch with a pull-out bed (we live in a one-bedroom apartment; the pull-out bed is a necessity) and a love seat in the same colour (gray!). The sectional we have right now is beyond finished. It's ten years old, and an ugly purple red velvet, and just...it's gross, okay? I've been begging Keith to replace it with absolutely no success for the last year. (Actually, that's a lie. I hated them from the beginning). And today, I succeeded. I'm getting new couches, folks. New, pretty couches that weren't picked up from the curb, or passed along for free, or here when I moved in. New couches that reflect my taste, style and design aesthetic. Sigh. Right now I don't care if I'm seen as being greedy for putting a couch and loveseat on my registry - I don't expect my guests to buy them for me. They're just there so I have an extra year and 10% off when I go purchase them.

Anyway. I got off track. Wanna see some of the absolutely gorgeous things I Keith and I spent hours discussing, comparing, and selecting with the vision of still using them 30 years from now?

Larabee Dot Rose Bowl by Kate Spade

Five piece place settings: Platinum Wave by Noritake

4.5 quart cobalt blue stoneware baking dish, by Le Creuset

Set of 4: Balloon wine goblets, Cheers by Mikasa

Four piece place settings: Ikat by Vera Wang

Flatware, set of five; Aquarius by Oneida.

The rest of the outfit....part two

2011-06-14T02:58:00.001-04:00

Part I

Ah. The veil. The single most defining piece of attire a bride can wear.

Let me preface this by saying - I have not found ANYTHING, EVER, to be more overpriced for what it is. (except, maybe, a KitchenAid mixer. Like, really now).

200$ for a piece of tulle?

What are you smoking?

I just couldn't justify that kind of cost. And while I love the look of a birdcage veil, I'm not sassy or stylish enough to carry it off. Plus, our wedding is a bit more of a formal affair than I personally think a birdcage veil calls for.

So I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't be wearing a veil. Plenty of brides look amazing without one, and I knew I would look absolutely beautiful whether or not a piece of tulle was attached to my head. Plus, I reasoned to myself, I'm wearing a three-quarter sleeve length lace bolero (oh? I haven't told you about that? later, I promise). I didn't want anything to detract from it, so layering a long veil over it was definitely out.

Flash forward to this Saturday. I was really bored and poking around weddingbee, when I read Mrs. Star's journey. And stopped dead when I saw her veil.

Excuse me while I go pick up my jaw from the floor.

It's perfect.

It's not too long. It's not a birdcage. It's short and sweet and just bridal and formal enough for my sensibilities.

I've never seen a veil that length, ever. I don't even know what it's called; all I know is IwantitgottahaveitpleasebewithinwhatIcanspendohplease.

I'm changing it slightly - I want it even shorter. Because I really don't want to layer anything over the back of the bolero, I'm thinking of having it fall right to the back of my neck, perhaps a little bit longer, but not much.

The second change is with the lace edging. With my dress and the bolero both having lace, I felt that having the lace edging on the veil would be a little much. So, instead, I'm going to play up the other feature my dress has: I want to have a very few, scattered crystals incorporated into the piece.

I immediately fired off an email to Isobel, of Frash_Bel, who's handling my wedding day jewelery (an amazing necklace that I cannot WAIT to show you!) as well as my bridesmaid's gifts as a (very!) small token of my gratitude for dealing with crazy bridal me over the last year. She, the amazeballs she is, also does veils. All her work is custom designed-and-made and, most importantly of all for a girl like me, she is ridiculously affordable.

I crossed my fingers. And repeated my mantra of IwantitgottahaveitpleasebewithinwhatIcanspendohplease.

The quote I got back?

Let's just say I am a very very happy girl.

What a difference a year makes....

2011-06-11T17:50:00.003-04:00

I looked like this at my college graduation in June 2010:

I hate that picture. I look so uncomfortable. So heavy. I look like I'm drowning in my own skin.

Just for fun, I threw on the exact same dress tonight when I realized it was pretty close to a year ago that the original photo was taken at my graduation from college:

Just look at me! What a difference!! Check out the length of the dress - where before I was lucky if it hit at the knee, now it's definitely at shin-length.

The scale says I haven't lost anything in months. Its so easy for me to look at that number (over and over and over again!) and get discouraged.

Then a picture like this comes along, and I notice that I finally - finally!! - have visible collarbones. Which, I assure you, I didn't have three months ago, even though I was at the same weight number as I am now.

Which really just goes to show you, this whole losing weight thing?

So much more than the sum of its parts.

Ten on Tuesday (Phones)

2011-06-07T11:28:00.003-04:00

I've wanted to join in the last couple of weeks with this lovely meme. :) Thanks to Chelsea for hosting, and thanks to Krys at Eat This Soup for the questions!

1. What type of phone do you have? Do you like it?
I have the Blackberry Curve in Smokey Violet. I love it, except for the fact that the camera sucks, and it's about a year old, so the battery is starting to wear out.

2. How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
I was...20? 20 or 21.

3. How many cell phones have you owned since your first?
Um...let's see. Three? I had a basic silver flip one that was a pay-as-you-go, a Blackberry Pearl Flip (in PINK!!), and now this lovely Blackberry Curve in Smokey Violet. What can I say? I like my phones to have colour.

4. How much is your average monthly phone bill?
Well, my portion of the bill is about 46$. We just switched our plan - we used to have a Blackberry and a Samsung Gravity and paid, like 140$ per month. Now we have a family plan with three blackberries on it (Harry has a Blackberry Curve, and Keith has a Blackberry Bold) and pretty much pay the same amount, although Harry does give us 50$ for his portion.

5. When you were a kid/teenager, were you allowed to have a phone in your room?
Not in the slightest. I'm not even sure I was allowed to be on the phone in my room.

6. Do you like talking on the phone or do you despise it? Or somewhere in-between?
Eh. I'll call if necessary, mostly to find out information, or talk to my mom or Harry, but I don't really talk on the phone at all.

7. Do you text a lot? Is texting/talking while driving illegal where you live? Are you guilty of it anyway?
I text ALL THE TIME. I actually had to bump up my text amount from 1,000 to 1,200 because I kept going over. Now that Tat and Keith both have Blackberries, we BBM, which is practically free. YAY!
It's completely illegal. I may glance at my phone at a red light occasionally, or get the passenger to respond for me, but I never respond myself. It's just too distracting!

8. What sort of texting keyboard does your phone have? Touch screen, slide out, or something different? Do you care?
QWERTY keyboard; it's just a normal, regular keyboard. I love it, especially after my last two phones which had the old school 1=ABC 2=DEF type of keypad.

9. Look at the last call in your call log – who is it? What were they calling about? Who calls you the most?
It was a telemarketer or something, but the actual last call was to Harry, yesterday, at about 4:08pm. I think I was calling to tell him I was done at the dentist.

10. What is the longest phone call you can recall having?
Either my boyfriend in 10th grade or my mom. My mom can talk. Sweet Jay-sus.

dad; update

2011-06-01T09:32:00.003-04:00

Looks like Dad is going to be fine! We visited last night & he had both the IV and ng tube out and was sitting up and walking.

Today he called me & said that if he can keep down breakfast and lunch, he'll be discharged this evening.

One more hurdle....

Edited at 5:29pm:

Dad's home! Yay! So glad everything turned out okay & he didn't end up needing surgery.

Dad

2011-05-29T13:03:00.002-04:00

Keith's dad was admitted to hospital this morning for bowel obstruction (side effect of having half his colon removed years ago to combat cancer) and is potentially looking at surgery to correct the issue.

Kind thoughts/prayers/good juju would be appreciated at this time.

I'll keep you updated.

Hair & Makeup...?

2011-05-25T16:50:00.006-04:00

So there's four possible choices for my hairstyle on Wday. Starting from the bottom: super pulled back, relaxed pulled back, completely down, and half up/half down.

Which looks the most flattering? Right now I'm trying to figure out if I can afford to have my hair professionally done, which would be ideal. Also, kind of regretting my decision to chop it off for the summer, even though I looked like a drowned rat. As for the back, I just want defined yet loose curls. If it's half up/half down that should be easy enough to do by myself, but if I decide on up, then this is what I'm envisioning. I definitely can't afford both a hair trial AND the day of, so I need to be 100% committed to one hairstyle. I probably won't be wearing a veil, instead I'll either pick up some sparkly hair pins or a very very thin jewelled headband.

As for makeup - in these pictures I'm wearing foundation, pressed power, a touch of blush, sliver eyeshadow, and mascara. Pretty basic - whenever I actually wear makeup this is what I wear (I either wear pink or silver eyeshadow. I know eh? Booorring). I know I need to add some sort of lip colour and figure out how to hide that unsightly brown mark near my lip, but do I need to add more makeup overall? Is it fine to do this portion of it myself? I mean - I don't look too bad ... right?

So, lovelies, what should I do?

And more importantly; what did you do for your wedding? Professional for both or did you do one (or all!) yourself? How did it turn out?

5 months

2011-05-20T20:58:00.003-04:00

Update on my 7th month checklist

Done/in process:
- Venue
- Officiant
- Baker
- Bridal party chosen, dress picked out
- Florist
- Photographer
- Tat offered to do my hair & makeup for the day. YES PLEASE.

-Dress

-Rings

-Invites

- Bridal Jewelry & bridesmaid's gifts.

- Mom has offered to host a bridal shower for me back home the second weekend in September. I am beyond grateful.
- Linens booked

- Engagement photos done!

Next steps:
- Keith asking his side!! GAH GET ON THAT ALREADY.
- Decor (buy centerpieces, orange pom-pom napkin rings I'm DIYing)
- Attire for the men.

- Making our guest book from Blurb.

- The great name-change debate.

- Alterations

- Ordering the bridesmaid dresses.

Not even thinking about (or don't WANT to):
- Marriage license - this is only in this category because it's only good for 3 months, so we won't be getting it until August at the earliest.
- Music situation
- Hotel
- Timeline of the day, other than the ceremony time: 2:30pm.

- Candy buffet bags/boxes and labels/stickers

- Shawn is building me an actual photobooth, but I don't know how we're going to get it to take pictures just yet. Also. Need props.

Honestly, I think we're fine for being 5 months out. I'm right in the middle -- where all the big stuff has been booked or put into motion while the small stuff is too far away to think about yet (or is dependent on guest numbers). The next big steps will be invitations - we're putting the deposit down to order the supplies next week and I've set a deadline to have them out by the middle of July.

Personalizing our day....Canadian style.

2011-05-16T15:58:00.010-04:00

It comes as no surprise to anyone reading my blog for any length of time that Keith is really into hockey, and specifically Junior hockey. If you had told me five years ago I would willingly watch a hockey game and actually enjoy it, I would have laughed my face off. I wasn't raised with the quintessential Canadian love of hockey and, to be honest, I thought the entire sport was just goons on skates. I mean, what other sport forces grown men to take a time out in a BOX for two minutes? Does this seem odd to anyone else?

But, hey. It turns out that hockey is a major part of Keith's life, and now by extension, it's a part of mine. Our first major trip as a couple was actually to Belleville, just so we could watch a hockey game. Actually, now that I think of it, most of our trips involve an OHL game or two; even our potential mini-moon will include a side trip to catch a Bulls game.

I bought an official jersey on the first trip, back in 2008 (about, oh, seven months into our relationship). It was the biggest size they had and it was super tight. Case in point:

These jerseys have nothing on the back, so you can customize them to your liking. And so I had a thought this weekend ... why not see if we can put our last name on the back of each jersey, and don them over our wedding garb? And to really make it special, we could put our wedding date (10/22) on them as well. It would make for a couple of really cute photos and it's just so us. Visions of unique thank you cards danced in my head when I thought of this idea; but I had to see if my jersey fit rightthatverysecond, because if it didn't, this idea was dead, and I didn't want to get my hopes up.

Well. I'm very happy to report that this happened when I put it on:

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I immediately commenced dancing like a crazy fool. AS IF it fits! AS IF I'm smaller than I was three years ago, WAY before this whole crazy weight-loss surgery journey.

So it looks like this idea is a big fat green light for GO, and I couldn't be more excited.....

If only I could actually decide which last name to put on the back of my jersey, that is.

Right. That little detail.

Sigh.

"Major" News

2011-05-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

I switched my Major.

I'm now studying a double major in English and History.

Oh yeah, and I went and picked out the cardboard box I'll be living in after graduating. It's a beauty. Four walls, weatherproof, retractable roof. I'll be stylin', for sure.

In all seriousness though, I really think this is the right decision. I was dreading going through three more years of Law classes, especially after taking the introductory class. After I made the switch I felt this big weight lift off my shoulders, which in my world always means I made the right decision.

I don't want to write though. I want to edit - I've always enjoyed proofreading my classmates work, all the way back to elementary school. I figure that anything written anywhere, ever, is going to require an editor.

And I was mistaken in the amount of credits I needed to advance to second year standing - I need four, and I only had three and a half. Which means I'm taking another two credits this summer at the first year level. Frustrating, seeing as I was going to use this summer to get ahead, but I'm fairly psyched about the classes I chose, even if they are first year.

I'm taking an English (obviously), an introductory linguistics, and an introductory course of the survey of Roman civilization.

And you know, if I can't find a job after graduating, well, I always have my stylin' cardboard box to resort to.

Less wedding, more life

2011-04-25T12:28:00.003-04:00

I made it through my first year of undergrad!! (Can I get a hell yeah?!)

Now that I've had a few weeks to reflect before heading into my summer session I want these next four months to be like, I've come up with a few things:

I'm not too proud of the grades (although I did pass everything) I ended up with, so that's a major focus over the next four months. I want to achieve at least a grade in the B range in all my three courses. This means actually doing the readings, going to class, etc. You know, actually being a student, not just half-assing at being one.

One of the major things is I need, for my own sanity, to stop focusing on the wedding so. freaking. much. Yes it's fun to plan and easy to talk about, but gah. Enough already. I'm tired of constantly being on the look out for inspiration. I'm tired of talking about it - actually, its more like I'm feeling that, Jesus H. Christ, I am more than just a bride. I want to have ACTUAL conversations, and more than that, I want to stop my brain from constantly running on a loop about colours and centerpieces and flowers and whether or not to wear a veil and whether or not I'll change my name and and and and oh effing just shoot me in the face already!

Another huge, major thing is I need to get out of this plateau I've been stuck in for what feels like months. I fluctuate between 238 and 240; I'm tired of seeing those numbers on the scale. I've also really slacked off with the working out, AGAIN. One of my major stumbling blocks is I hate working out alone, but I gave up my gym membership (too expensive for something I don't use, and I'm fed up with their crappy customer service). I also recently found out I get a gym membership included in my tuition, so if I'm going to use a gym...well, I think you can figure it out, right?
I want to go for runs outside this summer; but I'm self conscious about it. I know I need to bite the bullet and just go, but working myself up to that point is proving difficult! I also need to re-start doing the Biggest Loser on the Wii, and actually stick with it for more than a week - and I want to pick up Zumba for the Wii and start doing that a couple of times a week.

I guess what I'm trying to do is be consistent with my working out. I get all fired up for a week or two and do really well and then stop completely, and then get fustrated with what the scale says, and then get all fired up again. It's an awful cycle!

And, of course, it's now summer. Which means fresh produce is in season again - and I want to take full advantage of that this summer! I want to ban bread for an entire month, eat more salads, more fish, less jellybeans. I'm already drooling thinking of steamed asparagus paired with a filet of salmon with some brown rice on the side. So yummy!

I hate setting goals that say - "I want to weigh xx by date", because it never ends up that way, and then I get feeling all defeated and discouraged, but what the hell. I'm going to put this out there.

I want to weigh around the 220 mark by early July. That's 18 pounds in 2 months.

Can I do it? Stay tuned to find out ....

indecisive bride reporting for duty

2011-04-17T18:12:00.010-04:00

You know what I hate most about this planning process?

The fact that I am SO. FRIGGIN. INDECISIVE. ABOUT. EVERYTHING. I have not had a decision throughout this process that I've not re-visited and changed my mind about something. Most noticeably? The decor.

I know, I know, you guys. First I asked you about books. Then, about bowls of candles, followed by lanterns. And you have always been so supportive and encouraging about ALL my ideas, that I kind of feel like I'm beating a dead horse by blogging about yet another vision.

Even though the sale fell through, black lanterns are still the number one idea. With silver chair sashes around each chair, and orange pom pom napkin rings around each napkin to complete the tablescape. Perfect, right?

Except for one wiggly, tiny little voice in my head, saying "flowers. flowers are pretty. you love flowers. why not flowers? FLOWERS FLOWERS FLOWERS!"

Damn you, tiny voice in my head. You won't win, but I'll compromise. Deal?

I just sent an email to my florist, asking her what the cost would be for something like this: Isn't it gorgeous? I'm picturing it a bit lower and wider, and obviously orange. These would be on half the tables, with the black lanterns being on the other half.

And, of course, because I'm a crazy, detail orientated bride, I need to change the orange napkin ring idea - because in my crazy ass mind, orange flowers + orange napkin rings = too much orange. Of course.

So this is my FINAL IDEA. I mean it you guys! If I change my mind from now until October, you're going to have to wait for the pro pics! Here goes: on the tables with the lanterns, there will be orange pom-poms, and on the tables with the orange carnations there will be silver pom-poms.

I really can't wait to see how it all comes together at the end - the soft, romantic white glow from the lanterns mixed in with the ruffly texture of the orange carnations, with the napkin rings adding just the perfect amount of a lovely, creative, whimsical touch.

Or, in one word: MWAH.

updated look

2011-04-16T01:09:00.005-04:00

You don't see too many inspiration boards of the colour combo I've chosen for my wedding (seriously, what is UP with that?.) So far during this process I've either felt totally alone, or as if I'm super crazy for putting these two colours together.

So. In the interest of maybe helping other brides out when they go searching for this colour palette, here's my masterpiece:

PS: Everything but the lantern (which will be a different style) and the grooms outfit (still to be decided) is actually being used in our wedding.

I gotta ask: how easy was it for you to decide your colours? Would you ever consider using a colour combo that may be considered a little 'wacky'?

The rest of the outfit...part one

2011-04-11T16:42:00.005-04:00

Even before I knew what my dress was, I've wanted to wear this bolero:

Now I'm second guessing myself, because I'm not sure if orange right next to my face is going to look the best, seeing as I'm a fair-skinned blonde.

So now I'm thinking of maybe wearing this bolero instead:

I'm so torn. I've been in love with the orange one since the beginning, and am having a hard time letting go of the idea, but I'm really unsure of how it will look!

So what do you think? Which one should I wear - orange or silver?

swoon

2011-04-09T10:52:00.005-04:00

I have my dress. I know. I'm still in shock myself.

And Keith says I'm not allowed post pictures, because he really, really does not want to stumble across it in the six months until the wedding. (Wait, SIX MONTHS? When did that happen?!)

I went over my personal budget, but my budget was set really low because I thought I'd be able to wait until July, go to David's Bridal in Toronto, and walk out with a dress.

I guess the big things are that Keith is okay with what I spent on it (even if I'm still struggling), and it was still fairly inexpensive as far as wedding gowns go.

I guess I could describe it, a bit? It's white, not ivory. It has a train, and I don't even mind. It's a corset back with a sweetheart neckline and it's edged in beaded lace.

Oh, and I look fantastic.

Seriously ribs? STFU.

2011-04-07T17:39:00.004-04:00

So I went again. This time alone. I KNOW.

And I found a real contender. It's a totally different style than the ones I tried on Tuesday, so now, my lovely ladies, I need your advice.

Should I go with something like dress #1 (from yesterday):

Or this one? It's an 18, which is why its a bit tight around the waist, and you can't see it but there's little sequins sewn into the skirt that just sparkle like crazy. I kept imagining our first dance and how it'll sparkle and swirl. (Oh, and that's my bra straps, its not a spaghetti-strap.)

So I'm torn. And want your honest opinions, so PLEASE! Leave them below. :)

I think I broke a rib

2011-04-05T20:47:00.005-04:00

I went dress looking today.

And now I'm sore and slightly tender to the touch because mamma mia, those fuckers are tight.

I tried on four dresses - all pretty similar to each other, which is unfortunate, but is probably due to a combination of things: I'm a size 20w in bridal (gasp! woe!), so my selection is already limited, and the saleslady picking out the dresses was a big fan of the bling. I mean I said I really loved lace, and not a single one had the all-over lace I was envisioning.

I did appreciate that I only tried on dresses that I could fit into. I've heard horror stories of bigger girls having to literally hold up the dress and envision how it would look. Um...how about no??

I learned that the colour of my dress will be ivory; that I need spanx, like, yesterday; and that my dress will have a corset back no matter what. Oh, and it'll have some sort of cross-rouching right underneath the bodice.

I tried this on this weekend at the bridal show. It was magic - fit perfectly, made my waist look tiny, simple, no pickups or random bling, and the fabric felt amazingly nice...by far still

one of my favourite dresses. Since it was a sample dress on sale, I'm fairly sure it's been sold to some other amazingly lucky bride, but we'll see. (crosses fingers)

This is the first dress I tried on today. It was decent (see what I mean about the spanx? HELLO), but I super hated that drapery on the side (which, of course, you can't see because my hands in front of it). But yeah, trust me when I say that drapery was butt. ugly.

The second dress on was my favourite of the day. It's very similar to dress number one, just no stupid drapery side thing. Not too sure on all the bling everywhere, but it was super sparkly when she turned out the lights....(also. forgive the wonky bodice in all of these. I'm going to alter whichever dress I do end up with into a sweetheart neckline.)

Third. Hated the bling on the bodice, loved the skirt. Can I marry top #2 with bottom #3 for the price of #1? I think that'd be my favourite dress.

This is a Maggie Sottero and I LOVED the lace skirt peeking out at the bottom. LOVED. It didn't make me look as small as number 2 did, but sigh.

Which one is your favourite on me? Least favourite? And because I'm vain, which one made me look the smallest? ;)

t-shirt time

2011-03-15T12:00:00.002-04:00

day 6 - write 30 interesting facts about yourself.

I only hope that 'interesting' is a subjective term.

I don't get the Glee hype. Still watch it though.
I'm not enjoying wedding planning as much as I thought I would. Tonight I finally decided to not even bother with coloured linens (our venue provides floor length white linens & white chair covers). I'm only having chair sashes. It was such a liberating feeling.
I did my measurements today and I'm squarely between a size 14/16. Of course every store has different sizing, but hey. I'm going with it!
I also fiiinnnnaaaalllly broke my stall and lost a pound.
I don't know what the heck to study for my degree. I can either stick with Law, or switch it to History or English. I have to decide by end of second year. My minor is firmly set though: Jewish Studies.
Salt is the best seasoning ever. Especially sea salt.
I am not Jewish.
I set a goal to work out every day during Lent.
I like Twitter so much more than Facebook.
I love Yankee Candles. "Autumn Leaves" is my favourite scent.
Hate doing the dishes. Keith does more than his fair share.
Every morning I wake up to the following text from Keith: "Good morning sexy. I just wanted to tell you that I love you. You have a great day."
Sometimes I wake up to something along these lines: "It's time to open those big blue eyes and have an awesome day.Love you."
When I think about it, it absolutely blows my mind that I started dating Keith at age twenty.
It also blows my mind that I'm twenty-four. Last time I checked, I was just turning twenty-one.
I want to do a Masters Degree someday, but I'm in no hurry. After 4 years of college & 4 years of University, I'm DUN.
I watch an extraordinary amount of trashy TV. The Teen Mom/16 & Pregnant franchise and Jersey Shore come to mind.
Keith actually likes Jersey Shore more than I do. It's really annoying.
I love Rick Mercer, especially his rants. They always make SUCH. PERFECT. SENSE.
I hate US-Canada shipping rates more than I hate winter. Which is a lot.
I don't talk about religion a lot, except to debate it. Tat didn't even know I was baptized at age 16 until this week.
I could easily go to a movie every week. I don't though.
There are a lot of sentences starting with "I" in this post.
I really want one of those one pound chocolate bunnies from Wal-Mart they sell 2.50$. No go, unfortunately. I also don't want to puke after.
My ring size went from an eleven to a nine. I'm hoping by the time we go design our bands (end of May) I'll be down to an eight.
My ring also desperately needs a cleaning. Any suggestions for a cleaner for gemstones?
I'm so sick of the following people: Taylor Swift, Stephen Harper, Charlie Sheen, Justin Bieber, Lady GaGa, Nicki Minaj, Drake and Katy Perry.
I love Pink. Have for years. She just keeps getting better and better. I also really like The Band Perry.
I totally give Molly my leftovers.
I'm probably going to need a brachioplasty, tummy tuck, thigh lift and breast augmentation, plus probably more that I haven't even thought of. I don't really care if I ever get them. Except for the brachioplasty. That's a must have.

Here goes...

2011-03-14T18:31:00.000-04:00

day 5 - a time you thought about ending your own life.

Sigh.
I'm pretty sure I have S.A.D.

I say S.A.D rather than depression because it definitely follows a seasonal pattern, and has for years. If I notice a change when spring (finally) gets here, I will be seeking professional help. In the past, I always thought I was just depressed, never realizing the link between the arrival of warmer weather and the disappearance of symptoms until recently.

In hindsight, this has been going on since my first winter in Ottawa. Prior to that, I was swimming competitively all winter, and since one of the ways to treat S.A.D is regular physical ex cerise, it's quite possible I was 'treating' it without realizing I even had it. When I moved to Ottawa, I stopped being active, and the symptoms were definitely present, only to resolve themselves come spring. I didn't know about S.A.D at the time, plus there were so many external factors going on I attributed my feelings to those factors, and failed to make the connection. It's only been in the last couple of years I've known about S.A.D as a possibility, and then it took a while until I realized a link - and, even though my life is amazing and wonderfully privileged now, the symptoms haven't gone away.

Symptoms of S.A.D.
change in appetite, in particular a craving for sweet or starchy foods
weight gain
decreased energy
fatigue
tendency to oversleep
difficulty concentrating
irritability
avoidance of social situations
feelings of anxiety and despair

I've bolded all the ones I've noticed I experience over the winter months. Which is all of them. I think it's time to get some help?

I decided this would be my 'test' winter, since S.A.D is usually diagnosed when "symptoms that recur for at least 2 consecutive winters, without any other explanation for the changes in mood and behaviour". This is my 2nd winter that there has been no other explanation, and I'm just tired of fucking up my life every November to April. Everything is affected: I have wonky sleep patterns. I don't go to school. I don't want to step outside my house, and I can go days without doing so. I can sleep up to 12 to 16 hours a day. For the eating, I've definitely noticed - even with surgery, and trust me, I went from July to December without giving a second thought to starchy/sweet foods - that I've started craving them. Hardcore. I have yet to see if these cravings will disappear in the spring, but I'm guessing they will.

And then I'm just anxious, irritable, and just...I feel overwhelming sadness all the time.

I just wanted to point out that I've never actually wanted to die. I've wanted to stop being so sad. I've wanted to stop thinking about it. I've wanted to literally take off the top of my head and pluck out the pieces of the dark cloud that my brain is infected with. I wanted it to just. fucking. stop.

My attempts haven't really been attempts at all, really, if I'm looking at it honestly. A few incidents of taking pills, drug and alcohol abuse, a cutting episode when I was (much) younger. I know suicide isn't an option, especially now.

Like I said, I don't actually want to die. I just want the dark cloud in my head to go away.

Golden Rule

2011-03-11T12:59:00.002-05:00

day 4 - your views on religion

Organized religion = cult.
Only with more funding.

That's my own, personal, cynical view on the whole issue. (I personally identify as lapsed Catholic).

However, saying that, I do realize that people need to believe in something, whether that be the God, Jesus Christ, or magical fairy elves. And if you believe - all the power to you. That being said, one religion is NOT more "right" than another. They are all equal; whatever you call your God, He is the same person.

I personally separate the issue of religion and God. In my mind, there is no doubt there is something higher out there, and all the scientific methods used to 'disprove' this existence can't do that.

But do I believe that if I don't confess my sins every Sunday or give a tenth of my earnings to the Church I'm going to hell? Not so much. I'm also pretty skeptical about the whole Jesus issue, and like to look at all religion from a historical viewpoint.

What are your views on the subject?

please enjoy responsibly

2011-03-09T04:58:00.005-05:00

day 3 - your views on drugs and alcohol.

Oh Jesus Mary on a stick. Bear with me here.

Disclaimer:
I am NOT trying to glorify drug and alcohol use. I know - as a former addict, thanks - the devastating effects of addiction. (And yes, I firmly believe that addiction = disease).

But.
Drugs and alcohol? They're frickin fun. I mean, the experience itself is. I see nothing wrong in occasional recreational use, provided that three criteria are satisfied:

a) you know your limit
b) you're educated/informed about the drink/drug you're about to do, and where to go if something happens, and how to recognize the signs IF something DOES go wrong.
and I can't stress this enough:
c) you do it SAFELY.

So. My views on the subject rest mainly on personal responsibility, education and safe use.
There's no Nancy Reagan campaign going on over here.

F-word

2011-03-09T04:54:00.001-05:00

Day 2 - where you’d like to be in 10 years

I definitely have a vision of where I'd like to be in ten years.

In ten years, I'll be thirty four. I'd like to be gainfully employed and using my degree. I'd like to be financially secure. I'd like to have the same friends I have now. I'd like to be physically fit and healthy. I'd like to either own my own home, or be close to it. I'd like to have some [more] international travel under my belt. I'd like to be happy, in love, and content with my life.

But, most of all, I'd like to be a mom. A little boy running around with Keith's gorgeous green eyes and blonde hair? A little girl in love with sparklies and tutu's, who loves her nightly bedtime story with Mama and thinks her Daddy is the best guy in the world? I die.

This vision of myself at thirty-four is by no means extraordinary, but oh. In some ways, it's the most extraordinary vision in the world.

Apple

2011-03-08T20:19:00.004-05:00

~~I got this idea~~ I'm blatantly stealing this from one of my favourite blogs - Mary Beth over at Snare the World in Words. Basically it's a 30 questions in 30 days challenge with some pretty interesting questions (we all know how the last one went, so lets see if I can do better!) If you want to play along, find the daily prompts here.

Day 1 - your current relationship; if single discuss how single life is.

Since this entire blog is about our relationship, I'm finding it hard to say anything I haven't said before. And when I think about describing it, all that comes to mind is the tired old cliche that relationships are work. Sometimes not very hard work at all, mind you, but still work.

I don't really know what to add - we love each other, we're committed to each other, and we're supportive of each other. That's it. And it's everything.

7 months

2011-03-02T21:08:00.003-05:00

Time for a reality check! Actually this list could go either way; it can either stress me out or calm me. Any bets as to which one it'll do?

Done/in process:
- Venue
- Officiant
- Baker
- Bridal party chosen, dress picked out
- Florist
- Photographer
- Tat offered to do my hair & makeup for the day. YES PLEASE.

Next steps:
- Invites (design and DIY)
- Keith asking his side!! GAH GET ON THAT ALREADY.
- Decor (buy centerpieces, linens/chair sashes, orange pom-pom napkin rings I'm DIYing)
- Rings
- Decide whether I want to apply to blog for weddingbee.

Not even thinking about (or don't WANT to):
- Dress/overall look (other than an orange bolero) for myself.
- Attire for the men.
- Marriage license - this is only in this category because it's only good for 3 months, so we won't be getting it until August at the earliest.
- Music situation
- Bridal shower/bachelorette (which I'm going to combine into one)
- Hotel
- Timeline of the day, other than the ceremony time: 2:30pm.

Honestly, I think we're fine for being 7 months out. Other than the dress thing, but I have my own personal reasons (and a plan) for that aspect.

What do you think?

ABC's of me

2011-03-01T09:47:00.008-05:00

I totally stole this from Amber over at Girl with The Red Hair. Why? Because its fun. And I'm sick of breathing/thinking/talking about the wedding 24/7.

Age: 24

Bed size: Queen. It's heavenly. We used to have a double, and a queen is just so.much.better.
Chore you dislike: Vacuuming and dishes. Vacuuming because I have a black dog and a biege carpet. And dishes because ITS NEVER ENDING.
Dogs: 3 year old black lab mix, otherwise known as the cutest thing ever. Or Molly, if you really want to know.
Essential start to your day: A drink of some sort (usually Crystal Light) and a smoke. And twitter.
Favorite color: Orange! and yellow.
Gold or silver: White gold. Definitely!
Height: Somewhere between 5″4 and 5″5
Instruments you play(ed): Violin, trumpet, a BIT of piano.
Job title: Student. I also manage all the bills, housework and social life of this house.
Kids: Um...Can I confess something? I HAVE BABY FEVER SO FRICKING BAD. Except then I think of all the actual work that goes into having kids, and it goes away. A bit. Plus we can't afford one just yet, and we are in total agreement that not married = no kids.
Live: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Mom’s name: "I-will-kill-you-if-you-ever-put-my-name-out-there-on-the-internet". Or "Mom" for short.
Nicknames: Sarsee, Pooky.
Overnight hospital stays: Appendix burst when I was 12, RnY surgery at 23.
Pet peeve: Justin Bieber. Those new Conservative party ads. I can't believe people watch those and don't scream at their TV (or worse, believe them). I also have seeeerious road rage. Slow/bad drivers take the cake. Also? TURNING SIGNALS ARE NOT AN OPTIONAL FEATURE. USE EM.

Quote from a movie: "You mistake me, my dear. I have the utmost respect for your nerves. They've been my constant companion these twenty years."
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Siblings: Older brother, younger sister.
Time you wake up: What time did I go to bed?
Underwear: Why yes, I wear them. Thanks for asking. Rude.
Vegetables you don’t like: Onions and mushrooms. Deeeesgusting.
What makes you run late: Smoking, traffic.

X-Rays you’ve had: Lungs for my appendix, teeth.
Yummy food you make: Banana bread.

Zoo animal favorite: Tiger, polar bear and elephant.

Blimp

2011-02-21T18:46:00.003-05:00

I posted that I reached the magical number of 101 pounds lost on December 11.

Then Christmas happened. And I started eating junk food and bread products and fast food.
And Tat stopped doing flyers, which meant I stopped doing flyers.
Then I got sick in early January.

The result of all of this is that at my six month appointment (January 28), I was 259.

two hundred and fifty nine pounds.

I gained. And not just a little bit. Apparently my body likes to go big or go home.

***

Awful doesn't even begin to cover how I felt. This was further compounded by the highly unsatisfying doctors visit where I felt like a big, fat, RnY failure.

I wallowed for about a week. And then I realized a few key things:
1) I need physical exercise. Some people can do this on diet alone. I, apparently, am not one of them.
2) I really can't eat stuff like cereal or bread or junk food. The junk food is a no brainer, but I can't believe I let it creep back into what I eat.

I refocused and did two major things:
Redefined what I consider a treat. My two big things right now are No Sugar Added Jell-o chocolate pudding and honey lemon tea.

Added a wack of physical exercise. I do Biggest Loser on the Wii at home 3-4 times a week and Tat & I have made a re-commitment to the gym - we go 2-3 times a week and spend a solid hour and a half each time.
I conquered my fear of the treadmill and everything bouncing, and I set a major goal for myself: To run two 5k's this year - one on May 28, and the other on October 2. Run. Not walk. (To do this I started following the C25K program). We go to Zumba a couple of times a week and I'm hoping we make it to an Aquafit class sometime soon.

I'm still not down to my December 11 weight, but I'm close. In 3 weeks I've lost 16 pounds.

But most of all?

I don't feel awful anymore.

Love Story

2011-02-14T17:42:00.007-05:00

Saturday night I looked out my 7th story window and noticed the rink was empty.

"Let's go skating." I suggested.

I hadn't skated since before I hit double digits, but it's like riding a bike, right? Easy-peasy.

Um. Not exactly.

I basically spent the majority of the time like this:

What struck me was the fear.

Fear made my legs go stiff. I didn't trust the surface of the ice; I didn't trust my balance. I locked my legs and swayed from the waist, too terrified to move.

"Take my hands," Keith urged me. I placed my hands in his and he pulled me along, gently, slowly.

I put my hands in his, and for a brief moment, I glimpsed a tiny sliver of our future together. I saw our three year old, skating for the first time, her tiny hands being held in her daddy's hands as he guided her around the ice.

The fear shifted, diminished.

I knew I wouldn't fall. I knew I was safe, my hands in his.

cake v.02

2011-02-07T19:27:00.003-05:00

(courtesy of The Cake Whisperer)
Feeling slightly better.
It's pretty awesome eh?
Can't wait to see it in real life!

Stuff I'm digging lately ....

2011-02-03T05:47:00.002-05:00

This sign:
(from Etsy)Wouldn't that just be the cutest thing to have propped beside the card box/guestbook? I'd obviously change the colours and after I could hang it somewhere in our house!

These hangers:
(Also from Etsy)
I'll confess: I really want these. Like, really really want. For me & all my girls. They're freaking adorable.

Another confession: I've been spending a LOT of time looking at different dresses for myself. And the best place to do this? PreOwnedWeddingDresses, hands down. They have EVERYTHING. From David's Bridal to Maggie Sottero to Jim Hjlem to even designers like Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier. Best thing? You actually get to see the dress on a real woman, not some 6 foot size negative 6 model, and the prices can be up to 75% off retail. Effing. Score. Every bride needs to know about this site.

True story: Earlier this week I was so engrossed in looking at dresses I completely forgot to leave to pick up Keith from work. Ahem. (Can you say em-barrr-aaasssing?)

So that's what I'm into lately. Anything you'd like to share?

The cake

2011-02-02T07:27:00.001-05:00

I'm currently hyperventilating over the cost of our cake.

I think this will be a battle won by Keith.

And I'm realizing that according to all the 'experts' out there, I'm going about planning my wedding the entirely wrong way. I'm basically booking the first vendor I meet with. 'Experts' say to try at least 3 of each.

Can you say EXHAUSTING? I literally do not have the time or patience to meet with three separate vendors for each thing. Plus, this internet and email thing? VERY HANDY TOOL.

But still. Hyperventilating over the cost of this damn cake.
Keith likes our baker. Doesn't want to meet with anyone else.
Therein lies our problem.

I think I might let him have this one. He conceded on the honeymoon registry idea (not registering at all, thank you. One less stressor).

I don't have any pictures to show you of it because its a custom designed sketch, but I'll try my best to describe it:

Three tier cake. The bottom and top tier will be white, with the middle tier being orange. The white tiers will have a dark gray ribbon around the bottom. There will be a spray? cascade? of sugar-paste flowers on the side of the cake, reaching from the top of the bottom tier to the bottom of the top tier, and the colour of the flowers will be white in the middle and then gradually whiten so that the ones at either end will be orange.

Whew. That was a mouthful. Hopefully I'll have a sketch pretty soon so I can actually show you what it's going to look like.

And the flavours?
We've tentatively decided on chocolate cake with raspberry filling, vanilla cake with cookies & cream filling, and red velvet with cream cheese filling.

Its a damn shame I'm probably only going to be able to eat three bites of it.

Still alive ... just not kicking.

2011-01-26T04:16:00.004-05:00

So far 2011 has been kind of shitty.

First, I got sick to the point of losing my voice. And it lasted two weeks!

Secondly, Keith did something to his back. He took 3 days off work last week & still can't even manage to put his own socks on.

I'm in a funk with school - and this whole wacked out sleeping schedule I'm currently enjoying (umm...not) doesn't really add to the situation.

I haven't lost anything significant since hitting 100 pounds lost over a month ago. I'm getting frustrated and impatient. Although I will fully admit I've been letting carbs sneak back into my food choices. I've noticed something odd: When I eat carbs, I find I crave food; specifically, more carbs (naan bread & hummus is particularly delicious). Compare that to being able to have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude towards food when carbs aren't a food choice (still not "normal person hungry"). Time to wean off the carbs. Sigh. FML.

As far as the wedding goes, we've made progress on bridesmaids dresses and met with our baker, whom Keith really likes.

Bridesmaids dresses: I found them off Etsy, of all places! My requirements for bridesmaids dresses are pretty simple: Cheaper the better, knee-length and the same shade.

(Aside: although 2 of my girls are BEYOND amazing and told me they'd be okay with shelling out up to 300$ for a dress, my sister can't pay for her own, which means I'm going to have to. And I know I can't afford that much. So, yes. Cheaper = better.)

Anyway, without further ado:

The Infinity Wrap Dress by Localovespirate!

Isn't it gorgeous??! My girls can wrap/wear it any way they feel most comfortable on the day, I really don't care. I ordered the 'silver' (pictured) and 'steel' fabric samples to compare. I'll get everybodys opinions on the 19th when Peggy comes down for a visit. YAY!

As for the cake, I think I'll do a separate post on that because this post is getting super long. And no, it won't be a month later. Swearsies.

Christmas

2010-12-25T23:49:00.005-05:00

I was complaining how my sister was rude about the bra I wore for Christmas dinner to Keith tonight. He replied, "Is that because she was mad that M [her boyfriend] was staring at them?"

I replied: "HE WAS WHAT??!"

Which clearly demonstrates: I am COMPLETLEY clueless when it comes to guys. Completely. Sorry Becky, but next time please date someone who's more respectful to you than one that stares at your sister's tits at Christmas. Jeez.

Keith did super well on gifts this year. Actually, both him & his dad did. I made out like a bandit:
-Katy Perry CD Teenage Dream. (I only listen to CD's in the car when I drive alone, and Katy Perry is awesome driving music.)
-MASSIVE Mistletoe scented Yankee Candle.
- 50$ gift certificate to Starbucks.
-50$ gift certificate to Old Navy. (Keith).
-75$ gift certificate to Chapters
- Novel, Open Doors by Gloria Goldreich.
- Blue cable hoody sweater from Old Navy.(Keith's dad).

See? I got SPOILED.

Other funny stories: We got Harry wiper blades, and wrapped them separately. After he opened the first one, we told him we couldn't afford the second one, but hey. Here's one, sorry, go buy the second one. HE BELIEVED US.

I nearly died.

I realized this Christmas Keith is going to be super fun to have kids with. He comes up with stuff I would never think of - like Christmas Eve, we were discussing Norad's tracking Santa deal, and how cute it was for the kids, and he said, "oooh, you could just go; See? Santa's in England, its time to get to bed!!" He is BRILLIANT. I would have never thought of saying that!! LOL.
And today; he wrapped one of my gift cards in a big box, and actually put a spoon and screws in the box so it 'rattled' if I shook it. Seriously! Where does someone come up with stuff like that?

He's awesome.
I love.

How was your Christmas?

Christmas wish

2010-12-23T04:59:00.001-05:00

Dear life:

Could you possibly find it within yourself to stop kicking me?

It's hard & it hurts, and I'm already down. To keep doing it is just cruel.

You big bully.

Piss off and die;
Sarah

Who knew?

2010-12-13T14:08:00.003-05:00

Playing around with linen combinations could be pretty fun?

Which of these combinations looks best? Also, 2 things: the napkin rings will be orange, I just couldn't find any offered, and there will be a black/brown lantern as a centerpiece.

101 reasons surgery was worth it.

2010-12-11T20:59:00.003-05:00

I did it!
First major milestone reached!
50% of the way there.

Extremely happy :)

I'm not that bad, honest.

2010-12-08T20:26:00.002-05:00

Keith says I'll be exactly like the bride in this ad on our wedding day.

I promised him I wouldn't be...but trust me, the thought of it is tempting! :)

This morning

2010-12-01T08:06:00.001-05:00

Keith (trying to screw on the lid of his B12):
I can't get it to close! Why isn't this closing?

Me, peering at it:
You're probably just overthinking it.

Keith (still trying, his movements becoming slightly more frantic):
It just won't go! This is really weird! Why can't I do this?

(I pick up the bottle, look at the lid, put the lid of B12 on the multi-vitamin bottle, and the lid of the multi-vitamin on the B12 bottle - whaddya know, both of them close properly).
See? I told you you were overthinking it.

Keith (sheepish):
Oh. Thanks.

Me Heart Decor

2010-11-29T03:15:00.006-05:00

A few decor ideas:

First off: I FOUND THEM! My #1 centerpiece idea:

{ source }

You know how bloody hard it is to find that kind of style in lanterns?! Honestly!

Basically a bride on weddingbee used them in her wedding and I contacted her about selling them - so now I'm just crossing my fingers that it doesn't cost a zillion dollars to ship them from the US. Once I get them I'll be spray-painting them silver to fit our colours; hopefully it works out.

And I've decided to go with the chair sashes & pompom napkin rings, and to purchase them in January. (I just made up a month-to-month payment schedule in order to figure out what cost goes into which month. Barring any unforeseen calamities, it should work.)

Now that I have the general idea for the reception decor figured out, it's time to brainstorm about ceremony decor ....(can you tell that this category is fast becoming my favourite part about wedding planning?) A few ideas:

Monogrammed aisle runner (we need one anyway & we're having monogrammed invites)
Free-standing (since we're most likely having an indoor ceremony and even if we aren't, our outdoor space is a deck, not grass) shepherd's hooks with mini lanterns on them (can I even find them?)
Ceremony ritual accessories (can't forget to add those to the budget, damnit)
Something up front, maybe, but not sure exactly what.

Total budget for this stuff is 180$, so we'll see if all my ideas come to fruition.

Venue: Check!

2010-11-26T19:18:00.005-05:00

We did it! Told ya I'd have the venue chosen/paid for by the end of November!

Introducing the place where all the magic will happen:

(photos taken from here)

Top: Outside ceremony area, bar/cocktail hour & dance floor.
Bottom: two views of banquet room.

Picture this

2010-11-25T20:35:00.010-05:00

This:

filled completely with these:

Elegant. Simple. Clean. Gorgeous.

And now for a little math:

10 tifle bowls @ 12$ each = 120$
Candles (projected budget) = between 100-150$

Total cost of 10 centerpieces: between 220$ and 270$.

Also on the table would be these napkin-ring pompoms in orange, as an alternative to having to price out, hunt down, and rent orange napkins (can you say $$?). Aren't they ADORABLE?

(Found here)

Two other things: our venue includes chair covers with its rental fee, so I'm in the middle of deciding if the cost of chair sashes (orange, duh) is worth it for that extra added "pop" AND I found a great deal on weddingbee. Another thing I'm currently deciding is if I want a silver pin-tuck overlay, (also found on weddingbee), but is that just too much? Will anybody really notice?

Plus, then we're wandering into slightly-more-expensive-but-definitely-getting-sick-about-that-amount-of-money territory; a conservative estimate puts all the decor for the reception (excluding the overlays) around the 400$ mark, and I still have to price out chinese lanterns for over the dance floor. My estimated budget (given to me by the lovely Martha Stewart) puts centerpieces & decor for the reception at 600$, and I really, really want to be under that.

So. What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Not your style?

Four months out - a visual representation

2010-11-22T16:53:00.004-05:00

Yes, I realize there is no 2 month. I was despairing that I would never lose anymore weight, wah wah wah. So I skipped the picture.

And please click to enlarge. I have no idea why it's so effing small.

On Alcohol

2010-11-20T12:58:00.002-05:00

Quick poll here:

1) Full cash bar
2) Full "toonie" (2$) bar
3) Full bar, but anything that's not wine, signature cocktail, or domestic beer are full price, while the aforementioned items are charged 2$.
4) Modified bar - only serves wine/signature cocktail/domestic beer, and charged 2$.

Which of these is
a) the least rude
b) the least confusing
?????

Centerpiece Idea

2010-11-19T13:24:00.004-05:00

A stack of books, individually wrapped in alternating colours with opposite ribbon, complemented with a small vase with a single orange Gerber daisy inside.

The best part about this idea is that I have a quite embarrassing amount of books I've only ever read once and really don't care about never seeing again.

What do you think? Tacky? Unique? Really cool idea? Abort abort abort?

Even more venue searching...

2010-11-15T05:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend was full of venue searching - we went and saw St. Elias on Friday, Orchard View on Saturday, and Kanata Golf & Country Club on Sunday.

St. Elias started off rocky, as the guy didn't remember the meeting we had set up and then informed me that the dates he had previously said were available were booked! But, unlike the jerk from St. Anthony's, he apologized profusely and at one point even joked, "I can't believe you're still interested in having your wedding here!"

The space itself was a gorgeous banquet hall, complete with massive chandelier in the center of the room - and they were about to start renovations in January to update the whole space (new carpet/window coverings/paint job).

The potential deal breakers about the location were chiefly that we'd have to change our date to November 4th, and there isn't a space to have a ceremony onsite.

Orchard View
Is beautiful. However, we'd (again!) have to change our date to November 5th in order to afford it. And I'm just not ready to do that, especially when we have a perfectly acceptable venue that we both agree on (Camp Fortune) being able to give us our preferred date. Also, they want a 25% deposit, which we would have a hard time coming up with.

Kanata Golf & Country Club
Perfectly acceptable space, except I totally forgot to ask about rental space fee and deposit schedule and Keith thinks the room is a little claustrophobic. And again, it just pales in comparison to Camp Fortune.

We have two more venues to see over the next week, but it's looking more and more like Camp Fortune is going to win out. I will say this though: I wish we could be able to afford Stanley's. It's an amazing, beautiful, gorgeous venue and we are both in love with it. Both Keith and I fully agree that if our budget was the typical size a couple spends on a wedding, we would have already signed on the dotted line. I guess you know where we'll be if we win the lottery!

And yes, it makes me sad that we can't afford our dream venue, but I knew sacrifices and adjustments would have to be made because our budget is so small. I'm happy with Camp Fortune, don't get me wrong. I just need to wallow for a few days, and then I'll be over it. Promise.

Thank you. Really.

2010-11-12T10:18:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to thank Heather for her totally amazing, incredibly generous gift:

Our cake toppers!

Aren't they just the most adorable thing you've ever seen? The colour of the accessories (and the accessories themselves) are fully customizable. I may not have my cake yet - but damnit, I have my cake toppers! And of course, you know the reason behind choosing elephants.

I can't wait to order them. Thank you Heather. Thank you so, so much.

More Venue Searching

2010-11-09T20:20:00.002-05:00

Thank goodness, we can cross not one, but two venues off our list.

Cartier Place Suite Hotel - this meeting didn't even happen. I made the mistake at looking at 'reception' instead of 'banquet' when I enquired about availability, and the only room they had big enough for our guests had no availability on the dates we wanted. So regretfully I had to call off the meeting..

But I didn't take a day off - I scheduled a meeting with St. Anthony's Banquet Hall instead.

Jesus. Bad. So bad. We didn't even stick around for the costs discussion. The guy we met didn't even reach to shake my hand, he forgot that we were coming for a meeting, and he passed us off almost immediately to someone else to show us the room. Plus the room was run-down, with dark red carpets (can you say clash?) and just...not very good. Keith was not impressed.

Capone's Catering will have to be rescheduled because of Remembrance Day - I'm hoping to reschedule for sometime this weekend so we can get this process over with. This is NOT the fun part of wedding planning, let me tell you.

We have St. Elias on Friday & Orchard View on Saturday, and I'm waiting to hear back from Capone's Catering and then there's 2 more golf clubs to arrange meetings with. AND THEN, BY GOD, I AM DONE.

Inspiration Board

2010-11-08T13:24:00.002-05:00

Why yes, our colours are silver/pewter and orange. How did you guess?

Made with Mosaic Maker

Budget bride

2010-11-08T07:30:00.004-05:00

I used to think I needed a big wedding. Then I went to the opposite end, because wedding planning stresses me out and I really didn't think we could have a nice, classy wedding on our budget.

Which, by the way, is ridiculously small. And since we're not using credit or a loan, we simply cannot pay for something with money we don't have.

And yes. We are pretty much funding this wedding by ourselves. Keith's dad will help out if/when he can, and my dad will probably give us a nominal amount, but 95% of the total cost will be us.

What's that? You want to know what we've decided on so far? WHY CERTAINLY!

I found a photographer. She's amazing, I love her work, and her rates are beyond reasonable. We're hoping to book her by Christmas.

I asked my brother to DJ for the reception. He's a professional who makes his living in the music industry, and he was very happy to be asked. Other than the cost of renting the equipment, he'll do it for free, which translates into significant savings.

I asked my maid of honour's sister - who recently graduated from Graphic Design - to design our wedding stationary (invitations, programs, menus, thank yous, etc). She said whatever we can afford to pay her will be fine, and will leave the printing up to me. We also aren't sending Save-The-Dates.

We've changed our date from a Saturday to a Friday, because most venues offer discounts for weekday weddings. And while the idea of having an off-season wedding (early November or late March are the only times I would consider) is attractive, budget-wise, I just really want a fall wedding.

No kids. By not inviting whole families, our guest list goes down by 13 people. That's huge.

Our budget does NOT allow us to have an open bar, all night long. We just can't. Right now we're thinking of providing wine for dinner and having a wine/beer/signature cocktail bar. We're also floating the idea of charging a nominal amount per drink, which covers about half the actual cost, instead of a full-on cash bar. Here in Ontario, they have to charge on a per-consumption basis. No exceptions.

Small guest list. I'm trying to keep it under 80, but Keith keeps adding people. Still debating this; I really hope we can cap it at 80, or even under.
If I can get a reasonable quote for flowers - and we aren't having floral centerpieces, or boutonnieres, so it's just bouquets/corsages then we'll go with a florist. If not? There are tons of video of how to DIY bouquets, and since I'm just having gerberas & roses, it's not that big of a deal.
I'm going to do my own hair and makeup. Or if I decide to go "professional" the makeup counter at Sears will do just fine.
The favours are going to be a help-yourself candy bar. Ta-DA! Kill two birds with one stone there.
We can wait to take our honeymoon for a few months. That's not a huge deal to us at ALL. Besides, Keith will most likely be starting a new job around that time, and probably couldn't take the time off anyways. Not to mention I'll still be in school.

Venue searching

2010-11-07T14:06:00.003-05:00

We've started the wedding planning process.

Now, please excuse me while I go bang my head against a wall. Repeatedly.

We're venue hunting. Oh my ever-loving freaking God. We've seen 3, and have another 3 meetings lined up this week, and I'm waiting to hear back from another 5 to see if they have the date available/set up meetings. So yes, I might have gone a little crazy, because that's 11 in total.

The reason we have so many is because we aren't firm on if we want ceremony + reception together, or just a reception space. I'm still deciding if the added stress and money needed to have a ceremony site separate from reception space is worth it. We also have very different tastes when it comes to wedding venues; Keith wants golf club-type of feel, and I want classy rustic. We both don't want it to look cheap or tacky (aka no Legion halls, thanks), but I'm more laid-back as to what classifies as acceptable, whereas Keith? Not so much.

So we're looking. We've looked at The Ark, Stanley's Maple Lane Farms, and Camp Fortune so far.

The Ark is completely out. It's 50 minutes from Ottawa on the Quebec side and it was just horrible. When we went for our meeting the guy was rude to me and the actual space looks like somebody's basement. Not to mention the price: 2,000$ for ceremony + reception + officiant. Catering is done by an outside party, decor is extra, bar is byob.

Maple Lanes is by far our favourite so far, but we can't agree on a specific venue within the farm. I like the Stonehouse, Keith likes their main lodge. Both are completely beautiful, just different. It's about 20 minutes outside of Ottawa on the Ontario side, in Metcalfe. The price gives me heart palpitations, but its a very comprehensive package that I'm sure can be tweaked. Plus he quoted me on 100 guests, and we won't have that many. Still, for just over 11.5k we get ceremony + reception + audio system + officiant + reception decor + linen's/chairs/tables + catering + cocktail hour + serving staff, plus a bridal attendant for the whole day. If we went with the Stonehouse, it's about 2,000$ less. The stuff I don't like is the guy we dealt with was kind of an asshole, and I'm sure I can get the reception decor for less than the price we've been quoted, but they don't allow outside vendors. Deposits are 1,000$ to reserve the space, 1,000$ both 6 and 3 months before, 65% of the remaining balance due 3 weeks before and the remaining 1 week before the wedding.

Camp Fortune is squarely in the middle. It's a gorgeous lovely ski lodge on the Quebec side, about 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa. We would get the entire lodge (2 huge spaces) for ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. They have an exclusive in-house caterer, and we'd have to bring in our own decor. The deposit system is amazing; 500$ to reserve the space with 50% of the catering bill due 3 weeks before and the other 50% due within 30 days after the wedding. Plus I just liked dealing with the event coordinator; very friendly, easy to talk to, down to earth, informative, etc.

This week we're going to see 3 reception sites: Cartier Place Suite Hotel on Tuesday, Capone's Catering on Thursday, and St. Elias Centre on Friday. The biggest disadvantage to these ones is that I would probably have to find a separate ceremony site, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'm up for the added cost and stress. We'll see though.

And yes, in case you're wondering, I have made Keith promise that we'll power through the remaining venue meetings, and make our decision by the end of November.

Artwork

2010-10-23T20:47:00.002-04:00

I've been wanting to post this forever, but had to finish that 30 days of me challenge.

Earlier this month, Keith & I got tattoos to commemorate his mom. She loved elephants - collected them all over her house. So it felt natural to honour her with one:

Mine, on my upper back. It says "for life's not a paragraph and death, i think, is no parenthesis" by e.e. cummings.

Keith's, upper arm. The characters say "elephant" and "DJW" were her initials.

(I am so lucky to have a best friend whose fiance is a tattoo artist; he did these for minimal cost.)

#30daysofme - #27, #28, #29, #30

2010-10-23T11:04:00.000-04:00

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

I wanted to see if I could post every day for 30 days. Fail.

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

Left: Keith & I at my graduation in June. Probably at my heaviest.

Right: Literally today, 73 pounds lighter. What a difference!

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned

I've learned that Keith actually cares where we get married and is willing to trade in his dream of an open bar to do so. WTF?

Day 30- Your favorite song.

Uhh. Don't have one overall, but I do like Michael Buble's "Hollywood", Pink's "Raise your glass" & The Ready Set "Love like woe" currently.

#30daysofme - #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26

2010-10-14T18:20:00.004-04:00

So clearly I suck at this posting everyday thing. Damnit. Here's the last 6 days, to catch up.

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

Rainy fall days are awesome. I love this season.

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

Absolutely nothing. Seriously. I am unique, just like everyone else. Thanks Barney. That was a valuable life lesson.

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

Snuggles. Lots and lots of snuggles. There. Now you know our secret. I'm gonna have to kill you. Sorry.

Day 24- A letter to your parents

Dear Mom:
It was lovely to see you this weekend. Can we go to The Magic Flute at the Four Seasons Performing Arts in Toronto this winter?

Love you

Me.

Dear Dad:

Are you in Mexico for the winter yet? I can never keep track.

Love you

Sarah.

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

Currently, you would find a pink wallet, a nearly empty case of dentyne intense gum, covergirl lip gloss with moisturizer, a black elastic, scented hand cream, a requisition for blood work, my hospital bracelet from surgery this summer, a little black lighter, keith's paystub, a couple of receipts & my old bus pass stuff. When I go out, I just add my phone, a pen, cigarettes & keys. And if I'm going to school, I add my voice recorder and a notebook.

Day 26- What you think about your friends

I think they're sooper. :)

#30daysofme - #20

2010-10-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

This guy. He's pretty awesome. :)

#30daysofme - #17, #18, #19

2010-10-05T21:39:00.005-04:00

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

I think I'd like to switch lives with my cat. Honestly. He has it so good: Gets to lie around looking insanely cute, doors open and close for him on command, sleeps a lot, doesn't have to worry about paying rent or bills. Yeah. Cats have it all, man.

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

Have a Bernese Mountain dog. I want to graduate University and have a job I enjoy afterwards. Get married the way we dream about. Be able to buy a decent-sized house. Keep my friends. Get pregnant easily and carry to term. Be able to financially work part-time while I raise my kids. Just a regular, decent life. That's all I want.

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

I actually have no nicknames to speak of. Yeah, I'm lame. It's okay.

#30daysofme - #16

2010-09-30T13:18:00.000-04:00

Day 16- Another picture of yourself:

Right before going out
for our 3rd anniversary (I threw on a sweater after this photo)

#30daysofme - #15

2010-09-29T00:46:00.001-04:00

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play.

Man, I suck at the posting suggestions this week. Would you believe me if I said I've never had an iPod?

Scratch that, I've never actually owned any Apple products. I'm kind of proud of that fact - I want to see how long I can go without buying one. Steve Jobs is rich enough, I don't need to pad his pockets any.

I do have a voice recorder (I use it for my lectures) that can also hold audio files. The music can't be put on 'shuffle', and all the music currently on it is - at minimum - 2 years old.

So again. A massive fail. Woops-a-daisy. Maybe tomorrow will be better?

#30daysofme - #14

2010-09-28T00:40:00.000-04:00

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

My mother would kill me if I ever posted a picture of her on here. She even forbids me to tag her in photos on facebook.

I also feel uncomfortable putting a picture out there of people whom I know aren't exactly kosher about the whole deal.

So I fail at this challenge. Sorry folks.

#30daysofme - #13

2010-09-27T02:37:00.002-04:00

Day 13- A letter to some~~one~~thing who has hurt you recently.

Dear thighs:

Please stop being whiny bitches and help me out a little here. I'm trying to be active. Your constant complaining isn't helping.

Peace out,
Me.

#30daysofme - #9, #10, #11, #12

2010-09-25T07:26:00.003-04:00

Woops, posting everyday kind of got away from me. Here's the days I missed, and regular posting will (hopefully) resume on Monday.

Day 9- Something you’re proud of in the past few days

I went to the gym three times last week. And yet, only Sunday could be called an actual workout. Monday I went to yoga, and yep, I was the girl who sat on the floor for a good 20 minutes because there was absolutely no way in hell my body was bending that way. Oh well. Try again next Monday I guess. (what I did Tuesday doesn't even deserve a mention).

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

This is sooo hard. Basically right now I'm listening to I love Cee-Lo Green's "F**k You", Katy Perry's "Teenaged Dream", Eason Corbin's "A Little More Country than That", Sugarland's "Stuck like Glue" and Darius Rucker's "Come Back Song". I don't have any music on this computer, so I rely on youtube or I stream the radio, which means I don't listen to old favourites, like Michael Buble or George Strait. And I definitely don't listen to certain songs for certain moods.

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends

Arrgh. You're kidding. We are not picture taking friends. I reserve the right to post an updated picture later. My blog, my rules!

Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one

Would you believe me if I said I don't remember? I do remember my first blog was called Sockjuice, and I blogged from November 2002 to the following July with my then-boyfriend at the time (seriously, check out the very first post, it's all kinds of awesome). It was a way to keep in touch when we lived 45 minutes away from each other and neither of us drove. Ha. I'm just re-reading my 15 year old self. My god I was a lame kid.

#30daysofme - #8

2010-09-20T11:34:00.000-04:00

Day #8 is something about short term goals for the month & since September is nearly over, I'm going to say these goals are for October, okay?

- go to every class. I tried last week and ended up missing 2. I was just so tired.
- to not provoke/be provoked into a fight with my mother when I go home for Thanksgiving.
- buy Tat flowers when she graduates.
- go to the gym 3 times a week, every week. (excluding Thanksgiving).
- to not stress if I don't see a certain number on the scale at my 3-month appointment.
- burn my new fall candles every day, just because they make me happy.

#30daysofme - #7

2010-09-17T00:41:00.001-04:00

Day 7 is a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on me, which would be my RnY (2nd picture) without question:
I just want to preface this by saying I am far from a model patient, but please refrain from any judgements - if you want to do that, go have the surgery & then we'll talk. I'm just telling it like it is.

Take yesterday, for example. I woke up and immediately hopped on the scale to see what I weighed. Then comes the vitamins and medication - I take one chewable multivitamin with 18mg of iron now and one right before bed - in total I get 36mg of iron a day. In the mornings I also take 40mg of omeprazole and a B12 with at least 500 mcg.

I go out for a venti skinny cinnamon dolce latte, 160 calories & 15 grams of protein. I add 6 splenda's. I come home, do a load of laundry and a load of dishes, and take my calcium - 2 tablespoons of liquid calcium citrate with vitamin D. I have to make sure it's citrate and not carbonate since I don't absorb the latter, and I take a total of 1,000 mcg (of calcium) and 400IU (of vitamin D) per day.

I head out again to pick Keith up from work, stopping on the way to grab another latte. Then we deviate from the norm; we go to the mall to grab a few things, like a new gym bag for me (soooo pretty). We order two snack wraps (chicken caesar) from Tim Hortons. I take 2 bites of the actual bread itself and immediately feel pain in my upper chest. I then proceed to pick out the lettuce and chicken and leave the bread for Keith - but not before struggling to breathe in Sears and having to run back to the bathroom in case it comes up. It doesn't, but it's just another lesson learned; my body absolutely cannot handle bread products. I don't know the actual caloric value of the wrap since I didn't eat the bread, but it does have 13 grams of protein.

For sake of brevity - and the night really doesn't bear repeating - we order KFC for dinner. It's the first time since before surgery; the difference between couldn't have been more vast. Before I could have easily put away five or six pieces of chicken, half an extra large fry (both doused in gravy) and healthy dollop of potato salad, all washed down by a Diet Pepsi.

Tonight? I barely managed 1 and a half pieces of breast. I didn't eat the skin. I had a forkful of fries, with a little gravy, and I didn't even touch the salads, or the drink. And then I lay down on the couch and felt like complete and utter shit for close to an hour after, all the while wondering why I even bother eating at all. Total protein was 43.5 grams though, which is huge.

I track my food consumption daily on livestrong.com. Total calories for the day was 740 - and this was a really high day. (I included the entire wrap but not the fries, to balance it out).

But I don't just deal with calories. I also track other things - for example, today's totals were: 87 grams of protein, 67 grams of carbs, 13 grams of fat, 44 grams of sugar (really high, from the milk in the lattes), and 3 grams of fiber.

I never used to do any of this. I just used to eat. I didn't avoid carbs, or sugar, or consume protein first. I just ate. It impacts every single waking second of my day because I am constantly thinking about the logistics of eating. It's exhausting.

#30daysofme - #6

2010-09-16T11:27:00.006-04:00

Day 6 was hard for me; I don't have a favourite superhero in the traditional sense, so at first I was really stumped to come up with an answer.

Then it hit me: Do mythological gods count as superheros? I vote yes.

When I was a little kid, we had this amazing illustrated book on Norse mythology. Odin. Loki. Freya. Thor. I learned about them before I learned about their Roman & Greek counterparts - and it's just so much more interesting then the same old Jupiter/Zeus/Hera/Juno dynamic found in the Mediterranean.

Nordic culture believed that the world was made up of nine worlds, all connected by an immense ash tree called the Yggdrasil. They built a bridge between Asgard and the Earth called Bifrost, and they ride it daily. It appears in our world as a rainbow. There are dragons, a giant wolf, and a female Hel.

Simply put, they are awesome bedtime stories.

#30daysofme - #5

2010-09-15T00:10:00.001-04:00

A picture of somewhere you’ve been to:

The Globe Theatre in London, England.

First time travelling overseas solo. Got the money for the trip from an unexpected source before Reading Week in 2007 and within 2 days I was on a plane to London.

I'd never done anything like that before & I doubt I will ever be able to do it again. Literally, a once in a lifetime opportunity to just book a plane ticket and go.

I can't wait to go back with Keith and experience it with him.

#30daysofme - #4

2010-09-14T12:26:00.001-04:00

A habit that you wish you didn’t have

Hands down, that would be smoking.

Blech.

#30daysofme - #3

2010-09-13T07:51:00.006-04:00

You thought I abandoned this challenge 2 days in, didn't you?

Fear not. I only took the weekend off. Fooled ya!

Day 3 is a picture of you and your friends.

My computer is currently dead - and of course I don't have an external harddrive. So I just lost all my pictures, files, etc, from the last 2 and a half years. It's heartbreaking, in a first world problem kind of way. Truly.

I had to steal this from Shawn's facebook - taken in 2006. I'm 19, Tat is 20, and Shawn is 21.

Mostly I'm struck by how young we look. We're BABIES!

There are absolutely no words how much these two people mean to me. When I think of how long we've been friends - of how much we've gone through - both collectively and as individuals, it's just mind boggling.

Statistics would tell you that we probably shouldn't still be friends. I know I'm not friends with 98% of the people I met while being a homeless crackhead. And that's probably for the best, ya know?

But these two are unshakeable. We've overcome the odds - you know that once you're addicted to drugs, you have 3 options? Clean, jail, and dead. Life is kind of bleak until you're clean.

But we did it. We were high-school drop-outs, homeless, addicted to drugs, you name it, we were it. And now? Tat is currently finishing her practical nursing diploma with plans to continue next fall for her Bachelor of Nursing. She's also looking into joining the Armed Forces under their ROTP. She has an 8 year old daughter, with whom she shares custody with her father.

Shawn just finished his diploma in social service worker last spring, and has plans to continue with his Bachelor of Social Work at Carleton next fall.

We all left home prematurely - Tat because she was placed in a group home at the age of 15, Shawn because his mom rejected the fact that he's gay, and of course you know my story.

It's been a really long road with its share of potholes on our respective journeys to where we are today, but so far we're making it. I couldn't be prouder to call them my friends. So much love.

#30daysofme - #2

2010-09-10T01:03:00.004-04:00

Day 2 is apparently imploring me to share the meaning behind my blog name.

I really wish I could say my blog name means something particularly witty.

It doesn't, by the way.

I suck at coming up with names and titles. I see all these cleverly worded blog titles and feel intense jealousy that they have such a cool name. Especially the infertility blogs? My god, those are some very nicely named blogs. Me = jealous.

Think of this way - those blogs are dressed in clothes that are designed by Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani.

Mine gets Sally Ann cast-offs, and if it's been really good, it might get the odd Old Navy piece. On sale.

Basically, it goes like this. I love the look of the word Simplicity. And I strive to live my life as drama free as possible, especially after the last few years, where drama was a daily occurrence.

It used to be "Her Simplicity" but when I started getting serious with Keith, I found myself blogging about both of our lives; it wasn't just about me anymore. It really was about Our Simplicity as a couple - plus, to be frank, his ex was reading. I got squicked out, so I had to facilitate a name change.

So that's the story. Doesn't mean the name still doesn't suck though.

#30daysofme - #1

2010-09-09T03:25:00.005-04:00

I've decided to take part in #30daysofme, so for the next 30 days you'll learn more than you ever really wanted to know about yours truly. If you're wondering who you need to go wag a finger at, you totally have Kelly to blame for this.

Day one is a recent picture of yourself, followed by the statement of 15 "interesting" (I can only hope interesting is a subjective term) facts about yourself. Let the nazel-gazing begin, shall we?

1. Recent Picture:

me, taken 3 weeks ago @ 1 month out.

2. Fifteen "interesting" (or not so interesting) facts about myself:

1. Country is the only commercial genre of music I can listen to without wanting to rip my ears off after twenty minutes.

2. I can type up to over 80 wpm at 98% accuracy. I sporadically practice this skill.

3. I feel really sick right now & it's making it hard to concentrate.

4. I start school tomorrow! It seems kind of silly because I only have one class on Thursdays & then I'm off Fridays, so really, I start on Monday.

5. Fall is my favourite season. I wish it lasted longer.

6. I've been living in Ontario for 10 years. I've never lived anywhere longer.

7. I don't have many close friends but the ones I do have are like my family.

8. I'm pretty self-absorbed. NO REALLY?

9. A lot of the time I don't talk about subjects on my blog because I realize my views might be unpopular and/or everyone is entitled to their own opinion so what does it matter?

10. I will say this, though: people who bash the meat industry & the farmers involved - with no actual knowledge (thinking they know everything there is to know because they read a fucking book, for example) - well, those people piss me off. A LOT.

11. I get angry when I think about how (some) Americans are completely ignorant of our culture/holidays/whatever. And NO, we are NOT "a laid-back version of the US". We are something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

12. That Terry Jones guy is nuts. Can we arrange for him to be shipped off to Iraq? Please? Like, tomorrow? Just grab him, fly him over there, then drop him off and walk away. Please please please.

13. Apparently I'm also pretty angry and vindictive. Wow.

14. I'm a traditionalist in the sense that I need a wedding band on my finger before having kids. I don't know why this is.

15. Since losing 55 pounds I can now fold my belly in half. It's cool and gross at the same time.

New

2010-08-23T11:20:00.003-04:00

Taken 5 weeks ago, pre-surgery.

Taken Friday, with glasses.

Taken Friday, without

(this is important because I'm thinking of getting contacts

this year. What do you think? Better with, or without?)

New tattoo! On my right wrist.

Got it last night. Isn't it purty?

Thoughts on guilt & milestones times two

2010-08-19T11:49:00.000-04:00

Can I just say this summer has lasted forever? I wrote my final exams in April. I will be more than happy to go back to school come September, if for nothing else than to have something other to talk about than my weight.

Speaking of the subject: My weight starts with a new number now (that happened Tuesday). And today, I hit fifty pounds lost (fifty one, actually).

Fifty one pounds in a month. Fifty one pounds in a month. That's insane.

When I see that number, yes it's a great deal of weight to lose. For most people. For me? It's just one quarter of what I have to lose. I feel like I don't deserve it, because it's pretty easy at this point. I feel no temptation for junk or sweets. I don't have to "struggle" with food choices or portion sizes, because my pouch determines that for me.

I don't know what exactly my point is, or if I have one, it's just - I guess I'm used to feeling guilty. Guilty over being fat. Guilty over not being able to make good food choices; guilty for having to struggle all the time. Now I feel guilty because I don't have to do that anymore. I've internalized the mantra that weight loss is hard.

And while I will probably say it is at various points in this journey - right now, I want to remember that it wasn't, not especially. And that it's okay for it not to be.

Why we have (girl)friends

2010-08-16T04:33:00.003-04:00

Me: "I tried sausage for breakfast the other day (even though I'm not supposed to) and oh man, it did not go well."

"Oh really? How bad?"

"I didn't even want to go shopping afterwards, thats how bad I felt."

"oh my god thats AWFUL!!"

This just in!

2010-08-13T06:06:00.003-04:00

Even though I haven't lost any pounds since last time,

MY SIZE 21 JEANS FIT!!!

Excuse me while I dance my (much smaller) bootay around !! YIPPEEEE!!!

Tough week

2010-08-09T07:47:00.001-04:00

Last week was a really tough one.

The scale is not moving. At all. It hasn't moved at all this week - in fact, right now it is taunting me with a two pound gain.

One night I had gas pain so severe I actually googled the symptoms of a bowel obstruction to check. I eat things too fast sometimes, and I get sick - nausea and my new stomach hurts. I haven't actually puked anything up yet but dry heaves are just as bad. The no-drinking rule (which came into effect this week) is a killer. I am so tired of tuna, and wish I could just bite into a big, juicy hamburger with fresh tomato and lettuce.

After years of not listening to my body and paying attention to what and when I eat, I have to take my time eating and pause between bites for the signals that I've had enough. I have to keep an eye on the time so I know when to eat and when to start and stop drinking. A lot of times I can't even finish what I started eating, and it is definitely a learning curve to leave food behind, to be okay with that. I can't just say "one more bite" - because that one more bite will make me sick.

I'm scared that my scale isn't right, and when I go to the doctors office on Wednesday I won't have lost what I think I have. I have my 3 week appointment down in Utica on Friday, and again, am so scared that the scale won't reflect what my scale at home does. I'm scared I'll just sit at this weight forever, even though I know, rationally, that's that's not possible. I am so fearful I won't lose all the weight I want/need to.

I'm still wearing the same clothes as I did before surgery - I tried on my size 21 jeans the other day and still couldn't do them up. That was discouraging, and just feeds the whole I'm-never-going-to-lose-again cycle of fears and anxiety.

I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I just didn't think it would be this hard.

reward

2010-08-02T11:32:00.006-04:00

I really want this :

Sterling Silver Two for Pearl Necklace
(from sweetberrybird)

I have promised myself I'll buy it once I hit 50 pounds lost - and right now I only have 17 pounds to go.

Have been unsuccessful in my attempts to convince Keith, but he doesn't really need to know about it, does he?

I thought not.

BREAKING NEWS!

2010-07-29T07:19:00.000-04:00

I'm off lovenox!!! No more shots in the belly! YAY!!

I'd like to thank the guy who made it all possible :

Thanks Mumbles! You were stellar! Definitely recommend you if I ever need to shoot myself up in the future!

x0x, smooch smooch.

1 week post-op

2010-07-27T02:15:00.001-04:00

It's been a week since surgery. That went by super fast, holy shiz.

I've decided to officially record my weight every Tuesday and every Saturday for now. Tuesday is obvious but Saturday is when I change my post-op diet for the next 7 weeks.

This week I'm on full liquids. Water, Crystal Light, sugar free jello & popsicles, low sodium broth, etc. Also supposed to have 4oz of protein shake 3 times a day. The next three weeks are all about my pouch and intestines healing, so I'm to take small sips and take my time with everything. I'm not hungry, and I'm not full.

I try to get in 2000mL of liquid a day. It's super hard when you have to sip everything, but I'm trying.

I'm also on omeprazole, fragmin/lovenox (only for the next 2 days!), and 2 multi-vitamins daily. I chop those in half because, frig, they're huge. Omeprazole is a stomach acid reducer and lovenox is a daily injection blood thinner that Keith gets to inject in my belly while cackling evilly. Not fun!

And, according to today's weight, I am down a total of 26 pounds. Six of that was lost pre-op, but the rest? Yeah, that was lost this week. Boo-ya, baby. Let the crazy commence!

friday5.1

2010-07-23T01:20:00.004-04:00

Figures.

The one fridayfive I remember on time & decide to do has to do with food....but I'm not even remotely hungry so this doesn't bother me at all.

1. Besides plain, what’s your favorite way to eat an apple?
with cheese. or in a pie. apple pie is my favourite dessert ev-ar.

2. Besides plain, what’s your favorite way to eat berries?
in yoghurt.

3. Besides plain, what’s your favorite way to eat a banana?
baked in a banana chocolate chip pancake or bread.

4. Besides plain, what’s your favorite way to eat a peach?
don't eat peaches.

5. Besides plain, what’s your favorite way to eat a pineapple?
fruit salad. or on a pizza.