D.I.Y.

As mentioned in a previous post, I really like birds.  I also don’t like traditional cake toppers.  So I was looking for something a little different, maybe bird-related, and I found these guys.  I think they are so funny looking that they are adorable.  Unfortunately, since they are handmade from “vintage fabric” they run about $300 a pair.

Yeah, $300 for a pair of weird looking birds to put on top of a cake ~ after you already spent probably $700 on the cake itself …

SO what did I decide? After looking online for other toppers (a simple monogrammed “H” in scrolled lettering with rushed shipping would still cost $75), I decided … I am going to make them myself.  After a dress fitting last night, Debbie and I stopped at the local craft store and picked up some white birds for less than $3 each.  We got a cool little jeweled twiggy thing for also less than $3 that they would be perched on.  They look so cute!  Then we decided that why not try to make them cool like these.  Debbie pulled out some of her vintage lace and ribbons (including pieces from her wedding dress!) and we started decorating the little bride bird.  Nothing too elaborite like those from http://www.annwoodhandmade.com/ but just a little cute.

I didnt know what to do with the groom bird, maybe just leave him plain? But then I just found on Ann Wood’s blog a pattern and instructions on how to make a tiny top hat!  Maybe that is going too far, but I might try it just to see what it looks like   http://annwood.net/blog/2009/09/17/tiny-tophat/

So here’s to saving lots of money (spending about $10) and making something unique and that is practically like just what I wanted   Here’s to hoping it turns out right and everyone doesnt think I am the weirdest bride they’ve ever seen …

Lesson

Something unfortunate I am learning this month: Simple weddings end up feeling not so simple when you are in the month of.  I just want to marry Dave, I didnt want all the stress of planning, spending, etc.  Right now I seriously wish I could call it all off and Dave and I go elope in Hawaii.

Fantasy

As most/many of you already know, this woman is my idol (as far as looks go).  I think she is the most beautiful woman in the whole world and I would give I-dont-know-what to look like her.

I have my trail hair appointment on Saturday with Dave’s family’s hair dresser to discuss options and play with hair styles and I think I am going to bring this and see what we can do. I am also doing my own make up and am going to go to Sephora to get all the goods.  I am going to bring this pic with me then too so the person doing the trial there can help me do this look.

Oh man I love her.  Hopefully you’ll see me looking like this on the big day …

Realization … x2

1.  Either Dave lets me beat him at things or I am just more competitive than him.  Looking back at a previous post, I bragged about beating him at mini golf.  The other night, I beat him at chess AND poker (as he was teaching me to play).  I am beginning to get suspicious that he is letting me win …

2. I see that people read this blog — but no one ever comments?  Are my stats wrong and people dont actually visit?  Im going to put a provoking question for you to answer with a comment.

On the radio the other day, I heard one of those teaser radio questions (you know the kind that they ask and then dont tell you the answer right away just so that you stay on the channel and listen to the commercials in anticipation for the answer).  The question was:

What do 40% of women do EVERYDAY that men hate?

Give me your opinions!

Confession

Okay okay, maybe Dave’s not the one starting to feel like that Cat.  I’M the one starting to feel like that cat.  Seriously so anxious – I have a hard time concentrating and I just want the wedding day to be here so that I can stop worrying about it.  I’m not even doing something huge – I cant even imagine how crazy I would be if I was doing something bigger.

18 days ……

19 days …

If this cat can survive 19 days, so can we!

In a bizarre example of a cat’s nine lives, a fortunate feline survived nineteen days with a peanut butter jar stuck on its head. While no exact details are known as to how the jar found its way there in the first place (cats like peanut butter?), we’re pretty sure Jiffy will be off the menu from now on.

From the article:

“We tried to get her, but being the type of cat you can’t catch, she kept running and hiding,” said Doretha Cain, Tabitha’s mother. The family saw the cat several times with the jar on its head and tried in vain to catch it. But after not seeing the cat for a week, the Cains feared the worst.

“I thought she was going to die with that jar on her head,” said Tabitha Cain, 25.

They found the once chubby cat on Wednesday, too thin and weak to flee. They caught her with a fishing net and used some oil to get the jar off her head.

I think Dave is starting to feel like this cat …

http://snarfd.com/2007/12/04/fat-cat-survives-19-days-with-peanut-butter-jar-on-head-no-longer-fat/

All Moved In

Dave is now officially living in our new place!  I can’t wait to join him – it is so cute and exactly what we wanted!  I love having the loft space for a couple reasons – it gives us a place to put the “office” and Dave’s sporting stuff – bike, surfboard, and accessories.  Also, it gives us another place to go when we want to do things seperately and it adds height to make the apartment look bigger overall.

One thing we go back and forth on – do we call it a condo or an apartment?  Technically, it is an individually owned Condo, but we feel strange calling it that since that makes it sound like WE own it – not the case.  But a shout out to our landlord – she is super awesome!  We found a few things wrong with the place and she has taken care of the big issues before Dave even moved in, including a brand new dishwasher!

Right now there seems to just be stuff everywhere, but we’ll get settled sooner or later, and then we’ll have you all over to party (and annoy our neighbors who like to watch loud movies …)

Cat Envy

Searching for ways to decorate our apartment, I am coming across all kinds of cute little things.  I probably wont do it, but I am tempted to paint this little guy in our bathroom… We <3 Cats!   Someday when we have a home to call our own it will be pretty, eclectic and awesome!

Here’s the link to see this and other stencils: http://designinspiration.typepad.com/design_inspiration_planet/2009/07/how-to-stencil-the-giant-baroque-cat.html

6 weeks!

The time is almost here – 6 weeks sounds so small.  5 weeks sounds decent, but once we’re down to 4 weeks, which sounds dumb to say it that way, saying “a month” sounds long again.  Then BOOM we’re at three weeks and the time will be so close

Can you tell we are excited???!!!

We got the keys to our new place yesterday and it is so so cute, I love it and couldnt be happier with where we picked to live   It will be a great game of Tetris to figure out where to put everything, but I cant wait.  I am excited for stupid little things like shopping for food to fill up the cabinets

One of my big successes/excitements this past week has been buying furnature on craigslist and refinishing it to have inexpensive but great looking furnature We bought a coffee table for $20 and a cute little side table for $8.  With a $11 can of Stain/Finisher, they match in color and look great!  I check on them multiple times a day anxious for them to dry so that I can move them into the new place   Here’s some photos for your enjoyment

I love our half circle window!  The living room is small, but the high ceiling to the loft makes it seem much roomier

The stairs on the left go up to a decent sized loft above the kitchen   (Note, this is not the bedroom.  It is on the 1st level to the left of the stairs – with 2 closets [a small walk in and a small regular closet], a separate vanity area so the mirrors dont fog up when someone is in the shower, and … a washer and dryer!!!)

This is our backyard … (we need to time it to be exactly sure, but I am estimating it takes about 5 minutes to get here)

We cant have pets in the apartment, but these little guys live right down the street

And this is also just up the street from us, yay!

Let the Gratitude Begin ~~~

Today I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

So I got back in that figurative bed and forced myself to wake up on the other side by looking at things I am grateful for.

I stopped at Target on my way to work and picked up the new “This Is It” CD.  In less than 10 minutes I was cruising down the highway singing and dancing to “the way you make me fe-e-el, you really turn-a me o-on” A taxi cab driver stayed right next to me and Im pretty sure he was loving my performance, haha.  I love that song! It makes me feel like Im in a movie or something (does anyone remember that movie ‘Center Stage’?)  Anyway, that is my favorite song of the day and it is making me so happy   I wish this CD had PYT on it, but in general, a great selection.  The movie is pretty good too if you are a moderate to extreme MJ fan or go with someone who is

This is the other picture that is really making my day This is my handsome soon-to-be husband (!!!) David Hawkins.  On Saturday morning I toted my DSLR camera to the beach to snap some pictures of Dave and a surfing buddy of his who will soon be moving to the wave-less shores of the Great Salt Lake.  We got in some fun shots, and afterward Dave was cold so I wrapped him in my scarf as he finished up taking some pictures of our friend on the waves.  We got up to leave and this was the great composition that I just had to catch   Very ‘GQ’ and kind of as a joke with the scarf but I think he still looks unbelievable

I still can’t get over the new words like “fiance” or “husband” or “my wedding” – or wrap my head around that I am actually picking MY wedding dress.   Other than the planning and decision making, which I am finding out isn’t really my thing, I LOVE being engaged.  We are turning into one of those obnoxious couples that I always was mega-annoyed by … we try hard not to be so I hope we’re not too bad, but we are a little bit, but we can’t help it! And it is so fun His roommates are probably getting sick of us though … oh well! I love being engaged to this man!  Can’t wait until I get to live with him and hang out with him all the time ~ only 10 weeks and change until the big day

January 23, 2010