One year down, a million left to go!

One year ago today, Gary and I were married. It's incredible how time flies by so fast but so slowly at the same time. This past year has been a ride of epic proportions but overall, we've both decided it's been a great year. We finally feel that things are falling in to place, that we're getting to where we've wanted to be since the day we got married. To find jobs that we both love and get excited about but can also have a normal life outside of work; to build up our savings for a down payment and furniture, etc; to find a place to call home that isn't with the in-laws; to get excited about things again; It's all happening. It's not just a dream off in the distance anymore. Our one year of marriage has taught us so much and we are so thankful that we made it through all the truly tough times. Cheers to us both for that!

When Gary and I were at dinner the other night, we got to talking about our favorite moments of the past year. Naturally, we landed on our wedding day. Gary put it best when he said it felt more like an out-of-body experience, like we were watching from the outside in. I felt the same way! The day flew by as I grew more and more tired (thanks to being at the time unknowingly pregnant I'm sure!) but for the most part I remember it is phases.


However...........

I do remember feeling like my fingers were going to fall off when we were taking pictures outside but that it was SO WORTH IT;

I remember how much I LOVED taking pictures with all my favorite people;

I remember how much I loved walking around talking to people as we were feeding the fish their lunch;

I remember how good it felt to walk down the isle with my dad;

I remember holding Gary's hands up on the stage and trying not to cry;

I remember how much I loved having so many kids at the wedding;

I remember how much I ABSOLUTELY loved all the little details the photographers captured;

I remember thinking that I reallly wanted to eat both meals AND all the mini cheesecakes;

I remember opening and loving all the awesome presents we got;

I remember having the best time at our dinner at Rubaiyat;

Best of all, I remember how excited I was to start our life together.

I love you, Gary Joseph Wiest Jr. Thank you for sticking by me during this incredible year and I am still excited to be your wife!

Martha Martha Martha

1st off - I want to thank Martha Stewart for her Organization Tip of the Day:

http://www.marthastewart.com/273099/ice-cream-scoop-on-a-stick?xsc=eml_org_2011_06_04

I want one of these right now! (ps to Amanda: I tried to link this but for whatever reason it won't show up in the post. Sorry!)

On another note I now have all our wedding photos on my computer. I desperately want to share them but the files are much too large to put on our wedding photo share site. Shoot! I thought about putting a few up on facebook but I want to ask our photographer if that's okay first. I will get them up as soon as I can!!!!!!! I could always make everyone a copy of the cd as well. Let me know if you want one :)

Thirdly, Gary and I are going to the zoo today!! I hope we don't run into any road construction because honestly, that can just about ruin my whole day. We planned to go to Bdubs last night and then to a movie and nearly didn't do either because we kept getting lost. There is a TON of construction going on all over the city and the stupid road signs do nothing but get you really confused and angry. Once we realized we would have no way to eat and make it to the movie on time, we canceled the tickets and made our way to a different Bdubs. It was good but then our waiter was too preoccupied with a table of 6 girls with their chests and butt cheeks fully exposed to bring us our bill. It took him nearly 20 minutes to even realize we had both finished eating and were just sitting there. Silly waiter. We ended up back near our neck of the woods by 7:30 and picked up How Do You Know. What a lovely way to finish the evening.

Baby news: No baby bump yet but I am now officially in my 2nd trimester. I look forward to growing a belly (more that I already have :) and enjoying being pregnant. 13 weeks and 2 days. Get excited.

How did I forget about these??

The back of our table numbers at the wedding each had a quote from a child. These quotes were how children view love and marriage. As I was cleaning out my bookmarks, I found these:

http://www.rinkworks.com/said/kidlove.shtml

Love and Marriage:

* "If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." -- Glenn, age 7

* "Love is like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." -- John, age 9

* "I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." -- Manuel, age 8

* "No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." -- Mae, age 9

* "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." -- Greg, age 8

* "Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife." -- Tom, age 5

* "On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date." -- Mike, 10

* "I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when Dinosaurs is on television." -- Jill, age 6

* "One of the people has freckles, and so he finds somebody else who has freckles too." -- Andrew, age 6

* "My mother says to look for a man who is kind. That's what I'll do. I'll find somebody who's kinda tall and handsome." -- Carolyn, age 8

* "It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." -- Kenny, age 7

* "One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills." -- Ava, age 8

* "When somebody's been dating for a while, the boy might propose to the girl. He says to her, 'I'll take you for a whole life, or at least until we have kids and get divorced.'" -- Anita, 9

* "I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough." -- Regina, age 10

* "Most men are brainless, so you might have to try more than once to find a live one." -- Angie, age 10

* "A man and a woman promise to go through sickness and illness and diseases together." -- Marlon, age 10

* "[Being] single is better . . . for the simple reason that I wouldn't want to change no diapers. Of course, if I did get married, I'd figure something out. I'd just phone my mother and have her come over for some coffee and diaper-changing." -- Kirsten, age 10

* "Love is foolish...but I still might try it sometime." -- Floyd, age 9

* "Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." -- Dave, age 8

Kissing:

* "When a person gets kissed for the first time, they fall down, and they don't get up for at least an hour." -- Wendy, age 8

* "You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a big ring and her own VCR, 'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding." -- Jim, age 10

* "Never kiss in front of other people. It's a big embarrassing thing if anybody sees you. But if nobody sees you, I might be willing to try it with a handsome boy, but just for a few hours." -- Kally, age 9

* "You learn [how to kiss] right on the spot when the gooshy feelings get the best of you." -- Doug, age 7

* "If it's your mother, you can kiss her anytime. But if it's a new person, you have to ask permission." -- Roger, age 6

* "It's never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you. That's why I stopped doing it." -- Tammy, age 10

* "I know one reason kissing was created. It makes you feel warm all over, and they didn't always have electric heat or fireplaces or even stoves in their houses." -- Gina, age 8

* "The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that." -- Curt, age 7

* "The rules goes like this: if you kiss someone, then you should marry her and have kids with her. It's the right thing to do." -- Howard, age 8

* (on seeing a couple kissing) "He is trying to steal her chewing gum!" -- Boy, age 6

Beauty:

* "If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." -- Anita, age 8

* "Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time." -- Christine, age 9

* "It isn't always how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything, and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." -- Brian, age 7

How People In Love Act:

* "Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold. Other people care more about the food." -- Brad, age 8

* "They act mooshy. Like puppy dogs, except puppy dogs don't wag their tails nearly as much." -- Arnold, age 10

* "All of a sudden, the people get movies fever so they can sit together in the dark." -- Sherm, age 8

* "Romantic adults usually are all dressed up, so if they are just wearing jeans it might mean they used to go out or they just broke up." -- Sarah, age 9

* "It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it's just like how their hearts are -- on fire." -- Christine, age 9

* "See if the man picks up the check. That's how you can tell if he's in love." -- John, age 9

* "Many daters just eat pork chops and french fries and talk about love." -- Craig, age 9

What Mom and Dad Have In Common:

* "Both don't want no more kids." -- Lori, age 8

How To Tell If Two People Are Married:

* "Married people usually look happy to talk to other people." -- Eddie, age 6

* "You might have to guess based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids." -- Derrick, age 8

Deciding Who To Marry:

* "You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming." -- Allan, age 10

* "No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with." -- Kirsten, age 10

Strategies For Making People Fall In Love With You:

* "Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores." -- Del, age 6

* "Shake your hips and hope for the best." -- Camille, age 9

* "Yell out that you love them at the top of your lungs...and don't worry if their parents are right there." -- Manuel, age 8

* "Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." -- Alonzo, age 9

* "One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it's something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me." -- Bart, age 9

The Best Age To Get Married:

* "Twenty three is the best age because you know the person forever by then." -- Cam, age 10

* "No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married!" -- Freddie, age 6

Good Advice About Love:

* "Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work." -- Dick, age 7

* "Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough." -- Lynnette, age 8

* "Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck!" -- Ricky, age 7

* "Don't forget your wife's name. That will mess up the love." -- Erin, age 8

* "Sensitivity don't hurt." -- Robbie, age 8

* "Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." -- Erin, age 8

* "Don't say you love somebody and then change your mind. Love isn't like picking what movie you want to watch." -- Natalie, age 9

What To Do When a First Date Turns Sour:

* "I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns." -- Craig, age 9

What Most People Are Thinking When They Say "I Love You":

* "The person is thinking: 'Yeah, I really do love him. But I hope he showers at least once a day.'" -- Michelle, age 9

* "Some lovers might be real nervous, so they are glad that they finally got it out and said it, and now they can go eat." -- Dick, age 7

Why People In Love Often Hold Hands:

* "They want to make sure their rings don't fall off, because they paid good money for them." -- Gavin, age 8

* "They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle someday and do the holy matchimony thing." -- John, age 9

Titles of Love Ballads You Can Sing To Your Loved One:

* "'I Love Hamburgers, I Like You!'" -- Eddie, age 6

* "'You Are My Darling Even Though You Also Know My Sister.'" -- Larry, age 8

* "'I Am In Love With You Most of the Time, But Don't Bother Me When I'm With My Friends.'" -- Bob, age 9

* "'How Do I Love Thee When You're Always Picking Your Nose?'" -- Arnold, age 10

* "'Honey, I Got Your Curly Hair and Your Nintendo On My Mind.'" -- Sharon, age 9

* "'Hey, Baby, I Don't Like Girls, But I'm Willing To Forget You Are One!'" -- Will, age 7

Love you out loud!

It's official. I am now Vanessa Wiest. It's been a looooooong time coming and it's finally here. I had such a fabulous week before the wedding with Gary here in Minneapolis and then a WONDERFUL few days in Decorah FOR the wedding. I can't believe it's now almost a week later and that I've been back at work for two days already. And that Gary is already back in Decorah. I feel like I'm holding back tears literally every second but I cannot be more happy at the same time.

When I first met Gary, I knew that he was special and from there, I thought about him quite a bit. From 2005 to 2008 before we started dating, I always had him in the back of my mind. I know now that I always loved him but didn't let myself believe it until we began dating in July 2008. It only took a couple of weeks for me to even say I loved him. It felt so real and natural. We knew very early on in our relationship that we wanted to marry each other. It's amazing how we felt so strongly for each other. I remember the butterflies I felt and my wanting to hug and kiss him all the time. I don't feel those butterflies anymore but that is just fine with me. Now that we're married, I feel truly connected to him in such a deeper way than before. This by far surpasses butterflies. I'm going to make myself cry just thinking about it :)

Though I had fun thinking about our wedding, it wasn't nearly as much fun as actually seeing it all come to life. I had for so long dreamed about the colorful candles, fruit displays, the coloring pages for the kids....I just didn't realize it would all look so AWESOME! Everything came together so nicely and honestly, went perfectly. Though we stayed up really late both nights before our wedding, I knew without a doubt it would be perfect because of this:

Yes, I knew our wedding day would be perfect because I woke up BEFORE my alarm. I LOVE waking up before my alarm. There's nothing better. Wait, there is :) It was perfectly beautiful outside (with the exception of the degree...) I wasn't so sure of being outside when it was so cold but my word, the sun was out to play. I LOVE sunshine and cannot wait to see all the photos we took. We were out on location for 99% of our photos :) We'll get the rights to all our photos so I will post those as soon as we get them.

As far as the ceremony/reception go, I couldn't quite escape my Hotel Winn persona but I thought it was a blast. We had a lovely, simple ceremony that was filled with fun stories, some happy tears and our FIRST KISS as a married couple. I really can't wait to see photos of that :) Below are some of the only photos I took at our wedding.

6 out of 8 children at our wedding. SO CUTE!!!!!

Making it official :)

After the reception died down, we opened gifts. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome our gifts have been. I was completely prepared to receive lots of mismatched towels, off the wall items we'll never use, and those silly typical wedding gifts. Did we receive many of these items? NOPE. Here are some of the most memorable gifts:

I love you, Gary, but hurry up. I can't wait to be able to hug and kiss you whenever I want :)

The ONLY negative from our wedding weekend :)

Disclaimer: This isn't the nicest post I've written. It's me getting some frustration out on "paper" and honestly, I may end up deleting it down the road. Read with caution and know that I have forgotten all about this unfortunate situation.

I want to get this out of the way because really, our wedding was perfect. I loved every second of it. I loved spending the week prior with Gary, working our buns off to make everything happen, even taking pictures in below freezing weather at 9am. The one part I didn't like? That would definitely be the part where our musician flaked. She has yet to tell me she wouldn't make it or even to apologize. I'm a little bit frustrated because I really want to take the high road but as the days go by I actually become a bit more upset by it. ( a blog about how much fun Gary & I had with all our friends and family and PICTURES will soon follow :)! Stay tuned)

This particular person was a friend of mine. She's a fun, flamboyant, sassy girl that can always brighten the room. She was very nice to me while I was without my friends in Decorah post-college. I found myself hoping she'd be working when Gary & I would go to Tbocks. That is actually where she and I first talked about her playing for Gary & my wedding. She happily accepted. From there, it was on both of our back burners. I must admit, I wasn't too concerned about the music at our wedding because I knew how She played and what she could do. About a month before, I decided to start nailing some details down. This friend and I decided to meet at Rubaiyat for drinks & dinner to discuss what I was looking for and what she was capable of. This is where I started wondering about her reliability. I saw on her facebook that she would be heading to Florida for spring training. Yes, she's a HUGE Twins fan. I was okay with that up until I noticed that she'd be going to the Friday (March 25) game. I wrote a note on her status asking if she could still play. Did she respond? No. Instead she deleted my comment. SOOOOOOO when she finally showed up for dinner, I asked her point blank if she could still play at the wedding on the 26th. Her response? Oh of course, I'll be back by then. I guess I should have called her on her lie but instead she said she'd put together a list of songs for me to choose from. We left that meeting still on good footing. Unfortunately I never heard from her again. I wrote her a couple of times, sent her a text message, but nothing. (Calling would have been worthless because she is actually a busy girl) At that point she was definitely ignoring me because she was constantly updating her facebook statuses.

Though I wanted to believe she would make it, it wasn't until March 23, three days before the wedding, where I was convinced she wasn't going to be at our wedding. She posted a picture of all the tickets she had for her time in Florida. There was one for March 25th and also one for March 27th.

I was really pissed off as you can imagine but kept my composure because I was always intrigued about making our own playlist for songs we'd walk out to and what not (I'd even put it on my to-do list to make a backup cd). Luckily I had also taken her name off the ceremony programs awhile back AND did not include any music other than the processional and recessional.

I really wish this person would have stepped up and let me know sooner that she wouldn't be playing. Though Gary & I made it work, we spent a LOT of time & money making it all happen. We spent precious moments the days leading up to the wedding working on this that I would have much rather spent with family or even just Gary & myself. We spent a good 5 hours Thursday evening (until 1:30am) picking out the music). I spent 2 hours Friday morning (8am-10am) downloading and then realizing that my computer can't burn cds AND then somehow sharing my itunes with Gary's itunes to burn the music on the wrong cds. Of course I didn't know they were the wrong cds until Gary & I were busy decorating Friday afternoon. Because we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, Gary wasn't able to buy the correct cds until 9:30-10p. I spent a good hour or two the night before our wedding without Gary by my side. Luckily, we figured out the right cds to use and it went off without a hitch, but I'm still upset about how much precious time was wasted in the last minutes. This is me taking it off my chest so that I don't have to think about it anymore. I loved every other minute of our wedding so that will trump this.

The last annoyance with this person? All her damn status updates on facebook. It's like she's been flaunting the fact she wasn't here. I'm sorry but how rude.

PS: Thank you for NOT playing at our wedding. Gary & I made our wedding that much more special to us by having chosen our own fun songs to play. Thank you for allowing us to have only those most important at our wedding that actually care. Have a good life but I sure hope you grow up to be a more mature human being that can still be the fun, sassy girl I used to know and appreciate.

Holy Citrus Chicken

Gary & I (and surprisingly my mother) had our Hotel Winn taste test today. I was so excited to come in but was absolutely blown away by all of the options. I loved each dish and we definitely picked out two dishes that I know people will love. And not only that, but the presentation is wonderfully whimsical and colorful, just as I hoped it would be. They are going to fit in with the overall aesthetic of our wedding so perfectly. I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!! So excited in fact that I really didn't want to brush my teeth or eat anything else because I could still taste them...weird? probably, but don't tell me you haven't thought that yourself at some point in your life because you have!

Though I probably shouldn't ruin the surprise, I can't help but to post the photos I snapped :) Enjoy!

Also of note today.....I got the apartment! I get to move in February 21st (luckily the leasing office will NOT be closed on President's day!). It's a little scary now that it's confirmed but I am pumped about starting this new position and moving to an awesome city.

Recent Happenings

The past few weeks have been especially exciting. So exciting, in fact, that I couldn't quite put it into words until now. Gary was on my case for a new blog, but dude, I was too excited. And nervous. And anxious....

I had my 2nd interview with LMP on January 28th. I came out of the interview feeling good but also unsure of how it would turn out. I knew in my heart that I was the perfect person for the job but did they? The other person they brought in for a 2nd interview could have been just as perfect. At this point, however, there was no use for me to worry so much. If I got the position, I'd be elated but calm, and if I didn't get the position, I'd be devastated but calm. The pieces were going to fall as they might and I was going to be okay either way.

To make sure I stayed on this path of thinking, I decided to travel to Strawberry for a few days. I was able to get some laundry done (FINALLY! I hadn't done my handwashing for months. MONTHS.)

I also got to work on some DIY wedding crafts. With Bridget's help, we were able to create two of the button boutonnieres (I can finally spell this word without spell check! I am so proud of myself!) and table numbers. I can't wait to see how this looks all together.

When I returned to Decorah on Thursday, I still hadn't heard back about the position so I was resigned to the fact that I either didn't get it OR wasn't going to find out until Monday. Then, at 4:30pm, I got the call. When she said "We'd like to offer you the position" I almost didn't believe it. It took me a quick second to realize this was actually happening. Even today it hasn't quite sunk in, but I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We decided that February 22nd would be my first day. Oh boy. Time to make a to-do list. First? Find an apartment.......

The next day, Gary and I got to have our dessert taste test. I was dyyyyying to try this stuff and we picked our dessert for the wedding! And guess what?? It's that same cheesecake desert that I have wanted for probably a year. I am so excited!

The following Monday-Wednesday, my mom and I traveled up to Minneapolis yet again to find myself an apartment. We viewed 5 places on Tuesday and I ended up liking the very first apartment we viewed the best. I'm still waiting to find out if my application will get accepted. I can't imagine that I wouldn't get it, but gosh, I'd be sol if I didn't...

Beyond work, that long to-do list, my bridal shower this Saturday...I've been trying my best to be very deliberate about how I spend my time, especially with Gary. We realized that the only day that we both have off from Feb 4th to the day I start work was Feb 14th. Yes, we will be celebrating, but not V-day, sorry lovers. We are celebrating our being together and having one night to ourselves before I leave. We are VERY excited. (I haven't quite decided if I'll wear a dress though. I worked in the restaurant last night as a server and I couldn't even count how many too-short dresses I saw).

To sum up, I am beyond excited but also very nervous & anxious. I know things are going to be great and everything will get done, but my mind goes on crack at night and I can barely sleep. My goal for this next week is to relax, get things done and enjoy my last week in Decorah.

Peace out.

Only two months left?? I'm starting to freak out!

....says Gary....

Silly boy! Perhaps he doesn't realize we've already been engaged for 13 months.

I'm sure I'll feel the same at some point(s) within the next two months but gosh I am excited. I just can't wait.

Next on tap is figuring out the ceremony. and vows. I'm a little nervous about the ceremony part simply because I don't have the guidance of a pastor to help. I want to keep it fresh and fun and lively but also simple and beautiful. How do do that? I'm not sure but we'll figure it out.

2 months = 59 days.

We only have 2 months left until the big day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited! I really can't wait to get it over with (that sounds so bad!) but I just want to see all my ideas and thoughts in real life. I hope it doesn't look like circus, but if it does, my brain is to fault :)

Last week, Gary & I met with Jane of Jane's Cupcake Bugalow here in Decorah. She will be preparing our cupcakes and cheesecakes for the wedding. We will be trying an Italian Cream (hazelton & coconut), Black & White with a cream cheese filling and a yellow cake at our taste test next Friday. CAN'T WAIT!

How we came upon Jane is really fantastic and truly a blessing. A friend's mother (who is beyond awesome) was originally slated to make our desserts but the timing wasn't quite right. She just had surgery and won't be able to come, which was causing way too much stress on those desserts (not I :)!) On the day that Andrew called me to let me know this wouldn't work, I actually couldn't take the call because I was working the bridal show. We had gotten our booth set up earlier so we went around to see what else was at the show. The first booth we went to? Jane's Cupcake Bungalow. I took her card and info not really thinking anything of it. Little did I know that I'd be calling her the next week to set something up. It worked out PERFECTLY! Her price is right and the cupcakes look so professional and cute. I am excited for the taste test because that was the one thing I wasn't able to do at the bridal show.

Also of note = I got my dress last week! It arrived in the mail and I tried it on right away even though Gary was in the room. Don't worry, he didn't want to see it so he just turned around :). The top is a litttttttttle too big, which I did anticipate. Also kind of landing in my lap was the person I would be calling to do the dress fitting. Earlier last year, I randomly accompanied my future mother-in-law to a fitting consultation on her bike sportswear. That day, the seamstress was working on a dress she was literally making from scratch for a bride. It was so pretty! So when I knew my mom wouldn't want to do the fitting, I called up Robin. My consultation was TODAY and she said this would be the easiest wedding dress she has ever worked on. Sweet. I go back next Wednesday for the 1st fitting. I wouldn't be surprised if I am able to take it back that day.

The one thing that didn't go our way was Gary's wedding band. We ordered a size that didn't fit him! I was hoping that wouldn't happen but oh well. Luckily though, James Allen does free resizing. All I have to pay for is the send our package back. That, I can do :) I should be able to send it back tomorrow and the new ring, that BETTER FIT, will arrive within the next 2 weeks.

The last part of this post, I finally had my first good day at work. Meaning, I actually came back from work happy and in a good mood. That hasn't happened in I can't even count how many months. I was working as the hostess for the night and to say it didn't start out okay is an understatement. Within 15 minutes of me walking in, I had booked 18 people in reservations. Normally that is a good thing, but not when our only chef for the evening walks out in a huff. Talk about professional douschery. Who does that?????????? Anyway, our F&B director and his fiancee both know how to cook so they stepped in about 30 minutes after we opened. Luckily for us, only 2 people had come in at that point. We ended up being fairly slow in retrospect but when you have 3 big tables, 1 with 10 people, 1 with 6 (celebrating their WEDDING DAY!) and another of 7 people all within the same timeframe, it can be quite difficult. Russ and Natalie came out of it ON TOP and did a fantastic job. When people in the kitchen love what they do and have a good attitude, it shows in their food. People left the place happy and fully satisfied which hasn't happened in awhile. One person even said that it was the best walleye they had ever eaten. Wow. We are finally on our way up. That is exciting.

Peace out.

Ps: I have my 2nd interview on Friday! I HAVE TO GET THIS JOB! I can't imagine working anywhere else. I really can't. It would be a perfect fit for me. Also, I have this huge urge to go through ALL of my belongings and have them all in one location. I can't wait for that.

DIY Wedding Challenge 2010: Fabric Flower - Project Wedding

DIY Wedding Challenge 2010: Fabric Flower - Project Wedding


Hmmm. How could I incorporate these? I plan to make the button boutonnieres for the boys but perhaps this could be for the mothers and grandmothers...

SNOW!

I remember when I started this blog that there was a blog about snow. It wasn't the first but there certainly was a blog about snow. How strange that a whole year has gone by already. A lot has happened since then like getting engaged, living in Chicago, graduating, working non-stop, hardly working, reading....I'm starting to get really really excited to see what happens this next year. Marriage, moving, jobs....it's going to be exciting.

in other news, Gary and I bought our adorable invites the other day. I've gotten the proof and it's now in production! It took them a little longer to get the proof to us so they've upgraded our order to two-day shipping. SWEETTT.

secondly, i was still feeling really lost without my weekly episode of parenthood so i.......bought....the....first.....season. On dvd. :)

lastly, i got to babysit two of the cutest little cuties on wednesday and i will again tonight. it's strange because I haven't babysit in a long time but i feel like it's going to be really great for me. It'll get me out of the house for one. i still need to learn how to keep both occupied and having fun but i'm sure i'll get the hang of it.

s o g double o d good

Yes, it's been awhile. Sorry :) It's been an interesting couple of weeks with its usual ups and downs. Thank you to my sweet, sweet honey bear for bearing through it all. You are too good for me sometimes.

I successfully applied to and interviewed with and failed to obtain yet another job but you know what, I think it's finally dawned on me that perhaps the universe doesn't want me to leave Decorah just yet. So instead, when I was out making room blocks at the other hotels I asked if they were hiring. Indeed they were! I completely flopped on one of the places but oh well. I didn't want to work there anyhow. Let's just hope that I can get a part-time front desk position at the other hotel I applied to. Cross your fingers! Let's also hope that I don't completely suck at nailing the interview....

Just because I want to tell this story to freak everyone out, I have to tell you what I dreamt about yesterday. Other than weapons (I've been reading Michael Connelly so no, I'm not crazy nor am I going to kill anyone), I had a very vivid dream about our wedding day. For some reason we were all at our old house in Strawberry about to take pictures but Kendra, Andrew and our photographer weren't there. I FORGOT TO GIVE EVERYONE A DETAILED SCHEDULE!!! Oh my gosh. I really thought it was real and it was the worst day ever. However, one good thing came out of the dream: it was nice outside :)

And speaking of Michael Connelly, I took what I thought to be the first 3 books of his series back to Decorah with me. 3/4 of the way into the first book I realize they were not the first 3 books but the 6, 7 and 8th books. Damn. I am now on the 8th book and cannot wait to get back to Strawberry and take the Correct first 3 books.

Laaaastly, I have been up to no good today. I spent a good 4 hours getting rid of my food bookmarks and making a makeshift recipe book. I'm not even half way done. That is what happens when you bookmark recipes for YEARS. Oh boy. My next task will be to actually make these recipes and decipher which ones I should keep and which ones I can delete FOREVER!!!!!!!

Exciting.

Boutonniere ideas

Button Blossoms.

Button Boutonniere.

DIY Flower Boutonniere.

The last link yellow button option is my FAVORITE!

ModCloth

I ordered a super adorable dress from ModCloth at 9pm on October 12th.  The VERY NEXT DAY, I got an email saying it had been shipped and it's running on schedule.  Meaning?  It will be here tomorrow, October 15th.  Did I mention it traveled all the way from Pittsburg?  Woah.  Now that is impressive.

What else did I buy this past week?  Oh you know, four photobooks (from freshmen & sophomore year [FINALLY]) and a wedding dress.

Yes.  I bought my wedding dress.  I have never seen it in person and have no idea if I ordered the right size, but it felt right.  Kinda like when I bought my prom dress online without ever trying it on or seeing it.  It fit p.e.r.f.e.c.t.l.y!  I'm hoping it will work out that nicely with this dress too.  It's short and sweet and is going to go SO well with the the theme I have in my head.  Hopefully I can make it all come to life :)

On another note, I am of the proclaimed stalker type and have been noticing something missing in my life based on the stalked.  I'm a quirky girl but I don't act very quirky anymore.  I need to get out more and do quirky stuff.  I think that is the missing link here.  I get so bogged down with work and wanting to be a pile that I never do what truly satisfies me.  Though I need to save monies so I need to find quirky things to do for free.  Any suggestions?  (ps:  the person I'm stalking at the moment has an adorable blog going and has THE cutest engagement photos up.  Here some of her pictures.  I'm in love with the colors and lighting!)

pss: she is going to have her blog featured in mspweddings.com.  I'm excited to see more of her blogs and ideas.

big deal? I think so

I finally made a move on buying a dress!  Woah.  It's short, adorable and cheap!  Considering it's a bridesmaid dress, it's expensive but for a wedding dress, Nope!  Swaaaaaweeeeeeeeet.

In other news, I've basically watched TV all night long.

1. Good thing channel 2 & 3 do not show up on my tv because HIMYM started again.  I soooo wanted to watch it but Gary and I have promised not to until we watch last season.  Of course, the season doesn't come out for another month.  I hate being behind!

2. The commercial for grey's made me pee myself.  almost.  I need to catch up on that too.  I honestly forget how many seasons I have so I may end up buying a season or two very, very soon.  Will I be watching the episode on Thursday? I may.  It was too intriguing not to...

3. DWTS.  I'm not normally a fan, but Audrina was on it.  She kinda freaks me out but I'm kinda hooked.  She was the first dancer and then I just kept the tv on.  So when the girl from dirty dancing came on, it was a pleasant surprise.  Did I cry? Of course! what a touching moment.  For a second I felt like I knew Patrick.  It was really sweet to watch her dance.  She truly is more beautiful now than before.  I hope she wins.

Peace out.  Let's hope the dress fits!

PS: Gary is sick :(  I took a nap with him this afternoon and then he had to go to work with a fever.  I feel so bad.  I just want to cook him chicken noodle and make him all better. 

holy cupcakes

This is what I want for dessert at the wedding:

Take the deviled eggs!

I cannot believe how fast this week flew by.  Did I really travel to the MOA on Sunday?  Was it really my birthday on Monday?  I just can't believe it.

Yes, I did indeed travel with Gary up to the Mall of America.  It was sooo much fun but I was SO tired.  We left at 8am so that we could be there when it opened.  What was the first stop you ask?  Noodles & Co of course!  I had no idea there was one IN the mall.  Awesome.  I was on two missions: 1. Loft (duh), 2. find wedding shoes.  By 1:30pm I had accomplished both.  I LOVE MY SHOES!  Now perhaps I should find a dress.... details ;)

I may be exaggerating this but it seemed that Gary talked about Ruby Tuesdays the Entire time we were in the mall. So where did we go to eat for dinner?  Ruby Tuesdays.  It was soooooooo good.  Gary couldn't take his hands off of the tiny little cheddar biscuits.

I turned the big 2-3 on Monday.  Nothing too exciting happened.  I had gone out to eat with both sets of parents and Bridget/Drew last week so I spent all day running errands.  Boy did that feel good though. I hadn't been able to get anything done in the weeks prior because of being so busy with work.  I returned some shoes and clothes, bought stamps and got my save-the-dates cut.  I then had a flashback to my days at ATHENA because I wrote our address, the guests' address, stuffed, stamped & licked all my save-the-dates.  It took hours, but I'm sooo glad that's done.  Now I should probably get them sent....They've been sitting on my dresser for a few days now...oops.

Work was a bit overwhelming this week with a 3-day conference where I was the manager for 2 of those days.  I hated waking up at 5am but to be quite honest, the conference went very well and I am glad to have gotten through it in one piece. Today was also big due to Parent's Weekend at Luther.  Nancy and I organized the First-Year Student Reception at the Hotel.  It was a little difficult getting businesses to showcase but it went really well.  Lots of samples, food and yes, even chair massages. 

Don't worry, Gary and I made sure to celebrate getting through the week/our birthdays by eating at Rubaiyat (check out our dessert!) and topping it off with a beer at Toppling Goliath.  Yum. 

omg shoes. cont.

I reallly like the Charlotte Dyeable ballet flat & Malina Dyeable round-toe pump.  Both would be in either silver cloud or evening mist.

Every girl needs a grey shoe!

WEDDING IDEAS - omg shoes!!

Thanks to Leta, I have some ideas for shoes!  I think I may want heels based on the dress I want, but the bridal party can certainly do sandels.  I'm thinking orange or pink so here goes:

These are adorable!  But waaaaaaaaay too high...

WEDDING IDEAS -- Decor!!

Centerpiece?  More pops of color depending on what paint I use...:)

Menu cards are a waste of money, but I thought this was super cute...

Picture this with a colorful frame and set by the gift table

These flowers have always intrigued me.  I hope to use these somehow.....