Wedding Planning

I don't have a lot of wedding news to share, but I thought I'd offer a general wedding update anyway.

So far, wedding planning has taken George and I both by surprise. I think I speak for us both when I say that there is a lot more to it than we expected, but it's not nearly as stressful as we expected. I'm really enjoying the multitude of design/style details that have to be decided. Although I'm trying not to let the smallest thing get blown out of proportion, I do take a certain amount of enjoyment in planning the tiniest detail. On the other hand, I could do without all of the logistical details, particularly thinking about the day.

I was also surprised at my initial discomfort with the role of the bride. It was more difficult than I expected to go from the wannabe bride looking in from the outside to being the bride on whom everything and everyone are focused. By now, I'm definitely comfortable with the role, and now I can see how years of being the bride-to-be could go to one's head.

Our short timeline has made some decisions easy. Take the date as an example. The date of our wedding is the only Saturday all summer when the park, the restaurant, and Denaye (my maid of honor) were all available. That was easy. Take my dress as another example. I went in to try on dresses on a Friday, and the women at the shop told me that, based upon our date, they would have liked to have it ordered the week before...but I should be able to get something in time for the wedding if I chose something within the next week. A girl can only try on so many dresses in a week, so that greatly narrowed my choices and made the decision somewhat easy.

My current battle is keeping myself from taking on too many projects. I love making things, so it is difficult to stop myself once I'm on a roll. It all started with the favors, which I designed and crafted. They're all done, which is both good because it's one less thing to think about and bad because now I think I need more projects. The projects already on my list are sewing sashes for Denaye and I, decorating bobbypins, sewing fabric for the centerpieces, designing and assembling programs, and possibly making a super secret project that would be a surprise for George's mum. I'm trying hard to keep handmade thank you cards from going on that list...but I looove creating!

The moral of the story is that our wedding plans are well under control. Even better, it's giving George and I yet another example of how we work well together and are generally compatible.

Spring Break

Mention spring break, and George will tell you how disappointed he is that, although it was promised to him, he has never seen girls going wild since he moved to the States. My spring break wasn't wild, but I had a great time. Since it's been over a year since I last visited my extended family in Ohio, I went back for the week.

This trip, even more than past ones, made me realize how much I miss my family. I spent most of the week with family - as a big group on Sunday and throughout the week in smaller groups. All through my childhood, our family (Grandma, Grandpa, their kids, and their kids' kids) got together for a meal and a day of family time for each person's birthday, most major holidays, picnics in the summer, and Christmas. They still gather, of course, but I miss out on all the fun. As a result, it's a particular treat for me to get together with that same group (the ones in the area anyway) when I'm back in town. We even added a new face this time as my cousin, Mason, and his wife, Carrie, just brought Grant into this world a few weeks ago. The day we all spent together was perfect for a nice walk and lots of photos.

Throughout the rest of the week, I spent lots of time bonding with my mom - sharing coffee, shopping trips, and generally catching up. I visited my grandparents and borrowed Grandma's pearls for the wedding. After nearly 61 years (in August), she and Grandpa are still the picture of love and devotion. Funny that one of my strongest childhood memories from summer vacations at their house is that of Grandpa tickling Grandma while she scolded him. Meanwhile, one of George's favorite hobbies is watching me squirm while he tickles me and I glare at him.

I also spent a day in Cleveland, where I visited my cousin, Shannon, and her son, Max, and later met up with some fellow Baldwin-Wallace alumni for dinner. With some people, it doesn't matter how much time goes by between visits because we're always able to pick up where we left off last time. I feel blessed to have such precious people in my life!

And now, I have returned to Seattle and the homestretch for the semester. Our trees, bushes, and flowers are starting to bloom, so - despite the lingering frigid temperatures - I have hope that a lovely spring (finals - yikes!) and a very exciting summer are not far away!

Guest Room

What better to do on this beautifully sunny Friday afternoon than post before and after photos of our guest room? This was my project last spring break. I emptied the room, refinished the walls and ceiling, painted the walls and ceiling, and put the room back together with a few decorative touches. I took a bit of a chance on the color (burnt scone), but it turned out to be quite tolerable. In fact, I would have painted more of our house shades of yellow if I had done this room first and discovered my love for it.

This is arguably my favorite room in the house. Not only do I love the color, but I also have a soft spot for the furniture since it's what I bought when I first moved to the west coast. To top it off, I've decorated the room with momentos of my and George's adventures: paintings from Spain, Portugal, and Ecuador; a print from Austria; a ceramic piece from Ecuador; a gnome bell from my grandma; and a little globe from my mom.

We hope that many of you will visit us, stay in our guest room, and feel right at home!

BEFORE












AFTER

Snowy Commute Rant

I know I wrote that post earlier this winter about how Seattle is justified in closing down when it snows, but I have to do a partial retraction after enduring a less than enjoyable commute. A mere 3 inches of snow at barely freezing temperatures can stop large groups of people in their tracks? Really?!

These are the specific annoyances that put this scowl on my face:

• SUVs that block my view of the entire road (I realize this isn't restricted just to snowy days, but it was more apparent than usual today with my unforgiving attitude.)
• Snow left on the top, hood, or trunk of the vehicle...which inevitably blows into and obstructs my view
• Drivers who don't bother to clear their side or rear windows - why would they need to see the rest of the road?
• Drivers who automatically drive 15 mph at the sight of snow, even though the roads are perfectly clear save for a bit of water
• Drivers who put chains on their tires at the sight of a single snow flake - those chains end up in my lane and force me to decide between swerving and ruining a tire or two
  
• Unmetered entrance ramps to the freeway which result in complete gridlock
  
• Professors who cancel class due to weather only after their entire class has traveled to school for the class

Thanks for letting me vent. I'll go be productive now. :-)

Lil' Wedding Inspiration

The details of our wedding are starting to come together. We're going to host a small, intimate, and (hopefully) very fun event. The ceremony will be held at Gasworks, overlooking Lake Union and downtown. [Here is an early photo of George and I at the park.] After that, we'll all have dinner and an evening of lounging in the penthouse at Canlis. Keep your fingers crossed for a gorgeous sunset reflecting beautiful pinks across the Cascades for some excellent mood lighting!

We are attempting to incorporate both natural and modern/sophisticated elements into the design of the wedding. The colors are black and white with hints of fern-inspired greens, particularly lighter greens. Here's a look: