i don't usually post about the wedding planning but today i just have to share.
my friend M and i have been working out an arrangement for her to photograph the reception. she is an amazing photographer. she did our engagement photos and she has done headshots for me in the past. on top of that i have purchased two of her original works. i love her. the tricky thing is i just moved and she just moved. so we are no longer in the same city or even a couple of states away. i am now in az and she is in ny. when i propositioned her i told her i would fly her out and pay for accomodations. i just needed to know how much she would charge for the photography. we finally worked out a price that works for the both of us and it is still within our budget. yay!
second piece of good news-my good friend scormelio is an amazing metalsmith and makes the most awesome, unique jewelry. i was making my list yesterday of the things left to do and i realized i haven't even thought about the rings. at all. i just knew they were going to be custom-made because nothing i've seen so far looks good with my filigree silver engagement ring. last night while i couldn't sleep i thought of scormelio. i can't believe i hadn't thought of it before. so tonight i called her up and asked her if she would be up for making our wedding bands. i was completely prepared to pay, i just needed to know how much she would charge;however, she shooed me away, saying that she will make it a love offering. she said she would be honored to make our bands and i told her i was completely stoked that i would have a scormelio creation to wear forever. seriously, i love her work.
so that's my two "made my day" moments. seriously, everything is coming together so smoothly, it's like kismet. i'm still waiting for the stress, the strife to pop up, but so far so good. i send out my intentions and what i imagine has been manifesting itself beautifully. i feel so blessed to have so many wonderful, unique and personal contributions from my friends. i love that people are giving me the gift of their time and talents. it is truly awesome.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
13 things about now
1. it's been over a month since i participated in thursday thirteen. i have been really busy with the move, which has kept me from regularly blogging.
2. but now the house is sold and we are in arizona. which means i can blog again. :)
3. i have been here for five days now. i am feeling quite unsettled. we are staying with b's parents while we look for jobs and then will get a place of our own. the room we are staying in is small and there are no places to put our stuff. so now it is a huge mess and we keep tripping over everything. tomorrow we are going to buy organizers and get the room in order. it's driving us crazy!
4. i have been extra active since i have arrived. saturday morning i went for a nice run. sunday morning i went for a long bike ride. sunday evening i strength-trained. monday i went for another long bike ride. tuesday morning i went to yoga. tuesday afternoon i rode my bike to the library and back, twice, because i wasn't aware that i needed proof of address along with my license to get a card so had to go back to the house for a piece of mail (4+ miles). tuesday evening i rode my bike to the yoga studio for an evening session (6 miles roundtrip). today i did nothing and gave myself a break.
5. i am getting more exercise because i can ride my bike to get myself places. also i don't have much to do and it gets me out of the house.
6. i went to my first open-air farmer's market tonight and loved it. i bought some raw honey, strawberry lavender preserves, bath bombs and foot bombs, and some fresh pastries. it was fun going to all the stalls and checking out the wares. all the stands let you taste-test everything before you purchase. i tasted three different kinds of honey, a few different olive oils, apple butter and the strawberry lavender jam. the stall with the bath wares had a bunch of testers. it was fun to try the different lotions and they all smelled really good. and they were all made from natural products. mostly shea butter and essential oils and goat's milk. and that's about it. very short list of ingredients.
7. i get to shop at trader joe's now. i have shopped there in all my travels on the east coast and the southwest but texas doesn't have any. i love love love that market and am thrilled there is one down the street.
8. they also have whole foods here, which makes me happy because there isn't a central market. i love trader joe's but they don't carry everything.
9. i have already developed a slight tan on my shoulders and arms. everyone who knows me knows i am pale as a ghost. i am putting on my sunblock religiously but am still acquiring a bit of color where my arms are exposed. it's weird to me.
10. there is a lot of sun here with very little shade. the air is dry and i am thirsty all the time. there are tons and tons of palm trees along with the cacti. i love it. there are streets lined on both sides with palm trees. it's beautiful.
11. i really miss my friends. i feel a bit unanchored without them. everyday i think "i haven't talked to (foi, izzy, v, amethyst, fill in the blank). and then i feel sad but have to remind myself that i didn't talk to my friends everyday in texas either. but knowing i am far away is very different.
12. i really miss my favorite local restaurants too. especially spiral. i am glad i ate there five times my last week.
13. i keep meaning to take pictures to show my friends, but i keep forgetting to take my camera when i go out. the landscape and architecture is quite different out here.
to participate in the new TT, go here.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
discoveries
when we moved, i already knew arizona was hot (but so is texas) and i knew it was desert. but it never occurred to me that my body would need to adjust. and it has definitely been adjusting.
i drank a lot of water in texas but i feel like i am drinking even more here but it doesn't seem to make a dent. my throat is constantly parched. and i have to pee all.the.time. i will go before i leave the house and then five minutes later on the road i have to go again. it is very inconvenient.
and i have had a slight yet constant headache. and i have felt a little sluggish and loopy. b has been feeling it even more so. he has been taking long ass naps every day. he usually never naps. i suspect he is not drinking enough water. i know our bodies will eventually acclimate. i just hope they do sooner than later.
other (pleasant) discoveries:
i found a new yoga studio. it is 1.5 miles from the house. i rode my bike there yesterday to map it out. it's awesome. i plan on riding my bike there for class every day. i went today for the first time and found out they give 20% discounts for riding your bike to class! :) :) :)
i also found the library. it is this awesome blue glass modern construction with a silver metal sloping roof that reminds me of the ocean. it is less than two miles from the house. i rode my bike there too. now all i need is a basket to carry my books home.
one of the reasons we chose phoenix was because of the walk/bike friendly aspect, not to mention the intercity bus system and light rail. so i am happy to find that it is truly that way, not just on paper. the city is big, the suburbs are big but there are bus lanes and trails and parks. i see people walking, running and biking. there are bus stops everywhere. and the light rail is beautiful. they really made it look gorgeous, not like an eyesore. everything here is so manicured and pretty. i am sure there are less-than-stellar areas, but i haven't seent them yet.
and today was the first day i've seen clouds. yay clouds!!!!
i never realized how important clouds were in shading the sun.
and the discoveries/observations continue. . .
i drank a lot of water in texas but i feel like i am drinking even more here but it doesn't seem to make a dent. my throat is constantly parched. and i have to pee all.the.time. i will go before i leave the house and then five minutes later on the road i have to go again. it is very inconvenient.
and i have had a slight yet constant headache. and i have felt a little sluggish and loopy. b has been feeling it even more so. he has been taking long ass naps every day. he usually never naps. i suspect he is not drinking enough water. i know our bodies will eventually acclimate. i just hope they do sooner than later.
other (pleasant) discoveries:
i found a new yoga studio. it is 1.5 miles from the house. i rode my bike there yesterday to map it out. it's awesome. i plan on riding my bike there for class every day. i went today for the first time and found out they give 20% discounts for riding your bike to class! :) :) :)
i also found the library. it is this awesome blue glass modern construction with a silver metal sloping roof that reminds me of the ocean. it is less than two miles from the house. i rode my bike there too. now all i need is a basket to carry my books home.
one of the reasons we chose phoenix was because of the walk/bike friendly aspect, not to mention the intercity bus system and light rail. so i am happy to find that it is truly that way, not just on paper. the city is big, the suburbs are big but there are bus lanes and trails and parks. i see people walking, running and biking. there are bus stops everywhere. and the light rail is beautiful. they really made it look gorgeous, not like an eyesore. everything here is so manicured and pretty. i am sure there are less-than-stellar areas, but i haven't seent them yet.
and today was the first day i've seen clouds. yay clouds!!!!
i never realized how important clouds were in shading the sun.
and the discoveries/observations continue. . .
Saturday, June 20, 2009
long update with lots of picture goodness
this past week has been packed with fun and activity. it ended with sweaty labor and the Big Move.
last weekend was the big birthday surprise for my dad's 50th. i was trying to get his sisters to fly in (he has four and they are in CO, NM, NC and el paso). i managed to get his oldest to come down. my dad was utterly overwhelmed. he was truly surprised and very thrilled. he kept thanking us the whole weekend for doing this for him. friday night was casual, happy hour at cabo grande's and then we went to the stockyards. the adults went to the rodeo while the kids (my sister and me with our guys in tow) went to the white elephant saloon (a bar) while we waited for them. saturday night was the party at my sister's. we had a barbecue in her backyard. she made some delicious homemade guac and queso to go along with the fajitas. several margaritas were consumed (we went through an entire bottle of patron and cointreau). the adults (dad, dj and my aunt) were pretty plastered by the end of the night (no thanks to dj who refilled my dad's glass every time it was half-full). there were gag gifts and real gifts. all were enjoyed. my favorite was the nunzilla wind up toy that shot sparks from the mouth of her angry visage.
all in all, it was a good weekend. sunday was my dad's actual birthday but he spent most of the day in bed recuperating. hee hee ;)
sunday i had brunch with K and her baby. then i was called away because the buyers wanted to have a final walkthrough and the house was in disarray with the final packing of our remaining belongings. sunday evening b and i were exhausted with all the running around so treated ourselves to a movie. we saw angels and demons, which was fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable.
everyone sitting on sister's patio with their 'ritas. :)
my sister doing the stacy (family joke)
monday: goodbye dinner at v's house with her family. in attendance were foi and joe, izzy, b and myself along with v's cousin and parents. her parents are terrific cooks and they whipped up a delicious feast. it was truly the last time i saw my friends izzy and foi. i am so glad they were able to make it. i stayed the night and got some extra time with v.
me and v
izzy and foi (aka chauceriangirl)
tuesday: went with v to get her hair trimmed. then we went to gloria's for lunch. we got there right when they opened so we actually got to sit on the patio. :)
when v dropped me off at home it sank in for the first time that i am leaving and won't be seeing my friends for a long time.
then b and i had to get to work. we had to pack up the last of our things. we spent all afternoon working on the house and loading up the car. then that evening various people came by to pick up furniture and food. (we gave it all away). by the time everyone left it was past 8pm and we were pooped. we left the cleaning for wednesday morning. we went to maharaja's for dinner. our last dinner out.
our empty house. . .
wednesday: we woke up early so we could start cleaning. we did NOT make time to eat breakfast. we somehow thought we would have time to go for lunch around noon, relax and then go to our closing at 3. instead we spent the entire morning cleaning and taking trash to the dumpster. b had a few last minute errands to run. i finished up, then did the move out ritual to clear our energy from the house. we worked up until we had to leave for the closing. we said goodbye to our house and then were on our way. the closing went well. that night we had dinner at my dad's. he cooked dinner for us. my sister, her roommate and my stepmom were all there. it was a lovely spread. dj made a hummus layer dip with sliced cucumbers, feta cheese and peppers served with pita chips. my dad made vegetarian red beans and rice with cornbread and there was central market cherry pie and ice cream for dessert. it was our only meal of the day and very delicious. the evening was delightful and flew by. before i knew it i was saying my final goodbyes to my family.
me and sister
the crazy 80's sunglasses shots
the most delicious pies EVER
thursday: 9am we hit the road. we drove all day and stayed overnight in el paso at my aunt t's. it was the most uncomfortable drive ever. the car was packed to the gills and we couldn't adjust the seats. it was cramped. friday morning we got a late start but we still arrived with plenty of daylight left.
we hit phoenix at 4:30. we emptied the car and had a lowkey evening. b's mom made us dinner and i took a long hot bath after. it was quite luxurious after being grimy all week.
today was our first full day. it feels very surreal. i am happy to be starting this new phase of my life, to have a fresh start, to live in a place where i can thrive. but there is very much an underlying, pervading sense of sadness of all that i've left behind. it hasn't expressed itself. it just hovers. i have wanted to move for so long and i don't regret it. but i miss my friends and family dearly. i know we all will stay in touch and perhaps i will brush up my on my letter-writing skills again. i have fantasies of sending my friends lots of mail and getting some in return. the fun kind. :)
i'm signing off now, but i leave you with some photos of the car and its utter fullness. :)
last weekend was the big birthday surprise for my dad's 50th. i was trying to get his sisters to fly in (he has four and they are in CO, NM, NC and el paso). i managed to get his oldest to come down. my dad was utterly overwhelmed. he was truly surprised and very thrilled. he kept thanking us the whole weekend for doing this for him. friday night was casual, happy hour at cabo grande's and then we went to the stockyards. the adults went to the rodeo while the kids (my sister and me with our guys in tow) went to the white elephant saloon (a bar) while we waited for them. saturday night was the party at my sister's. we had a barbecue in her backyard. she made some delicious homemade guac and queso to go along with the fajitas. several margaritas were consumed (we went through an entire bottle of patron and cointreau). the adults (dad, dj and my aunt) were pretty plastered by the end of the night (no thanks to dj who refilled my dad's glass every time it was half-full). there were gag gifts and real gifts. all were enjoyed. my favorite was the nunzilla wind up toy that shot sparks from the mouth of her angry visage.
all in all, it was a good weekend. sunday was my dad's actual birthday but he spent most of the day in bed recuperating. hee hee ;)
sunday i had brunch with K and her baby. then i was called away because the buyers wanted to have a final walkthrough and the house was in disarray with the final packing of our remaining belongings. sunday evening b and i were exhausted with all the running around so treated ourselves to a movie. we saw angels and demons, which was fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable.
everyone sitting on sister's patio with their 'ritas. :)
my sister doing the stacy (family joke)
monday: goodbye dinner at v's house with her family. in attendance were foi and joe, izzy, b and myself along with v's cousin and parents. her parents are terrific cooks and they whipped up a delicious feast. it was truly the last time i saw my friends izzy and foi. i am so glad they were able to make it. i stayed the night and got some extra time with v.
me and v
izzy and foi (aka chauceriangirl)
tuesday: went with v to get her hair trimmed. then we went to gloria's for lunch. we got there right when they opened so we actually got to sit on the patio. :)
when v dropped me off at home it sank in for the first time that i am leaving and won't be seeing my friends for a long time.
then b and i had to get to work. we had to pack up the last of our things. we spent all afternoon working on the house and loading up the car. then that evening various people came by to pick up furniture and food. (we gave it all away). by the time everyone left it was past 8pm and we were pooped. we left the cleaning for wednesday morning. we went to maharaja's for dinner. our last dinner out.
our empty house. . .
wednesday: we woke up early so we could start cleaning. we did NOT make time to eat breakfast. we somehow thought we would have time to go for lunch around noon, relax and then go to our closing at 3. instead we spent the entire morning cleaning and taking trash to the dumpster. b had a few last minute errands to run. i finished up, then did the move out ritual to clear our energy from the house. we worked up until we had to leave for the closing. we said goodbye to our house and then were on our way. the closing went well. that night we had dinner at my dad's. he cooked dinner for us. my sister, her roommate and my stepmom were all there. it was a lovely spread. dj made a hummus layer dip with sliced cucumbers, feta cheese and peppers served with pita chips. my dad made vegetarian red beans and rice with cornbread and there was central market cherry pie and ice cream for dessert. it was our only meal of the day and very delicious. the evening was delightful and flew by. before i knew it i was saying my final goodbyes to my family.
me and sister
the crazy 80's sunglasses shots
the most delicious pies EVER
thursday: 9am we hit the road. we drove all day and stayed overnight in el paso at my aunt t's. it was the most uncomfortable drive ever. the car was packed to the gills and we couldn't adjust the seats. it was cramped. friday morning we got a late start but we still arrived with plenty of daylight left.
we hit phoenix at 4:30. we emptied the car and had a lowkey evening. b's mom made us dinner and i took a long hot bath after. it was quite luxurious after being grimy all week.
today was our first full day. it feels very surreal. i am happy to be starting this new phase of my life, to have a fresh start, to live in a place where i can thrive. but there is very much an underlying, pervading sense of sadness of all that i've left behind. it hasn't expressed itself. it just hovers. i have wanted to move for so long and i don't regret it. but i miss my friends and family dearly. i know we all will stay in touch and perhaps i will brush up my on my letter-writing skills again. i have fantasies of sending my friends lots of mail and getting some in return. the fun kind. :)
i'm signing off now, but i leave you with some photos of the car and its utter fullness. :)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
finally!
i have been trying to post these for over a month but they wouldn't upload for various reasons. but now i got it figured out. so, here are those engagement photos i was talking about. :)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
8 more days
the time is certainly flying now that the countdown has begun. the weekend was full and fun.
hot yoga kicked my ass on friday. saturday yoga at foi's was short and sweet for my sore muscles. cosmic was delicious as usual. we all got different cakes for dessert rather than just sharing one piece. there was strawberry, lemon and vanilla chai. i think the vanilla chai was my favorite although the lemon was very tasty. and they were all vegan cakes. :)
sunday i went to fair. had a reiki treatment. it worked on my heart as i am mourning a loss and it really worked on my eyes. they were completely vibrating. i have recurrent epithelium erosion in my right eye and LB knew that so she focused on adhesion to correct it. so far my eyes feel great. i have been having a lot of problems lately with my eye sticking upon waking even with the ointment treatment at night. it hasn't done that at all since. i can't explain the sensation but i can feel the difference and i am hopeful that my cornea continues to adhere and not stick to my eyelid.
after the fair i went to cosmic again. this time with b. i was in dallas already so i couldn't resist. :)
i am filling up all my extra time with friend time amidst all the errand running and reading. last night i finished the last published book in the charlaine harris vampire series.
i thought the two weeks before closing would go by more slowly, but really the time has been flying by.
hot yoga kicked my ass on friday. saturday yoga at foi's was short and sweet for my sore muscles. cosmic was delicious as usual. we all got different cakes for dessert rather than just sharing one piece. there was strawberry, lemon and vanilla chai. i think the vanilla chai was my favorite although the lemon was very tasty. and they were all vegan cakes. :)
sunday i went to fair. had a reiki treatment. it worked on my heart as i am mourning a loss and it really worked on my eyes. they were completely vibrating. i have recurrent epithelium erosion in my right eye and LB knew that so she focused on adhesion to correct it. so far my eyes feel great. i have been having a lot of problems lately with my eye sticking upon waking even with the ointment treatment at night. it hasn't done that at all since. i can't explain the sensation but i can feel the difference and i am hopeful that my cornea continues to adhere and not stick to my eyelid.
after the fair i went to cosmic again. this time with b. i was in dallas already so i couldn't resist. :)
i am filling up all my extra time with friend time amidst all the errand running and reading. last night i finished the last published book in the charlaine harris vampire series.
i thought the two weeks before closing would go by more slowly, but really the time has been flying by.
Friday, June 5, 2009
1. my spirit has already left my home.
2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been salad with faux chicken and a fruit spread.
3. woof! woof! woof! bark! bark! bark!
4. A nice long walk clears the mind and energizes the body.
5. i love me some good news.
6. When all is said and done, it's done and can't be undone.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hot yoga and a prosperity ritual, tomorrow my plans include the heart's meeting with my girls and Sunday, I want to go to fair!
Monday, June 1, 2009
may reads
1. The Midnighters: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
2. The Midnighters: Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld
3. chibi-vampire vol 10 by Yuna Kagesaki
4. chibi-vampire vol 11 by Yuna Kagesaki
5. chibi-vampire vol 12 by Yuna Kagesaki
6. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
7. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
8. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
9. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
10. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
challenge updates:
scott westerfeld mini-challenge: 3/3 completed
999 challenge: 30/81
666 challenge: 26/36
2. The Midnighters: Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld
3. chibi-vampire vol 10 by Yuna Kagesaki
4. chibi-vampire vol 11 by Yuna Kagesaki
5. chibi-vampire vol 12 by Yuna Kagesaki
6. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
7. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
8. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
9. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
10. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
challenge updates:
scott westerfeld mini-challenge: 3/3 completed
999 challenge: 30/81
666 challenge: 26/36
june first already!
i can't believe we are already at the halfway point of the year. in two weeks i will be moving. in five months i will be handfasted. in six months the year will be over.
weird.
friday we had our inspection. it went well but the buyer is being really picky. they want us to fix a couple of things that are minor and stupid and quite frankly don't really make sense. but whatever. we'll do it. we don't feel like going back and forth on it, with them just bailing out at the last minute. our option period expires tonight at midnight so i will breathe easier after that passes.
saw ghosts of girlfriends past this weekend. it was entertaining with a lot of cheesy moments towards the end. more to my liking was rachel getting married, which we saw last night. anne hathaway was awesome in that. i really enjoy her as an actress.
went to palermo's for dinner on saturday. it's my favorite italian place. it's local, family owned. and they serve the best vegetable pasta dish i have ever tasted. but they have had a complete turnover in waitstaff, which may have motivated them to change the way they do things. it's a casual, elegant place. there is no dress code and everything is reasonably priced. so we were quite disconcerted when our waiter started spewing out specials and announced the wines, flourishing the wine menu. it was a completely surreal experience and the whole night was like that. i felt like i should have been dressed up or something. and the way the new male server treated the new female server was disconcerting as well. she acted very subservient to him and was bowing to her tables and the man was rude to her whenever he spoke to her. that i could have done without. and when the man wasn't at his tables he stood behind the counter just staring. you couldn't turn your head without catching his eye. it was very uncomfortable.
the last time i went there was a couple of weeks ago, so these changes are quite recent.
yesterday foi and i went to izzy's house. we had a great time. and foi brought the seitan over that we made thursday evening. it was very tasty. after foi left izzy and i went for a walk in her neighborhood. i always enjoy walking with her there. her area is very hilly with beautiful, large trees. it's always very peaceful and provides some good physical exertion.
how was your weekend?
weird.
friday we had our inspection. it went well but the buyer is being really picky. they want us to fix a couple of things that are minor and stupid and quite frankly don't really make sense. but whatever. we'll do it. we don't feel like going back and forth on it, with them just bailing out at the last minute. our option period expires tonight at midnight so i will breathe easier after that passes.
saw ghosts of girlfriends past this weekend. it was entertaining with a lot of cheesy moments towards the end. more to my liking was rachel getting married, which we saw last night. anne hathaway was awesome in that. i really enjoy her as an actress.
went to palermo's for dinner on saturday. it's my favorite italian place. it's local, family owned. and they serve the best vegetable pasta dish i have ever tasted. but they have had a complete turnover in waitstaff, which may have motivated them to change the way they do things. it's a casual, elegant place. there is no dress code and everything is reasonably priced. so we were quite disconcerted when our waiter started spewing out specials and announced the wines, flourishing the wine menu. it was a completely surreal experience and the whole night was like that. i felt like i should have been dressed up or something. and the way the new male server treated the new female server was disconcerting as well. she acted very subservient to him and was bowing to her tables and the man was rude to her whenever he spoke to her. that i could have done without. and when the man wasn't at his tables he stood behind the counter just staring. you couldn't turn your head without catching his eye. it was very uncomfortable.
the last time i went there was a couple of weeks ago, so these changes are quite recent.
yesterday foi and i went to izzy's house. we had a great time. and foi brought the seitan over that we made thursday evening. it was very tasty. after foi left izzy and i went for a walk in her neighborhood. i always enjoy walking with her there. her area is very hilly with beautiful, large trees. it's always very peaceful and provides some good physical exertion.
how was your weekend?
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