Showered in Love

Friday the 13th, indeed. I woke up from a dead sleep with a jolt, realizing suddenly that I was supposed to have made cookies for a coworker's baby shower today. Between getting home at 11 last night and working on a pre-wedding DIY project until 1:30, all with a splitting headache (which decided to stick around today, too), the cookies had literally not occurred to me until I sat straight up in bed at 5:45 this morning and said a word that may have made the cat blush. Thank goodness for my awesome hubby, who was guilted into willing to go to the store and pick up cake mix and applesauce at 6 am, while I managed a quick workout and then raced home to whip up a slightly undercooked batch of double chocolate cookies. One of which I ate for breakfast. Friday the 13th, indeed.

Today's overload of wedding pictures/Pinterest-happy collage comes with a slightly different theme: the bridal shower. My best friend and incredible soon-to-be-matron of honor:

is getting married at the end of this month, and I am throwing a shower for her and her lucky fiance tomorrow. I crafted the invitation by myself, and I'm pretty proud of it:

With less than 24 hours left until the party, I am still working on a few decorations and details, so I'm of course hitting up my favorite place for great ideas. Because we wanted to invite the guys to this one too, I've been trying to make sure that the decorations, etc. aren't too girly. I'm sticking to pretty simple and flexible details, since I haven't actually seen the venue and everything I do has to make the 3 hour trip up there. Here are a few things I may be working on this evening:

Such cute signs!

 

 favors!

love the DIY "poms"... just not sure I could pull off such a high degree of crafty

[via the pretty blog]

Sew cute (ha!). Not sure if I have the time for these (and then there's that little problem of me not being good at sewing anything. ever.) but perhaps a little puffy paint? My high school days of designing shirts for spirit days are calling....

Needless to say, my weekend is shaping up to be a bit full. Hope that yours is happy!

Love,

 Meg

In Bloom

So apparently my plans to post tons of nuptial brilliance here during my week-of-wedding-crazy actually translates to... silence. It's not that I haven't gotten a ton of things done this week -- everything from (finally) contacting a florist to finding the perfect dress for our "engagement" pictures (which are only about a year and a half late). I've sent a gazillion emails and texts, the bridesmaid dresses are thisclose to being ordered, and this afternoon we will have a decision for the invitation if it kills me. I've even managed to squeeze in a few other things: planning for my best friends' wedding shower on Saturday, talking with the rental agent for a house that Dan and I have our eye on, and even little things like the 8 hours of real work I'm expected to do each day. The only thing I haven't found much time for? Sleep. Oh... and blogging. Oops.

The biggest thing I've been losing sleep over lately is the flowers. Our wedding colors are dark grey (technically pewter) and a gorgeous light green that is essentially impossible to pinpoint (sage? clover? leaf? basil? The only thing we know for sure is that it's somewhere in the plant kingdom.) These colors look fantastic on paper goods, dresses, and even cake... but there is a general lack of pretty grey and green flowers in this world. While options for green bouquets do exist...

... I think I'd rather just carry a stalk of broccoli. Or maybe a cactus.

Instead, I'm looking mostly at white flowers. Specifically white flowers with prominent green stems and large petals -- I am not a fan of little flowers and would much rather have a simple bouquet of 6 larger stems than bunches of little tiny petals. I also know that I want my bridesmaids and I to carry a very small variety, and possibly even just one kind of flower. I love the clean look of a small, structured bouquet and kind of cringe at the ones that look like a field of wildflowers gone wrong.

So I've spend a lot of time on Pinterest (duh) looking at orchids:

peonies:

daisies:

white daffodils:

and my favorites, calla lilies:

 

and tulips:

 

*Important Note: I am very much aware that many of these flowers are out of season in September. In an effort to keep from completely falling apart from stress, I have chosen to pointedly ignore this fact. I am instead channeling my energy into hoping that our florist does, in fact, work magic. And possibly has a good greenhouse up her sleeve.

 

I've also thought about possibly incorporating another color, just to give me a few more choices. Although I'm not such a fan of mixing white flowers and dark red flowers, I do like the idea of using flowers that are white and dark red:

... and I also just love these gold and red calla lilies:

 

 The most intriguing bouquet additive I've found, however, has to be these:

I couldn't find a great picture, but this one gives you an idea of what I just might be thinking for my "something blue":

Just what I needed: another decision to make.

   Love,

    Meg

Operation: Wedding Blitz

It's never a good sign when you reach lunchtime on Monday feeling like you've already lived a few days since waking up. When despite the moderate amount you accomplished over the weekend, you feel like the few days "off" left you simply more aware of all the things you have to do and infinitely more stressed. When the volume of yawns emanating from your cubicle is sure to be driving your coworkers crazy, and isn't doing much to help your stress headache, either. When it's not just the number of single things on your to-do list that is daunting (that number has officially hit the stratosphere beyond "daunting" and is now floating somewhere in "terrifying"), but the number of categories said list includes. When you have already determined, this early in the day, that the possibility of a milkshake this evening may be the one and only thing that will get you through until bedtime with a smile...

In a crazy determined attempt to meet all of this stress head-on, I have declared this week a wedding blitz. I am pledging that by the end of the week, that damn list will be significantly shorter, my head will be a little less panicky, and I will be a much nicer person to live with (because the whole point of this crazy process is to still have a husband willing to re-marry me at the end). I am going to send the emails I've been putting off, make the decisions I've been struggling with, and fork over a whole lot more money to some of our amazing vendors. I am going to scour Pinterest and Etsy, create color-coded Google docs and calendars, and obsess over budgeting. I am going to continue to owe my sanity to bridesmaids M and N for all of their help and support. I am going to embrace the phrase "you can sleep when you're dead," and by the end of the week, I am probably going to be counting coffee as its own food group. I am going to get. things. done.

Throughout the week, I'll be posting wedding-type things around here: centerpieces and bouquets, engagement picture inspiration, invitations and programs and paper goods galore, and possibly even a chronicle of my search for the perfect green shoes for my lovely bridesmaids. Posts are likely to be short and sweet and full of pictures. If you're not into that kind of stuff, I apologize and hope you'll come back next week: by then, I'll either have the entire thing planned down to the tiniest details, or I will be face-down in a pint of Ben & Jerry's. Either should be interesting...

   Love,

    Meg

Quick and Easy Ways to Ruin a Thursday

Just in case you need a tutorial:

1. Schedule a holiday for Wednesday. Preferably one that involves sleeping late, lounging by the pool, enjoying excellent food with wonderful friends, cornhole, beer, a fire pit, and reluctantly driving home entirely too late at night.

2. Upon arriving home quite late on Wednesday night, forget the laundry started earlier in the day. Allow most of the clothes you own to wrinkle overnight.

3. Feel proud that you do remember to prepare breakfast for the next morning, knowing in advance that being alert at 6 AM is likely to be difficult, and will prove nearly impossible without coffee and oatmeal. Forget, however, that one key ingredient for said breakfast was a casualty of the Great Power Outage of 2012 (if I call it that, it means that there can't be another one this year, right?). Resign oneself to bland oatmeal.

4. Upon finally emerging from bed after hitting the snooze alarm one too many times, watch sadly as the cat repositions himself, curling up in your still-warm spot, yawning, and proceeds to lay his head directly on your pillow. Try not to curse the cat.

5. Once at the gym, step onto the elliptical for the billionth time this week. Select the same program as always (to give myself some credit, it is the hardest hill profile the damn thing offers). Look over at the treadmill mournfully, causing right leg to twinge with pain at even the thought of running. Try not to curse the leg.

6. Return from workout to find husband still happily asleep. Know that he is likely to remain in this state for another hour or two. Wish like heck that some days, you didn't have to be at work until 2 in the afternoon, either. Laugh because you know that means you'd have to work until 10 at night, and you are often asleep on the couch by 9.

7. Drive to work in sad old car with no air conditioning. Sweat through shirt for first time today in temperatures already steamy enough to prompt a heat advisory. Resolve to look again for a good deal on a new car that doesn't feel like a traveling inferno. 

8. Buy gas on the way to work. Ponder (for the gazillionth time) requiring that a new car run solely on electricity. Or water. Or love.

9. Arrive at work to a completely empty parking lot. Wonder if you're somehow early and have simply beaten everyone here. Realize that you are, in fact, a few minutes late, but that four out of every five employees have taken the next two days off.

10. Sit down at desk to write a to-do list. Complete one page and continue on to a second... and then a third. Fight the urge to crawl under the desk and hide from life and its responsibilities.

11. Dream of the weekend. Realize that the weekend is jam-packed with overcommitment, too. Realize that the rest of the month is similar. Realize that the rest of the summer, in fact, is going to be crazy. Realize that it actually extends past summer, through the much-anticipated September 28th. Dream of the honeymoon. Consider giving up a room with an ocean view for extra pillows on the bed.

Note: Can't say that I recommend following any of these procedures. Except maybe the first one... that was definitely worth it. 
Hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday!

   Love,

    Meg

Questions... Served Warm

First, a disclaimer: I make no promises on the quality of today's thoughts. After several straight days of triple-digit temps and 60+ hours without electricity at home, my brain has turned to sludge and I am not at all far from throwing my hands up and crawling into the refrigerator to cry alongside all of our melting food. What I lack in mental capacity, however, I make up in curiosity today. Unfortunately, few of the questions plaguing me today come with answers...

Why did most of our neighborhood celebrate the return of their power on Saturday morning... except for our building? It has been torturous the past few evenings to drive past all the happily lit apartments on the way to our dark and increasingly sauna-like home. In an effort to get the most out of a tiny breeze last night, hubs and I slept on the floor in front of our back door. It may have been slightly cooler (even though we had to close the door during the night when yet another loud storm barreled through), but my muscles are certainly expressing their displeasure this morning. The only silver lining is that our clubhouse does have power, so I was able to enjoy a chilly shower there (which beats an icy shower at home) after working out this morning. 

How long until my ice cream melts? We evacuated most of our food to my mom's extra fridge and freezer on Saturday evening, but I left the ice cream behind as a safeguard in case my core temperature gets too high. Nothing cools you down like a pint of Phish Food froyo.

Why do my legs hate me? After a few blissful months of pain-free running, my right leg decided to hit the brakes on such fun. It has been killing me since early last week -- a different pain than the one I endured for most of the winter, but every bit as frustrating. I have been spending lots of time on the elliptical, which seems to be helping some, but I am so sad when I think of the miles I had planned to cover in the past week.

When am I ever going to pick bridesmaids dresses? I had a little mini panic attack about this one yesterday. I've known basically what I want for a long time, but the procrastinator in me has had a really tough time nailing it down. Now I'm having nightmares about rush order fees and dresses that don't arrive on time and bridesmaids that get fed up and bail. Luckily, this question is easy to answer: today. I swear, cross my heart and hope to still have six bridesmaids who love me at the end of this.

Is summer over yet? I have had quite enough of this heat. My wardrobe can't keep up with this many daily episodes of I'm-too-sweaty-to-keep-wearing-this-and-even-though-I've-only-had-it-on-for-ten-minutes-I-have-to-change-clothes-immediately.

What is the best movie you'll see this year? Thankfully, this very important question also has an easy answer:

Go see it. No really... now. It's ok, I'll wait.

How on earth do those people move so fast? Between the swimming and track trials, I spent most of last week trying to pick up my jaw off the floor and steady myself from the whiplash I endured tracking some of the speediest athletes on the planet. Those people are incredible.

And finally, a rather time-sensitive question that I am currently headed off to answer: what's for lunch?

Happy Monday, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

Friday Favorites

You know it's going to be a weird day when breakfast is a bowl of soup (yep, that happened). Unfortunately, my Fridays have recently been the busiest days of the week... not exactly an ideal way to ease into the weekend. Today is no exception, with several back-to-back meetings and lots of things to get accomplished in between. Before all that gets started, however, there are a few quick favorites that I've been waiting to share with you. In brief:

I discovered and downloaded this song on Tuesday, and have already played it more than 100 times. No joke, I've had it on repeat all. week. long. I think I owe my firstborn to Pandora for knowing exactly what I want to fall in love with.

This article on being a military spouse is absolutely spot-on. If you are one, read it and just nod along. If you're not, read it for a rare opportunity to see life from our perspective.

Trials overload! Between swimming and track this week, I can barely keep up, but I am loving every second. This does not bode well, however, for the two week blitz that will be London -- perhaps my boss would grant me an extended vacation so that I can sit on my couch 24/7, basking in the glory that is Bob Costas? That man makes me inexplicably happy...

And finally, this:

happens tonight. Hubs and I already have tickets. I am beside myself with excitement.

Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

The Best Laid Plans

I had every intention of sitting down yesterday evening to write something meaningful. I planned to come home from a great run in my favorite spot, blog a bit, shower, and then head to the grocery store, getting home just in time to cook dinner before the hubs got home from work late yesterday evening. Somewhere along the way, I was going to return a few emails that have been sitting in my inbox for entirely too long, call my best friend to finally figure out some details of the shower I'm planning for her, throw in a few loads of laundry, paint my toenails, and make sure the puppy got out to the dog park to run around for a bit. I wanted to empty the dishwasher of the clean dishes that have been waiting patiently for days, pick up the shoes that are threatening a coup to take over our closet, swing by to get gas, and prep lunch for today.

HA.

Needless to say, blogging was perhaps the least important of the things I didn't get done yesterday. After a particularly miserable run (part blazing heat, part rebellious stomach, part unwelcome pain that has me threatening to disown my entire right leg again), I dragged myself home, frustrated and exhausted. The twenty minute break to refocus turned into thirty, which turned into an hour nap. I did at least wake up after that, but still found myself in the same spot more than an hour later. I kept telling myself to get up and shower, that grocery shopping would fix my terrible mood, that otherwise I'd regret wasting the evening. I knew that I shouldn't let a bad run ruin my day, that I was being lazy, and that bailing on my to do list would leave me scrambling later in the week. I knew all of this... and yet that little voice kept encouraging: stay here. relax. you need this. And perhaps I did need it. But I also needed to grocery shop... and twelve hours later, I still do.

I did eventually manage to empty the dishwasher, banish my shoes to just one corner of the closet, and, by some miracle, I had a homemade dinner waiting when hubs walked through the door (pasta continues to be the solution to most of my problems). And this morning, I've set myself up with a rather large cup of coffee, an upbeat Pandora station, and a renewed determination to knock out the tasks I so effectively ignored last night. Fingers crossed, I won't have to write another version of this post tomorrow morning...

   Love,

    Meg