Wedding Dress Shopping

Done. Check one more thing off the to-do list before June 8.

I have to admit I was not overly looking forward to dress shopping. I hate wearing a dress 99% of the time and would much rather wear jeans and a sweatshirt than a dress any day. Either way, I am getting married and it does require a dress (yes I know there are pant suit options and all sorts of other ridiculous options but really I should probably wear a dress to my wedding). I realize that this is the day (or months in some women's lives) that they look forward to since they are young girls. I on the other hand dreaded the idea of going wedding dress shopping. I hate shopping particularly for dresses, particularly fancy dress shopping where I feel pressure of one sort of another.

This past Saturday after the Fargo Mini Marathon, my mother, and a good friend and I headed out on what I knew would be a daunting task. I knew I had to try on what felt like a bazillion dresses. I had two appointments, one at a small bridal store and one at a all too common bridal store. I tried on what felt like every dress the small bridal store had and had two dresses (totally and completely different from each other) that I liked at the end of our time there. At store number two I tried on what felt like another bazillion dresses, although the nice part at store two was I didn't have to try on several styles of dresses as I had tried on those styles at store one and knew I hated them. All throughout the appointment we kept comparing every dress back to the two dresses from store one. After store two we went back to store one again and I tried on those two dresses again (twice each) and ended up picking one of the dresses. I had a really hard time choosing a dress, both were nice for sure. I wasn't sure how to choose which dress, I knew I wouldn't have the over the top experience that some people have that leave them in tears the moment that they put on a dress, but I was hoping that I would at least have teh gut feeling that "this is the one" and as I went back and forth between the two dresses the one I chose just seemed right.

I sort of am annoyed at the wedding industry most days, I find it obnoxious that their sizing required me to buy a dress that is four sizes bigger than my pant size, seriously, why can't they make their sizing normal?! I am also annoyed at how big of an industry it has become and I really am trying to not make this wedding over the top and materialistic. I really am trying to focus on what is important and not spend a ton and a half. I really am trying to keep it relatively simple. But I keep hitting a wall with the wedding world, it is a crazy crazy crazy world!

At the end of the day as annoyed as I am with the wedding industry I am jazzed that I have a wedding dress and don't have to go shopping for a dress again. I am thankful for friends and family who will witness to our wedding, hold us in prayer, and will help us as we journey into life as a married couple despite what the wedding industry is or is not.
 

May the odds be ever in your favor.

This post will be rambly for sure. Feel free to read on and enjoy the craziness of my mind this morning.

Confession: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Hunger Games, I was drawn in instantly, and I would like to note that I read them long before they became popular. The movie is good on its own as well, yes, I know there are lots of differences between the book and the movie.... however they must be viewed semi-separately. They can't include all the glorious details of the book in the movie it would be 65 hours long!Anyways... I love the books and the movie. I was captivated and drawn in.

Anyways... The phrase "may the odds be ever in your favor" frequently runs through my head. I text it to a few of my friends the morning of rally Sunday (kick off of Sunday school and really the fall church year), as I begin a run (in my head) I say it and everyone I pass I pretend is competing against me. When I get on the treadmill at the Y (which I try to avoid treadmills) I am totally racing the person next to me, it doesn't matter how long they have been on or if they are even walking, we are racing. Somehow this foolishness motivates me. Seriously. I am a strange duck I think.

I know the phrase doesn't work fairly quickly, no I am not out to kill everyone around me and I am not trying to be the last one standing, however some days the phrase just carries me. Yes, there are lots of other phrases that carry me that are probably much better however, I still love this one. I love the drive and the determination of Katniss to beat the odds and rise above when no one thinks she will. I love the way in which it is assumed she will not return and death will be the victor, I love that she faces the impossible and overcomes. I love that at the end of the day death will not be my victor either, I know that death (while still really really painful for friends and family of those who have died) does not have the final say rather life and life and life abundantly in and through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. There rests my hope, in the triune God, who continues to mold me and transform me, who continues to transform the world around me.

Totally unrelated: a dear friend of mine took some pictures of my fiance and I on Sunday (she supposidly isn't a professional photographer but rocks and could be if she wanted). Yesterday I got a cd of teh pictures and they are super fun! We had brought Dakota along and she played along really well. We had a blast hanging out at the arb and taking photos. Here are a few for you to enjoy. I love my sweet puppy and my fabulous fiance. I love the photos. It was hard to pick which ones to put up here, they all turned out amazingly. You may end up seeing a few more because I love them so much. Now to pick out which ones to hang in my house.

Do you have any phrases that motivate you?

What are your favorite books?

Sick

Dear sickness invading my body,
   You have had your four days and I am over you, okay so I am clearly not over you as I still feel like crap. I have tried going to the doctor (which for me is a huge step) and they say you are viral and there is nothing I can do other than let my body battle you. I am annoyed with you. My throat hurts and my nose is like a faucet. I am taking vitamin c to combat you as well as drinking far more water than I can fathom. Yesterday I tried to flush you out with over 150 ounces of water. Leave me alone.
    Truth be told what annoys me more than being sick is the training you are screwing up. Do you know that I am running a half marathon on the 20th? While I am thankful you didn't show up over that weekend, I am still over the top annoyed. I can't make up for the training lost or the miles I wish I had run. I can't make up for wanting to get in one more super hard long run and you screwed it up. Three-fourths of the way through you make me incapable of finishing what I had started, I was coughing and my throat stinging. You annoy me. GO AWAY and do not come back, you aren't welcome.
     When you leave please also don't go to anyone else. So far you have stayed away from my fiance (which I am not certain how as he as sat on the couch next to me as I coughed and coughed and coughed, not to mention he leans over and kisses me goodnight when he is leaving each night) please continue to do so. I need to keep training, I need to keep running, I need to be able to talk on the phone to run and not sound like I do. So please please please, leave me alone.
Love,
  Me

September Foodie Pen Pal

This month my foodie pen pal package was the gift that keeps on giving. I LOVED IT! I'll give ya the break down on my opinion of it all. I received my package from Bethany at One Girl's Taste On Life. (I am now following her blog as well, it is fun to read, I encourage you to check it out)

Apple Butter: Confession, I had never eaten apple butter until I got it in the mail. It was absolutely delightful. I find myself trying to not eat it on my toast every morning so it will last a little longer.

Apple Cider: Sooooo yummy, I have already had a couple cups. Sooo gooood, this time of year I can't help but just keep drinking it.

Garlic Butter: Delightful. My fiance thinks we need to eat a ton of pasta right now so we have an excuse to just eat the garlic bread with this amazing seasoning.

Grilling/Seasoning Rub: WONDERFUL blend of spices that taste AMAZING on both steak and burgers (all we have tried it on so far, but we are scheming up other things to try it on as well)

Evening Mocha Sachel: Definitely not edible but smells delightful! I put it in my living room and it spreads through my whole house.

Hickory smoked Bacon salt: My fiance tried this one before me, he attempted to take it back to his apartment before I even got a sample. It is great. She nailed it on the head of our love of bacon, (she saw on my blog earlier about baconfest and thought I would appreciate this bacon salt, and I definitely do!)


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Your package was amazing Bethany!!!

Evening Run

    Most eveings my fiance and I take Dakota (my sweet one year old golden retriever) for a walk. Last night as we were getting ready to head out on our walk we both happen to put on our running shoes to walk in (this is probably more rare than you anticipate, generally I am in flip flops, Marc is always in shoes). As we were starting out leaving my house, Marc began to jog, I think as a joke at first and I joined in. It was marvelous - the evening was cool - we both love a crisp night for a run and so we began to run together. It was fun to go out for an unexpected evening run. It wasn't record setting paces and we talked the whole time. Dakota thought she had died and gone to heaven, a second run in a day.
    Last night's run was liberating to a certain degree, I get caught up in what time I need/want to hit, and how many miles I need/want to run. I get caught up in the details of the run. I forget what first made me fall in love with running, the simple joy of being outside running, not the time or the distance, rather the love for running.
   We ran a good forty minutes or so (without the watch we sort of had to guess what time we left and we think we ran about forty minutes). I had a drawstring bag on my back (I was carrying my keys, cellphone, and bags to pick up after Dakota) - it was a little awkward and I would never choose to run with it - however last night in the midst of the improptu run it hardly phased me. I ran without an ipod (also a bit of a rare occurrance).
    I am thankful for last nights run for several reasons:

• it reminded me that a run doesn't always have to be about time or distance
• I love running short distances with Marc (he doesn't quite have the endurance or desire to go much further)
• the cool crisp air was a welcome guest after a hot and muggy summer
• I had an exhausted dog on my hands when we got home
• I enjoy running just to run

Kitchen Remodel - It is finished

It is finished (or nearly - I still want to replace the light fixture, but other than that I may be at the point that the kitchen is finished).

Last week while I was up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) my brother and fiance (still fun to say), finished my kitchen. They worked and worked and worked I imagine while I sat and swam and paddled and relaxed (I sort of feel guilty now but am MASSIVELY appreciative of them) - Cubby and Marc put up the tile in my kitchen! I came home and my kitchen looks like a million bucks! Literally I was floored! It looks awesome and I now have the desire to have lots and lots of people over.

Changes made to the kitchen since buying the house June 21, 2011:

• take down ugly lace-ish curtains
• replace window screens so I can open windows without bugs attacking
• paint all of the walls
• paint the ceiling
• change the light cover thingys (technical term for sure) on the light fixture
• remove gross old tile and put up new tile
• paint baseboards
• paint cupboards
• paint hardware for cupboards
• replace dishwasher
• replace counter tops
• put up new window trim

This is not the most amazing picture becuase it came off my phone while making
breakfast this morning but does give you a glimpse at a lot of what has been done
since moving into the house! YAY for a 99% completed project!