Who's the boss?

Definitely my cheesiest title so far. Nevertheless, I have to introduce...

The Embossing Heating Tool 2500

About a month ago, Michael and I entered a fancy new paper shop in Highland Village to pick up the only reasonably priced 5x7 brown envelopes in the city (The Paper Source - http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/index.html). While I'm much more of drive-thru shopper, Michael likes to browse. Normally, when a 10 minute trip to Target turns into an hour long trek, it drives me bonkers. This time the browsing paid off.

A salesperson was demonstrating embossing tools in the middle of the store and Michael was drawn in like a moth to the light. Twenty minutes later, we walked out of the store with our envelopes and an oddly phallic craft tool I was sure we use once and stuff in a drawer.

I was wrong.

You may have already received your invitation with a little "all you need is love" green embossed envelope.

And our DIY programs are exactly what we hoped for without paying someone else to create them. Here's a little peak:

Check out this site for Embossing 101: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/embossing/ss/heatemboss.htm

44 days and counting...

'Til Death Do Us Part

Monday night we went to the orientation for our Marriage Prep classes.

When we finally made it to the right room, I moseyed up to the front row of tables and looked back at Michael expectantly. He stood at the back table, shaking his head at me.

I defended myself, claiming, "I'm short... I have bad vision... I'm excited...!" Which only elicited a typical Michael response: "Teacher's pet".

We both retreated to the middle row and waited for the other couples to fill in. Once the orientation began, we listened attentively as the instructor tried scare us into calling off our engagement; doodled on our papers as she droned on about rules if you're getting married at St. Anne's; and eagerly accepted the FOCUS questionnaires she passed out when she finished.

Everyone getting married in the Catholic Church is required to complete a 150-question survey about your relationship, problem solving methods, and views on life, religion, marriage, and parenting. The priest or assistant then compares your results with your partner's and discusses the results with both of you at a later date. It is meant as a means of making you question your compatibility with your partner and realizing what you should discuss more in depth before you get married.

It is very beneficial. And very hilarious.

If we weren't getting dirty looks from the instructor as we doodled through her directions about organists and rehearsals, we certainly got them when we giggled throughout the FOCUS questionnaire.

"Agree, disagree, or undecided: Our deep love for one another with prevent us from encountering conflict"

"Agree, disagree, or undecided: My partner never annoys me"

"Agree, disagree, or undecided: My partner's moodiness will not have a negative impact on our marriage" (If you know me, you should rolling on the floor right now).

Of course they weren't all so comical, but we enjoyed ourselves nevertheless. We have three more classes to complete in August and we're both hoping they won't be too painful : )

Update

Yet again, I realized that it has been a while since I updated this blog. However, as I looked back over the entries to see what I've written so far, I discovered that I was right on time.

First blog - April 12th.

Second & third blog - May 12th.

Today - June 12th.

Weird. I'll try not to wait until July 12th for the next entry : ) This past month has been very busy! In personal news, I officially graduated, spent a lovely month working for Banana Republic, and accepted a full-time position with Family Services of Greater Houston. As of June 21st I will be a Counselor/Case Manager for their THRIVE program and I couldn't be more excited. Michael also started his first few weeks as a full-time teacher at the New School. He is figuring out this whole curriculum, centers, and assessment thing and is dedicated to his students as always. Degrees, salaries, getting married... it's like we're grown ups or something.

Today also marks 105 days until our wedding!

It feels like time is speeding up and we'll be old married folks in no time.

Last weekend, Michael, Michael, and I went to Men's Warehouse to pick out the tuxes. I have to say, it was nowhere near as exciting as shopping for my wedding dress. Lol. We flipped through a book and finalized the different pieces within minutes. By the time Michael #2 showed up, we were perusing the navy suits (yes, navy) for my Michael's wedding day attire. I think I am most excited about seeing Colin in his own matching navy suit : ) Hopefully he'll put up with it until after the pictures.

Other than that, we're down to some of the boring details. I reserved a hotel block for our guests, updated our knot page with some new pictures, made a few payments for vendors, and still don't have the flowers done.

Hopefully my next post will include some of our engagement photos taken by my wonderful brother-in-law, Luke (hint, hint). For now, we'll leave you with our Save the Date mock up which we had way to much fun making.

Compliments of Lukas Horton Photography

Fields of Green ((and purple) and ivory)

I started writing my account of a particularly frustrating wedding flower experience last Friday. The more I wrote, the less I wanted to read my own blog. Instead, below is more of my 'ode to flowers' and a little preview of what I hope to see come September.


I love flowers.


A lot.


For a while during my wealthy, care free days of undergrad (lol), I tried to keep fresh flowers in my dorm room at all times. Most of the time this consisted of the clearance $4.99 bunches from Kroger and I had to broaden my definition of "fresh". Still, there is nothing like picking up a bouquet of flowers along with my lean cuisines to brighten my day.

Tulips. Hydrangas. Random flowers I couldn't tell you the name of if I tried.

I love them all.

Mostly.

I still hate carnations.

I've curbed my habit over the past two years or so. Still, flowers are my special treat. If I had a bad day, finished a huge assignment, or feel particularly happy, I can't resist a quick trip to the Whole Food flower department.

Our wedding flowers will hopefully be some sort of combination of what you see below!

Mmmm... I think the Whole Foods flower department is calling me.

Happy Wednesday!

The Finale

I had every intention of updating this at least once or twice a week. Then the last few weeks of graduate school laughed in my face. But, I'm back and I'm done.

Totally. Completely. 100%. DONE.

Masters - check. License - check. Crying through the streets of downtown as I walked back to my car - check. I didn't expect to be emotional when I finished my exam. It's hard to describe the overwhelming relief I felt the moment I clicked "finished" and saw "PASS" come up on the screen. It was the culmination of six long years in one moment. I am a social worker. And it feels fabulous.

As a mark of my complete "done-ness" and fancy new letters, I got my very first graduation/wedding present today:

I love it.

I also celebrated a short break from work this weekend by buying a few things for the wedding.














Mason Jar candles for some of the tables.

Token bike decoration for Michael and my table.


Look out later this evening for a post on my flower frustrations! I'm gonna do it. I promise. Probably.

The year of the "M"s.

Masters.

Moving.

Marriage.

Mutt.


We have so many countdowns going simultaneously, it's getting hard to keep track. Graduation - 31 days. Moving into our new apartment/house - 135(ish) days. Getting married - 165 days. The long awaited puppy - 256 days (Christmas). It's unbelievably exciting and a little overwhelming. It's going to be a full, crazy next few months and I want to soak in every bit of it.

So, let's start this adventure with another "M" - motivation. This week I started a "Five for Five". I've been slacking in my regular workouts over the past month or so and I need to get back on track. In an effort to force myself into a routine, I will work out five days a week over the next five weeks. It will finish the day before my graduation so I can relax and indulge (mostly) guilt free! I kicked it off with a 2.8 mile run on Sunday and am headed to bed now so I can do it again tomorrow. I have in my mind that the more people I tell the more likely I am to actually do this. Here's hoping I'm right!