Excuse my delay...

Wow, it’s been awhile!  I got caught up in life for a bit there.  There have been some major changes (nothing involving new bling, though), between me leaving my previous job, getting offered a job at 3:30 pm on my last day of work, packing up my apartment, celebrating my birthday, moving all my stuff to my parents’ house (boo), and then staying at Dino’s place so I could be closer to my new office…  It’s been crazy!  I’ve been trying to seriously cut back on my wedding-blog-stalking, especially at my new office (good impressions and all!), but I still catch up during lunch or at home.  But it’s helping me be a little less obsessed.  Probably good in the long run!

I’m not trying to make this blog a “when’s he going to propose” kind of thing, but I thought I’d note that the big holiday season has now passed.  Christmas, New Year’s, our anniversary, Valentine’s Day, and my birthday are all within about 2 months, so it seems like the perfect time.  But I guess there doesn’t need to be a special day to get engaged; it would be a special day in and of itself.  So I really want to forget about it altogether!

Anyway!  For some reason I’ve been noticing and thinking a lot about favors.  Wedding favors are kind of a weird thing in my opinion.  You invite guests, they bring you a gift usually, but you feed and entertain them.  I almost feel favors are unnecessary and extra expense, and usually are pretty dumb.  I don’t think most people want trinkets with your names and your wedding date on them.  The only favors that seem reasonable are edible ones!  People will enjoy those at least.  I like the idea of making something delicious to hand out.  I saw one couple that made beer bread mix, packaged in large beer bottles, that was adorable (Mrs. Pretzel on Weddingbee!), but I also like the idea of homemade beer and/or Jones Sodas with personalized labels (for the non-drinkers).  Plus Dino loves beer and loves brewing his own beer.  Or there are always cookies (I make amazing chocolate chip cookies that would be great to make the dough ahead of time, then bake the day before).  

Another thing – everyone says to avoid doing everything yourself, but I really feel a desire to do some things, like make the cake or favors or some food, because I enjoy it and I think it would be extra special that way!  I’ll probably change my mind once I’m actually planning a wedding, but it would be fun in my mind right now.  I absolutely love to bake, though, and really like to share what I make with others – what better excuse than a wedding?  Hopefully my friends will think of me and ask me to bake for their weddings in the future…  J  Plus something about knowing that any issues were my fault and not the result of hiring someone who wasn’t capable makes me feel better.  I have a thing with being responsible for my own stuff.  (It actually translates to my work too – I don’t think I’m a very good team player sometimes because relying on others so much and having them rely on me makes me nervous, but excelled at school because if I didn’t do something or did something wrong, it was only my own fault and I was the only one responsible.)  So yeah. 

Okay, that's all I have for now!  I'm trying to get back on track now that some major things are over, although I still have to find a new place to live and move in...  yikes!

The Dino-man

I want to introduce you to my love, "Dino" as I call him here.  This boy is wonderful.  He's my first real boyfriend (I don't think the high school "boyfriend" I had counts...), but somehow he's turned into the one guy I want to be with forever.  We met via the internet (oooh, online dating....), and I had NO expectations.  I thought he'd be a nice guy to meet, have some fun with, gain some love experience, and just basically met him on a whim (he was also the 3rd guy I met from that dating site, the first two turned out to be duds, so I didn't really think anything would happen with Dino).  Boy was I unprepared for him!  I was really cautious and tried not to fall for him very quickly, but before I knew it we'd been dating for 6 months, were going on a cruise together, and had said the L word.  I hardly knew what was happening, I wasn't a boyfriend kind of girl and here I was in a long term relationship!

On maybe our 5th date, he told me that he was hoping to get married soon, since all his friends were married, one couple with a kid already.  It totally freaked me out.  I was so not ready to even think about marriage.  After a year, I started thinking about it more, and thought I was ready to at least start hoping a little, and then a couple months later we started talking about the possibility.  Nothing concrete, just the idea of someday.  Now it's been two years, and I'm thinking about it more than ever.  We talk about it occasionally too.  I was watching a wedding horrors show, and he said something about how I will be the best wedding planner ever, since I watch all these wedding shows - if he only knew!

He also asked one time, while drunk, what kind of a ring, if someone were to buy me one, I would like...

A long time ago, we had a discussion about living together.  We don't live together, but also decided we won't live together until we're married.  We talked about it a bit, but I think my main reason is that if we lived together, nothing would change once you got married.  There was also the issue of jobs (we work in different cities) and he has a roommate.  But mainly it would be nice to have something distinctly different once married, something that makes you feel different all around in your life.  So yeah.  It would be NICE, especially since I am losing my job and moving back to my parents' house (long story...), but I wouldn't want to break our agreement and force him into anything he wouldn't want!

Anyway, there you go, a little history on us and our relationship.  I truly love the boy, and am really hoping and excited by the idea of being together forever, once that happens!!

Already?

So last night I had wedding dreams.  Let me remind you - I'm NOT even engaged!!!  But nonetheless, wedding dreams.  It is also interesting that I spent the night alone.  Anyway, to the dream.

I dreamt that I had two weeks to plan a wedding, so it was already rushed and crazy.  Then the wedding day arrived, and it was weird and we were rushing around, and the venue was this restaurant overlooking water.  There was an upstairs area for getting ready, and my hair was a mess, and I almost wasn't ready in time, and was rushing around to get prepared.  The weird thing was the ceremony - it was a two part ceremony, but for some reason, Dino (let's call my boyfriend Dino, okay?) and I weren't allowed in the first part, so we were hanging out upstairs and peeking in during that part.  It was really strange.

I think I had a second dream about weddings too, but I can't really remember it anymore (I knew I should have written it down as soon as I woke up!!).  I think it had something to do with me telling Dino about my wedding blog obsession, and then him proposing.  But I'm not positive.

Waking up, that was so weird.  I almost wonder if it is related to starting this blog...  Silly me! 

The Obligatory "Hello, and Welcome!"

Hello, and welcome!

I realize that pretty much 0 people will read this first post anytime soon, but should someone be at all like me, eventually it will be read!  I have the habit of discovering blogs, going back to the first post, and reading every. single. post.  It's quite time consuming, but I enjoy it.

So years and years and years ago, I had a livejournal account that was open to everyone, then slowly I became more worried about privacy, and closed it off, first allowing friends to read it, and now no one can.  But I love the idea of someone out there reading my words, however unsignificant they may be.  Plus I have an idea of a theme finally!

I have a confession.  I am addicted.  Super addicted.  To wedding blogs.  Yep, wedding blogs.  Pictures of pretty dresses, DIY decoration tutorials, theme and color ideas, recaps of all events, pretty flowers, and everything else that goes along with it.  The confession part?  I am not even engaged.  Nope!  No ring on my finger.  I do think it might be somewhat excusable, as I have been with my wonderful boyfriend for over two years, and we have discussed marriage a bit, and we're pretty much on the same page as to where the relationship is going.  So at some point, I do expect to be engaged, and I'll have a head start, right?  I've even started writing down ideas in a notebook!  Wow, that is kind of pathetic, but I just can't stop reading the blogs! 

Hopefully at some point this will evolve into a wedding blog itself, just to document my own foray into the wedding world.  I do realize that a wedding day is just one day.  And I am fully aware that the marriage is way more important than the wedding.  I am sure I want to be married someday, more than just have a wedding, but that doesn't mean I can't throw a rockin' party to celebrate such a momentous occasion! 

So I don't think I'll be posting a TON for now, unless I happen upon interesting things I want to share, but I am hoping this blog might evolve to give it more of a purpose.  I hope you enjoy!