How to Help Haiti

This is an unashamed rip off from one of my favorite blogs of a roommate from long ago, and a dear friend Emily.  She led us to this link whose proceeds go 100% to Partners in Health who have dedicated their site to helping Haiti.  So, beyond being trendy, you can help in a manageable way.  So, for a cool $15, make a difference.

Planning

I feel a little bit like a girl playing a grown up game.  Planning my wedding is a little bit like playing dress up.  I am talking about throwing the party of my life, mostly at the expense and pain of someone else, I just wear a pretty dress??? Something seems very off about all of this.  I am not going to lie, it’s been an intense 10 days of conversation, compromise and negotiation, mixed with squeals, moments of absolute disbelief and surrounded by a humble overwhelmedness that I am getting to marry someone that I feel like I absolutely do not deserve.

We’ve been calling people and asking them if they are free a certain weekend and then asking them to be in the wedding.  And by we’ve, I mostly mean I… I am not sure what Justin’s deal is, but he’s kind of running a little slow on it, I am not really sure why, but as people keep telling me.  It will all happen and there’s really nothing to worry about.

I can see why couples don’t make it through this.  It’s a lot.  And we have to take it from such different directions.  And we have different paces and different priorities.  Not the easiest thing to navigate.  I guess that’s the point of this time though.  I am sure we’ll be bigger stronger people after all of it…

So that’s your post today from a girl who has spent no less that 20 hours on the phone in the last three days and spent 12 of her hours today with humans under the age of 10.  And now I am supposed to play dress up and plan a wedding.  Right.  I am going to listen to Taylor Swift and practice my awkward dancing.

Marc Bernstein and Boston Shopping

So I found these at Mint Julep at Coolidge Corner the other day and thought they were beautiful. He’s a designer out of NYC, and they are relatively reasonable priced. If you’re a Boston reader… check them out. Also Mint Julep, who is having their annual sale. As well, if you’re into much more reasonably priced clothes 2nd Time Around is having their winter sale and they have some great winter stuff on sale at the Newbury stores, I’d pass up the Harvard Sq store… but that’s just my opinion. If you’re wondering why I am such an expert, I’ve just started writing for Haute Boston, a Boston fashion blog, and if you’ve been to Boston, you know how desperately they need a fashion blog. OK, back to the kiddos, iPod time is almost over.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Taylor Swift

So yesterday the family that I have started working on Thursdays for called me and asked if I could do the whole day. I agreed, and ended up curled up in bed with one of the sweetest little girls I have ever encountered. We watched Taylor Swift, we talked flour girl dresses. She was precious.

Today, her brother, my favorite child from the 2nd grade crew at my school asked to stay home and we just finished a sock matching party, followed by a sock shoot off where we shot over 60 unmatched socks into a bag… This was after chocolate chip pancakes. What a sweet life!

OK, gotta go work on a challenge assignment and math drills.

Always a bridesmaid…

No more.

He proposed. Saturday. We had brunch with our Saturday brunch bunch, then we randomly went to the Samuel Adams Brewery for a tour, which involved so much laughter… We were planning on going out to Holden to hang out with my family and what was planned for Tuesday night became a Saturday afternoon event. He drove me to the pond where he first knew he could love me, where he thought he could marry me. We journeyed through the snow, I sat on a very cold bench and through shivering and emotion he asked me to marry him.

We ran back to the car. There were tears and excitement. Phone calls and then on to Holden to celebrate with my Aunt, Uncle and cousin.

It’s been a multiple day celebration culminating in an enjoyment of the original plan last night, concluding in drinks by the fire at the Four Seasons where I first told him I liked him, where we first broached the topic of our future and where the decision to go home and meet each others family was made. These have been some of the sweetest days of my life and after 18 bridesmaids dresses, I am finally going to be a bride.

I adore him. He is everything I never knew I was looking for and more than I thought I deserved. We’re in preliminary wedding negotiations and are hoping to start to develop a more stable plan in the next week. We’re thinking sooner than later, and probably not Boston, and maybe a couple of other places, but as soon as we know details, I promise we’ll let you know.

Please Come to Boston

We went to family New Years dinner at La Traviata on Congress last night. It’s kind of our little family place. It was a wonderful dinner waiving a heartfelt goodbye to 2009 and celebrating the New Year. As we walked in I saw this billboard and as you all know, I love Shiner. It felt like a great big TEXAS LOVES YOU to me. That’s the Frost Bank building in the back ground. I love Texas, I love Austin. I love being home. Hope you enjoy the shot as much as I did.

Phillip Niemeyer | Picturing the Past 10 Years

Sorry it’s so small, I haven’t really mastered wordpress yet and pictures always seem to be a major challenge for me. But you can click here to see the original in readable original size.

Julie and Julia

I think we all feel like we’ve got a story to tell, we’re just not sure what it is. Isn’t that the truth? You ask someone to tell you something about themselves and they search for something that feels significant. Relevant. Interesting. Justin and I have been talking a lot lately about what I am going to do with my life. He wants me to write, he wants me to take pictures, he wants me to sit there and look pretty. No, seriously. To be honest there are moments where I think he may truly believe that I should be a part time model.. So, as I watched Julie and Julia tonight I thought of us. FOR SURE Justin suggested a cooking blog, A COOKING BLOG. I mean really? Direct quote, “Justin, no one would read it.”

Same topic, scene two. My “parents” – you have to know me to get further explanation as they do not like (read abhor) when I post personal information on my blog. I want to write, and I truly believe that people want to read reality, alas it has become dangerous for me and for my future employment (which we all know I need) to write all about life on here. No less, they don’t like when I write about them my personal life on my blog…

So, I’ve been in quite a blog quandary. What the hell do I write about. Let’s be real. My life as a substitute teacher is just not that interesting. But I had an idea tonight… I am not sure that it’s one any of the above three people will love. But I think it’s relevant, interesting and relate-able. I’m going to pitch it to Justin and we’ll see how it goes.

I love Lighthouse

So as you guys have noticed I have gotten into photography. I would say it is a God inspired outlet for creativity. I always have said that I am not an artist, but an appreciator of art. Well, photography has been the one place where I feel like I can actually see a bit of creativity in my genes. One of the blogs that most inspired me was McMama. She is doing a contest to give away Lighthouse, and I earn an extra entry if I blog about it, but I would also say, check her blog out, it’s incredible.

Also. I broke my foot yesterday, and by foot I mean toe, and by toe I mean my pinkie toe, and by broke I mean I stubbed the hell out of it. I stepped down the stairs into our living room at my family’s home in Austin. While I was away in Germany they bought a new couch that is a little longer than our old one and in my tired morning state my toe caught the corner wooden leg and I heard it snap as it went totally sideways. It was pretty awful and yesterday was one of the more miserable days of my life in the way of sickness and pain, but I am thankful to have woken up this morning to less sharp throbbing and more dull pain. Thank God, because when I was laying on the bathroom floor in cold sweats and throwing up yesterday I was pretty sure that I couldn’t take it, but I’ve decided to not take the pain medication and bear with it, and I’m feeling worlds better.

So that’s the news from Austin. Ready to enjoy the weekend with my family and head Monday to Little Rock to meet Justin’s family… Whoa. What’s happening in my life???

Love you all. I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season. Including a couple pic of the fam and Christmas.

I know it's magical.

A few pictures from life lately

Here’s a little slide show with some little portals into lately! Just click on the picture and it will take you to the album.

Life Lately