Proof

September 30, 2010 11 Comments

We’re getting married because we love each other, want to spend our lives together, blah blah blah.

But we’re also in it for the presents.

Because honestly, we want desperately need certain things, like a rolling pin:

If you’re having a hard time reading the caption on the picture, or identifying what in the world is happening, let me shed some light:
I recently used a can of aerosol hairspray (IN a gallon-sized ziploc bag) in place of a rolling pin to roll out pizza dough.

Oh yes, I totally did that.
And I’m proud of my resourceful skills.
But please, someone, buy us the rolling pin off our registry.
And while you’re at it, feel free to provide us with anything for our kitchen.
I wonder how many times one can reuse the cottage cheese containers before the plastic seeps into your food…
Our substitutions are crafty, but might be legally deemed unsafe by the Board of Health.

(PS: a HUGE thanks to my sister and her family for gifting me a mandoline slicer so we can stop borrowing our neighbor’s or mutilating veggies with our Ikea knives. woot.)

Filed Under: baking, BlogBook, registry

The Best Present

September 28, 2010 13 Comments

This past weekend my birthday celebrations kicked serious butt.  I enjoyed myself entirely and felt so loved.  However, a birthday wouldn’t be a birthday without presents (let be honest, here).

Mike totally stresses about what to get me every year.  And I admit, I’m hard to buy for and to surprise.  Mike tried countless times to get “that reaction” of amazement and total awe, and has come very close. So this year he went the safe route of running a few ideas by me.  If he went with his gut-feeling without asking me, all would be well, because I loved everything.

However there is one thing I loved above all else.
And it only cost $2.99.

The card.

“Hopeless Romantic” & “Mike” will only ever be found together in this sentence.
(But I like him that way, because sappy stuff makes me uncomfortable)

His inner Romeo came out.


His card is the one in front, with the silly-cat-face and “Wife” on it!

Take a closer look:

He wrote “future” before “wife.”

Alone, that card made my birthday.
I am so lucky to have him as my “future” husband!

Filed Under: birthday, BlogBook, love, Mike

Winner, Winner & My Chicken Dinner

September 27, 2010 6 Comments

Thanks to everyone who entered the Simple Green and Jammie Girl giveaways!  These were my largest and most successful giveaways, to date! Thanks also for all the birthday love!

Enough exclamation points. Onto the winners:

For the Simple Green giveaway, the winner of 7 bottles of their Simple Green Naturals line is:

Laurie Murley!

For the Jammie Girl Store Pajama giveaway, the winner of a pair of Malabar Bay Jammies in Flamingo White is: 

Joanna of Raising Madison!

Winners have been notified via email and have 48 hours to reply.
Congrats, ladies!

Now the chicken dinner part of the title.
My 29th birthday marked the end of a different era for me – my time as a vegetarian.  I failed as a veggie, but I’m ok with this.

I wanted to eat as a vegetarian because of how I felt during a 2 week detox, 2 years ago. I realized how great your body feels when you eat many vegetables and less meat.  However, my stint as a vegetarian was not quite like my 2 weeks of detox.  Either out of laziness or ease of planning, I ended up eating more cheeses, dairy products, and carbohydrates.  My doctor constantly worried about my sources of protein, iron levels and cholesterol. I constantly pushed him off, telling him I would manage it better, but never did. 

Now as I prepare for the wedding, having gone to a dermatologist to treat my red-blochy skin (lovely, I know), I hear something similar from that doctor and my allergist.  Three doctors are urging me to eat a more well-rounded diet, instead of my carb/cheese and a side of veggie fest.

In fact, my allergist thinks my skin issues are directly related to food intolerance.  I’m back on the meat train.  (Those of you who really know me and my love of chicken wings know I was never really 100% OFF the meat train). 

However my allergist wants to do a true blood test, and so for 2  weeks I am on a hypoallergenic diet.  It’s honestly not going to be that bad (I say this on day one), but the lack of coffee might kill me.

Wish me luck on my rice-based, chicken infused, still complete with veggies and fruit, but lacking tea and coffee madness of a diet.  In two to three weeks I’ll find out if allergies are just as silly as being a vegetarian!

Filed Under: diet, winner

Happy Birthday to Me!

September 24, 2010 10 Comments
Today I celebrate my 29th birthday!  
 {source}

This is truly exciting, because after this year I plan on celebrating the anniversary of turning 29, for years to come.  Without going on about how icky I could potentially feel about being almost done with my 20′s, I give you a very special birthday treat: a post written by my parents.

I asked dear Mom and Dad if they would contribute and within 6 hours their post came, ready to go!  I wish I inherited their readiness and punctuality.  As a side note, before you read, I only had the privilege of knowing one of my grandparents – my Grandma Anna.  I cherished my time with her and am proud to read what is below.
And so, here’s what Betty and Marty (don’t you just adore their names?) had to say about the baby of their family, me:

Vicki – From the View of her Parents:

We named her after her two grandmas Victoria and Anna.  In  our mind we hoped that she would do credit to her heritage and memory of her grandmas, who worked hard and had the great respect as ones who helped others.  You never know what your child will do, but hope to instill some values that will serve to help your child as well as help others.  values of a work ethic and assistance to others, like her grandmas.

Growing up she captured the attention of many folks.  To illustrate, many wanted her to watch their little ones before she was even out of grade school!  What a good sitter for all those children in our neighborhood.  She gearned her “baby sitter’s certificate” at age 11 or 12, who knows exactly the age because it seemed like everyone wanted to have Vicki babysit with her games and planned activities.  We wondered who this little business person and educator was.

In her senior year of high school she was president of chorus and showed great leadership abilities.  She could sing.  But more so, she was a leader and knew how to take care of others; like grandmas do.

Then she wanted to be a teacher.  How proud she made her mom, who is a teacher at a local community college.  Graduation from college and then on to a second grade teaching assignment.  Again taking care of children.  Like Grandma.

Now the wedding bells are on their way.  Hopefully God will shine upon you and give you children of your own.  Then a few children for Vicki’s children.  Vicki then as a grandma.

Love you, and we are proud of you because you are you. 
HAPPY birthday!
Mom & Dad

 Baby Vicki and Mom

pppppp ssss: don’t forget my two birthday giveaways end tonight!

Filed Under: birthday, BlogBook, family, last name love

Press Your Luck

September 23, 2010 8 Comments
 ”Fate: It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do with what happens to you”
-Aldous Huxley

My life is in a golden spot right now.
I hate to brag.  I scold my students for boasting and going-on when others’ spelling grade scores are below their’s. 
But, ya’ll?  There are some beautiful things coming my way that I must share with you.
Despite the car accidents, the brother-in-law’s dog passing (RIP Luckster), the wedding planning stresses, and the silly-every-day frustrations, there is good to be found.

Take a look:

We went to yet another seemingly-boring-yet-dotted-with-interesting-vendors bridal showcase this weekend. (Watch/Susbscribe to WeddingWire.com for free tickets to such events)  We put our name/number in boxes for the “big” drawings.  I encouraged Mike to stay away from the cheesy photographers prize packages because if we won I don’t know how to say “No I think your work looks like a Disney movie so thanks but no thanks.”  We need a cheap videographer and a photographer, but not a cheap looking one.

The next day I received a phone call from a financial planning organization, saying we won their package from this weekend’s showcase.  I ignored the message, thinking everyone who put their name in the box won.  Then an email came the next day – a REAL email from a real person: our new financial representative.  Because we won!
We won a $1500 financial planning package.

And wowsers do we need it:  Mike’s in one of the most expensive grad schools in the nation, with government loans, for two years; I earn a public school teacher’s salary without a masters’ degree (my own doing, I admit); we need to join accounts; we own property and want to move to eventually start a family when Mike’s done with school.

Oh and I forgot to fess up: I don’t have a retirement plan.
Stop yelling at me now.  I will have one soon, thanks to this divine intervention.

———————
And then there’s this:
A couple weeks ago I heard of a destination photographer’s wedding giveaway.  I will honestly enter any blog giveaway out there, so long as it makes sense for my lifestyle and doesn’t ask too much of me.  So I entered Kristen Steele’s Photography giveaway.  It required me to recount our engagement story.  And you all know that Mike’s engagement will win him (almost) any fight for the next 10 years to come. (Sorry honey, only 10 years.  Everything has an expiration in life).
I entered the contest, hoping to win, because I do love Kristen’s work.  I wanted this giveaway for more than the thrill of winning and wedding cutting costs.  I wanted it for the photographer.
Weeks went by and I heard from Kristen: we’re the runner-up! 
This means we get her destination wedding package for half the price, but need to pay for her travel costs.   Unfortunately this still came out to the price of my favorite local photographer.  I told her we needed to think on it.
Then she emailed me again, saying she felt foolish, but the original winner declined.
We are now the winner of an estimated value $4000 photography package!  We still need to pay her travel expenses, but it comes out to less than anything we scoped out here in DC.

Kristen and I skyped last night, and she’s a gem.  I heart her.  We still need to work out some logistics, but I feel like we are on to something good, here!

I’m a firm believer in taking chances.  If you don’t try, you don’t know.
And lookie lookie – it worked!

So, are you feeling lucky?  My two giveaways (Simple Green Naturals & Jammie Girl PJs) end tomorrow!

Filed Under: BlogBook, moolah, photography, winner

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