So Many Things

There are too many things I want to try. I am currently trying out making jewelry. So far, it's been going pretty well. I'm learning a lot, and the stuff I'm making keeps getting better.

I'm also trying out knitting and making cards. Both are kinda difficult for me since I'm more of a numbers and data person, but I'm trying to bring out my creative side.

But it's not just crafts that I want to try. I was to explore Washington state. I want to going hiking more. I want to try backcountry skiing, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. I want to write a novel, publish a cookbook, open a bakery.

And yet, there seems like there is no time for all of that.

How do you fit in all of your hobbies? Did you ever have to give any up? 

I have a feeling I'm gonna have to do some serious sorting.

I really should..

I really should post more stuff on here. My life has been changing so much so quickly in the past month that I almost wish time would slow down so I could enjoy it more. Since I can't change the speed of time, I'll just make a quick recap and then try to post more when new stuff happens, so I can look back and remember everything!

1. Tim got a new job! His current (and soon to be old!) boss is such a jerk, tells him that he is working too hard and making everyone else look bad and then a month later expects him to work 1 to 2 hrs overtime everyday and come in on weekends! His boss would spend his days playing games on his computer while shoving all his work off onto Tim. So Tim had enough and applied for a job at a couple of other places and he got an interview at a place he had interviewed at before he graduated, but just never heard back from the company. The amazing part was that he got a job offer from them about half an hour into the interview! And the super cool thing is that 4 of his close friends from college all work there. So now instead of him working nearly 50 miles away from me (and each of us commuting 40 min or more each day!), he will now be working only 15 miles away!


Which brings me to number 2....
 

2. We are going to buy a house! Since we no longer are required to live halfway between our jobs, we are going to move to an area that is about 2 minutes from his parents, 5 minutes from my parents, 10 minutes from my cousin (who is like my older sister) and 10 minutes from my grandparents! I'm so excited to be near my family again. I'm really close to all of them, and I've been so far away for 4 years now. But first we have to find a house that works for us. We can't decide if we want a cheaper fixer-upper that we can customize to our liking, or a more expensive house that is already super nice. What to do????

And now number 3:

3. I bought my wedding dress! Well, possible wedding dress. But that means that I'm actually starting to plan my wedding. I've put it off for over a year now and I was dreading planning the whole shin-dig. Now, it seems like everything is falling into place. Isn't that just the best feeling?

Oh and here is a picture of my (possible) wedding dress:

Ain't it pretttyyyyyy?

Outdoor wedding in mid-September.. gotta be prepared for the mud!

Hmm.. does anyone think that cowgirl boots won't clash too much?

Oh and I totally promise to start posting my cooking. I've been in a cooking rut, with lots of takeout lately, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. And I found my missing third desk lamp so now my light box shouldn't have the weird shadows anymore. So tomorrow, expect Tortellini in Chicken Broth. Yum!

Have a totally fantastic day!

Planning a Wedding

I’ve been engaged for over a year now and haven’t planned a single thing for my wedding. That’s pretty bad, huh?

I just don’t like planning big events. Small events like a dinner, or a small birthday party are easy. A wedding for 200 people? I’m shaking in my boots!!

I want a simple and easy wedding, but I really don’t know where to start. I have lots of ideas, and I know how I want my wedding to be, but I just can’t figure out what to do first. I’m sure if I just cleared a whole weekend out, I could plan the whole thing. My wedding is going to be that simple. 

For those who have planned a wedding (their own or someone else’s), what was the first thing you did? How long did it take you to plan the whole shindig?

And is it too redneck to have a potluck instead of providing food? It would certainly fit right in with my family, but the other people that we are inviting might not be too keen on the idea.

So many choices! It’s mindboggling!

If you have any advice, I’d be glad to hear it. I just really should get going on planning my wedding!

*All photos taken by Kelly Bailey, my future brother-in-law and my wedding photographer.

Mini Calendar

Ever since I was little, I have tried to make journaling a habit. It never stuck, unfortunately. I would buy a brand new, gorgeous notebook to write in, find my favorite pen, sit down to write, and get stuck with a blank page. What do I write? When I was still living at my parent's house, I didn't want to write down anything that would incriminate me. But what else does a 16 year old girl write about? The test that she did really well on? I certainly didn't want that to be all that I wrote about.

So I gave it up for a while. Then, when I started college, I tried again. Did it stick? Nope. Not that anything exciting happened to me while I was at college. I studied, played Rock Band with my dorm neighbors, studied some more, read cookbooks and dreamt of having my own kitchen, but that was about it.

Now that I'm out of school and I have a full time job, my life has gotten even more boring and predictable. So how in the world am I going to write more than a paragraph on my day? Most days, it would read, "Tested more samples today, Dave (the talkative guy in the office) talked too much again, got most of my work done, came home, cooked dinner, cleaned, went to bed."

Wahoo.

I'd pretty much given up the notion of trying to keep track of my everyday boringness when I found this.

It's so perfect for me! A little place to write a one liner about the most exciting thing of my day. I can work with that.

Mine of course, doesn't look so amazingly good, but it's getting there. So for you all out there who have trouble keeping a daily journal, try this little mini calendar! I'm sure in like 5 or 10 years, I'm gonna be so glad I made it.

Enjoy!

Starting New

Like everyone else, I've got some New Year's Resolutions. Most are the typical exercise more, eat better, sleep more, etc. I've been trying to think of some other good ones, and finally have a small list.

I would like to get outside more. I spend way too much time inside, especially in winter, and I live near such beautiful mountains with skiing for the winter and miles of trails for the summer. There are also beaches and lots of rivers to walk along. There really is no excuse to not be outside! So my New New Year's Resolution #1 is to take advantage of the outdoors.

#2 involves being grateful for everything I have. I'm constantly looking to the future (almost too much) and I tend to wish I had things that I can't afford (like a house!), while forgetting that I have a great job that will someday let me have that house and a wonderful soon-to-be husband who loves me no matter what. I also forget that I am lucky to have most of my family so close and that I get along with everyone in my family.

#3 is going to be a tough one. Ever since I was little, I have always been very shy and quiet. I'm more of a listener than a talker, and I think this has made making new friends really difficult for me. I recently went out on a limb and went to dinner with 4 complete strangers that were part of a group I joined almost 6 months ago but never attended. It's was a little frightening, but in the end, I had fun. I would like to be able to make new friends and open up more. It's gonna take a lot of work, but I think in the end it will be worth it.

What are your unique New Year's resolutions?