Vegas, baby!

Hello, blog friends. Just a quick post to let you know that tomorrow bright and early (err... today, I mean, in about 6 hours to be exact) I will headed to Sin City for my annual buying trip for the store. Yippee, skippee! Not.

Here is the thing about Las Vegas: I have been every year since I started working full time at Summerwind. I have never been otherwise. Overall, I typically work hard, play hard, and cannot wait to get the heck out of there after 8 days. The days are long, and even if I skipped any and all party or clubbing, the indulgences are still many. I am usually exhausted, probably a couple to a few pounds heavier, and not feeling my best by the time our flight gets in, usually as late as possible (of course) the following Monday night/Tuesday morning.

Also, we always leave on Memorial Day, in effect ruining my holiday weekend. :( I lose the actual holiday, and usually spend the better part of the weekend running around doing errands and packing, or, like today, going into to work to finish getting ready. I am really, really terrible at packing and getting ready for trips...and procrastination has always been my strong suit.

I would love to go to Vegas with friends, for someone's bachelorette party, for a long weekend, or just for fun. Going for work every year? Especially the last few years that things have been up, down, and all over the place at the store and in my life? Meh.

I'd probably be more excited if we got to at least go somewhere different every year. On the plus side, I met more people my own age last year through a couple of GIA friends and I do look forward to seeing them again and enjoying the 20-something, not 60-something (sorry Dad), crowd in the evenings.

Anyway, I probably will not have the time or desire to attempt to blog from my iPhone while there. I learned a couple of years ago that bringing my laptop is a waste of energy and pound-age in my suitcase, as nothing is free in Las Vegas, including internet, and nothing comes cheap. Even though I really wish I could have it to work on wedding stuff (hoping for my first proof of the invite suite sometime this week!) and access the store computer (via Log Me In) if need be, the amount of free time I actually have is pretty insignificant and not worth paying to have internet in my room when I technically can make due with my phone.

As I mentioned I'm not sogood at packing, so, for your entertainment, here's my stuff for the week (less anything I'm using in the a.m.)

whoever said less is more hasn't been to Las Vegas (and, clearly, is a man)

 Have a great week, everyone! xoxo

(Belated) Wedding Wednesday: Invitations

This post, like last week's, is a little belated. Also, last week's was not exactly/entirely wedding related. However, since I spent an immense about of time obsessing over this subject over the last couple of weeks, I thought it was an appropriate topic to post.

I am really (really really really) excited about my invitation suite and day-of pieces I have now decided to print. At first, I wasn't planning on making invitations/stationery a huge part of the budget. It seemed like a reasonable area to cut back. Except that I love paper. And design. And art in general. And words. And print.

To me, this is actually one of the few tangible things that I (and yes, I admit, probably no one else, except perhaps my mother) will have to hold on to, and look back on, after the wedding. I 100% intend to get one of those double invitation frames and have this thing on display in our apartment, house, home, etc. for the rest of my life. Not only because I will have spent my hard-earned and saved money that might have otherwise gone to pay for another aspect of the wedding, or the apartment, house, home, etc., but also because I have spent altogether way too much time thinking, obsessing, and dreaming about these very important pieces of paper. Anyway, the moral of the story is, I threw caution (and budget) to the wind, and here is where I ended up.

I knew in my heart of hearts that I wanted beautiful paper, ideally letterpress printing, and truly unique wedding invitations. Traditional - yes, somewhat. Formal, perhaps, a little. Elegant, of course. Also, maybe, a touch of whimsy, of personality, of us. Or, more likely, me. :)

And I knew the place I would find that in Portsmouth: Gus & Ruby Letterpress.

First of all, I love their story. Second of all, I walk by their GORGEOUS windows daily, and can't help but stare, gawk, and drool over the goodies inside. Third, I love Gus. I want to steal him and bring him home to be brothers with Rudy. The only thing is, I have a feeling they are both used to being top little dog, and might not actually be the best of friends I think they should be. That's the funny thing about the little guys, they all think they are the big guys, and I seriously think Rudy, and most likely Gus, prefer to play with, befriend, and on occasion attack (because, seriously, they can take them) the biggest dogs (at least 3 times their size) they can find. Silly boys.

So somewhere in the grand saga of trying to decide what to do about invitations, along with everything else, I stumbled across Bella Figura. Here's their deal:

Bella Figura is based in Syracuse, New York, and offers one of the largest collections of letterpress and foil stamped invitations in the world. Their collection includes over 300 designs from 31 of the nation's top designers and calligraphers, and their design offerings range from traditional to modern to vintage and include everything in between. Bella Figura invitations are sustainably printed on an exclusive, luxuriously thick 100% cotton paper made just for them by a 500-year-old European paper mill. Like their sister company Smock, Bella Figura also practices environmental printing in their wind-powered print shop: they print with eco-friendly inks & solvents, recycle everything they can and plant trees to offset their carbon footprint.

I can't remember whether Bella Figura led me to Gus & Ruby, or the other way around. I think that I checked them out and was into it, then decided to consult with G & R about custom design. In my initial consultation with Samantha, she recommended Bella, I checked them out some more, and ultimately, was sold.

Besides their b-e-a-utiful designs, here are the top three reasons I chose Bella Figura:

1. Johnny was born in Syracuse, NY. Coincidence? I think not.
2. Eco- and environmentally-friendly printing practices, inks, etc. AND a wind-powered print shop. Cool, or what?! I want to touch their beautiful tree-free cotton paper all day long. Forever. And ever. It's absolutely, deliciously, amazingly soft and wonderful.
3. The style of calligraphy and invitation design I fell in love with just happened to have OUR EXACT WEDDING DATE (and my exact wedding color) on the sample. Again, coincidence? I think NOT. 

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that things lead you to people who lead you to things that are suddenly, blatantly obviously right for you. I printed our save the dates in mini format to save some money and get what I really wanted. I have that sucker framed and carry copies of it around with me to a) stare at, b) touch the aforementioned fabulous paper whenever I'm feeling down (okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but not entirely...), and c) to hand out to vendors for my colors/concept/etc. I was so giddy to pick those things up when I got the call they were in, I practically ran... Tears came to my eyes as I was writing the wording for our invitations and programs. Envisioning what it will look like in real, live, pretty print...not even ready to go there.

A few of the ways I saved (a little) to make my invitation dream a reality:

• downsize save the dates from the traditional A-6 (about 4x6") to an A-5 (about 3.5x 5")
• skip the reception card
• nix the double envelope
• purchase & print multiple pieces at the same time to receive a discount
• skip printing on some envelopes
• mix printed fonts with hand calligraphy
• address save the dates and invitations ourselves (actually a gift from my future mother-in-law who is an artist and has beautiful handwriting)
• decided to have some pieces or pieces of pieces flat printed separately/at a later date
• customizing our invitation suite with a company like Bella Figura that offers a multitude of free customizations vs. creating a completely custom design (though I certainly would have loved to) with the girls at Gus & Ruby

If I am being perfectly honest with myself, and you, I still went (am going) considerably over "budget" as I ended up deciding to go with some extra special details and letterpress print more items than I initially intended. Sometimes, I think it's worth a little extra to get what you want, and to not have to stress or worry about it any more than you have to. The fact that things I would otherwise still think about and need to decide on are going to be DONE, literally checked off the list, and stored in a box in a few short weeks, and that I will have them to base other decisions on (I am a very visual and very indecisive person, this really will help me because I won't be able to change my mind) I think will be a weight lifted in the weeks before the wedding. However, I am proud that I stuck to a few things to save on, and that I made the choice to go with a couple of companies (local and environmentally responsible) that I believe in and feel GREAT about supporting.

Here's the design that inspired it all... and here is OUR Save the Date!

Sweet dreams and TGI(almost)F!!

Must Read

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/2597736393.html

I've seen this before, but it's even more entertaining now that I regularly practice hot yoga again. (and I needed a little mental breather/pick me up this afternoon for sure!)

I am fairly confident it was 190 degrees in the hot room last night. It started out all right, I was seriously kicking butt for the first half to two thirds of the standing series, only to then come dangerously close to having a panic attack and fleeing the room by the time we reached the floor. Such is life.

(BTW, I didn't have a panic attack, and I didn't leave the room - never have, and I don't intend to! I took it easy through a couple of postures and just kept breathing. I was fine.)

Enjoy, and look for the Wedding Wednesday post I haven't quite posted yet in the not too distant future.

I have a yoga mat, but could always use a spare.

Ruuuuuudy

I realized I have probably never done a post on Rudy. And that, my friends, is long overdue.

Rudy is my dog. He is a Yorkshire Terrier, and in September he will be 5 years old. He is a big dog, with a big personality, in a little dog body. He is absolutely not a silly, frilly, yappy kind of little dog. (okay, he's a little silly.) Instead, he is a rough, tough, approximately 13 pounds of awesome. He is the kind of awesome that makes big dog people little dog people, and people who don't like dogs at all, love him. I seriously hit the jack pot with this dog's personality. He is happy, and smart, and good, well, most of the time. He is also ridiculous. But bottom line, I love him. (you couldn't tell) I love him, like, almost more than I love my man. Not really, but I mean, almost. Almost.

For anyone who is truly a dog person, I think you can probably appreciate this complete, unconditional, and perhaps sometimes obsessive love for the four-legged furry critter than is way more than just a pet to your family.

After J, Rudy is my life. I got him not long after J & I officially started dating when I was living in Cali and a little lonely, to say the least. He is my baby. My little buddy. My furry, silly, happy little love, who is always so freakin' excited to see me when I get home that he has to come in the bathroom with me (because I have the tiniest bladder, ever, and always have to pee when I get home). Right now, Mr. Rudy is snoozing, snuggled up next to me on the couch. J is already in bed, but Rudy, as much as he loves his master, he is a momma's boy, and he stays up with me, no matter how late, until I go into bed almost every night.

There is no question in my mind there will be future Rudy-related posts, but for now, here are some recent snaps of my sweet, silly munchkin. Enjoy, and for real this time, goodnight!

belly rub, ahhh

I think someone needs a haircut

someone got a haircut

what're you looking at?

it's time to get up

time to go outside, please.

seriously. c'mon. let's go.

Whirlwind Weekend

Oh, Monday. It's that special day of the week again. The one I always dread. At least it's over!

I had SUCH an awesome, busy, and did I mention awesome day on Saturday! I did not want this weekend to come and go so quickly, but alas, it did.

I started my day off with yoga at Zev at 8 AM. I was SO proud of myself for actually getting up and going to class, and I was excited to experience a Level 2 class with a new (to me) teacher. My abs got an awesome workout, I was totally feeling them all day yesterday and even today!

I went home and showered before heading to Making Faces for my free makeover/make up lesson by a Stila profession makeup artist (!). They were having this fabulous event and I was able to grab a slot after they had a cancellation. Making Faces is like my mini, local Sephora, and I am starting to get a little addicted to that place. My girl Zoë (who was gorgeous and a total sweetheart) did a super fun and hot Vegas/bachelorette party evening look for me. I wish I had taken pictures! At least I have her instructions.

Now when I say it was "free" I mean the actual getting made up part... because I definitely bought a ridiculous amount of makeup to recreate this amazing look. It has taken me years to master any makeup-putting-on ability whatsoever (ask my friend Holly, when I met her freshman year of college I did not know how to put on eyeliner), and lately I have really relapsed and become quite lazy when it comes to daily or even "going out" makeup. I obviously wrote off this purchase as a "wedding expense" and justified it by the fact that other than the necessary items (when I run out), I actually buy very little makeup (instead, I like to acquire it via free gifts with purchases of aforementioned necessary items). I also NEVER throw it out, and really, really should. Because it's gross to save makeup forever and just keep using the same stuff for years.

After my makeover, it was some MUCH NEEDED girl time! I hadn't seen my wonderful, sweet friend Katelynn, one of my bridesmaids, since November when we met up in Boston. She was visiting her cousin in Boston again this weekend, and made a stop in Portsmouth to spend the afternoon with me and Emily. Yay for two BMs in the same place at the same time!!

We had a "get-organized" kind of meeting with my wedding planner/coordinator, Diana, before hitting the decks on what was one of the hottest, sunniest, nicest days of the year so far, for lunch and a couple of cocktails. Then we hit the streets of downtown P-town for a little shopping, walking, and enjoying of the gorgeous day. Ultimately, Kate had to continue on to Portland with the rest of her road trip party, but Em and I continued the hanging out and indulging in shopping, cocktails, and maybe not so entirely healthy food well into the evening.

I have to say all in all it was a wonderful but exhausting day that left me a little burnt out come Sunday. I think mostly I was just sad to wake up knowing that it will be a few weeks if not months before I see Kate or any of my bridal party again (except Em, who I am making/hoping will come back up tomorrow for Taco Tuesday). I was also suddenly BEYOND overwhelmed with all I have to do this week in preparation for my trip to Vegas, and by the fact that when I get back the wedding will be LESS THAN 3 months away. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Yesterday, J & I had our second session of premarital counseling with the priest who will be performing our ceremony. It went well - more on that - or maybe not so much - at another time. I will tell you about Calvin, the priest, and why we chose him, but not all the juicy details of our sessions, how about that? :)

We had some errands to do after, and had our first meal of the season at the GOLDENROD! It included Caramel Fudge, my favorite ice cream of ALL TIME, but I didn't get any taffy. I mean, it's certainly not on my diet, after all (because ice cream actually is...) After that, we came home, I went to Bikram, we had dinner, I attempted to do at least a couple loads of laundry, it was time for bed way too soon. I seriously do not understand why we can't have more hours in the day. That would help. Immensely.

So that's the recap of my weekend. It was too crazy busy for my own good, and I'm pretty sure the rest of this week is going to be no exception to that rule -- the norm in my life these days. I DID get all the wording and decisions on what I'm buying/ordering for my invitation suite and day of pieces from Bella Figura figured out... now I just have to wait to hear back from Samantha at Gus & Ruby. She is NYC right now for what I can only assume is their version of Vegas. I wanted to have this ready to go to print before I left, but it didn't happen ... and I am SURE it is still going to work out just fine...

In the meantime, I shall just breathe. And for a Monday? that's enough.


Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Happy Hump Day

Except I'm not happy because I'm sooooo freakinggggg siiiiiiiick of this rain! Ahhhhhhhhh

It has been raining on and off for about two weeks and I'm starting to go nuts. Have you heard of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? Well, we pretty much did not have a winter around here this year, so I can't say I was really suffering from that until NOW (which is not when it's supposed to be happening, btw.) Apparently we now have a monsoon season, and apparently, it is the month of May. I have been feeling tired, lethargic, and just BLAH since a couple days into this crap. I don't want to get out of bed in the morning and I don't want to do anything when I do get home. I have been keeping up with yoga at night, but that is about it. Eww.

As expected work has been crazy. Mother's Day was a whirlwind of Pandora purchasers (of course) and one of my co-workers just became a grandma, so she's been out a few days and will be a few more for this month before we go to Vegas. I've been going in a million different directions, it feels like, and feel like I've been getting nothing of any consequence done.

On a completely separate note, I am technically posting this post a few days late... I started but never finished it Wednesday due to craziness at work (what did I tell you?) Here is the gist of what the post WOULD have been about:

1. New hairstyle!
I also took this idea from Jen's blog: http://three-sweet-peas.blogspot.com/2012/05/braided-ponytail-to-keep-wind-out.html

I didn't need to keep any wind out of my style, I just thought it would be cute and last the day. It was and did! I am quite good at french braiding my hair in general, because of my years doing gymnastics and sporting long locks. For meets I would always do two french braids, wrap them up in a bun, all pinned and heavy-duty hair-sprayed into place, plus, OF COURSE, the infamous glitter spray or gel to top it all off. :) Anyway, I like braids and love any ideas for new styles that incorporate them. So here it is!

The part is a little not-so-perfect, but overall I was happy with how it came out and would definitely do it again!

 ... AND (I'm pretty sure the hairstyle didn't do this) but I made an amazing sale on Wednesday! So it at the very least worked for the profess look of my day-to-day life. :)

2. Which, leads me to... I made a huge sale of Wednesday! Woo hoo! I sold two pieces, a bracelet and a ring, from The Henderson Collection's Firenze Collection. I was particularly excited for two reasons (in addition to the fact that it was random Wednesday sale to a new customer and that Lecil's stuff is beautiful and amazing). One was that I think this is the first Henderson piece(s) I have personally sold, and the other that the Firenze 18K/SS/Enamel pieces hadn't been working for us and we were planning to return some of them soon. It is always better to sell instead! So yay!

3. The third and final thing is that two of my bridesmaids and best friends are visiting on Saturday, and I cannot wait to see them!! More on that to come....

Glowing Green Smoothie

I PROMISE this is not gross. It's not even remotely gross. In fact, it is delicious!

This is what I am having for breakfast tomorrow:

please don't make fun of my hot pink copco cup

I have been making smoothies for breakfast for the past few weeks. Not necessarily every day, but I try to make them ahead of time (for the whole week if I can, keeping them refrigerated, which I just learned may not be advisable...) then just portion it into my reusuable iced coffee cup each day. Most are under 300 calories, usually about 250, entirely or almost entirely made from whole foods, and, in my humble opinion, quite good for me!

I actually love breakfast and would eat a big huge plate of one of every breakfast food every morning if I could - if my waistline could afford it and if I wasn't such a lazy, sleepy bum who never wanted to get out of bed in the morning! Of course, neither of these things are true, so I had sort of gone to the other extreme -- skipping breakfast except for my coffee and possibly a yogurt or banana I grabbed on the way out the door or at the store.

This is the first smoothie recipe I tried: Real Simple Kale-Apple Smoothie

Me being me, I had to make some adjustments and add some stuff. Now that I have become a bit more familiar with smoothie making, I think I might actually simplify things a bit. This was getting to be a lot of work and sometimes messy. I think I like to make things more difficult especially when I cook, trying to add this and that and make little changes and see what happens. I'm such a nerd. And an overachiever.

After that first experiment I thought, this is a great idea! So I started just throwing any old fruit like thing into my smoothies, got some yogurt, some agave nectar, some supplements from the health food store... see what I mean about making more work and things more complicated for myself?

This weekend, I was perusing my pins, and stumbled across this Green Smoothie for Weight Loss that I never tried. I decided to stick to the recipe to a T with the tiny exception of the fact that my frozen mangoes are mixed with frozen pineapple (she says that's okay -- I had a bag of frozen mango, pineapple, and strawberries, but picked out the strawberries to preserve the green color, as instructed). Oh, I also added freeze-dried wheatgrass powder and organic raw maca powder -- two of my health food store finds that I like to add to juice or smoothies making me feel even more healthy and awesome. I'm not going to lie, I'm not entirely sure what they are for or if it's working. I'll get back to you.

I figured I better give it a little try so there were no unpleasant surprises in the morning. Oh my gosh, it's delicious. I honestly, cannot taste the spinach at all. It's sweet and yummy and light, and using the app I have for keeping track of calories & exercise (Lose It! - it's free) we are talking 200 calories for how I made it (only 1 banana, that has the most). I know the woman says calories don't matter with fruit/veggies/whole foods like this, but that's how I'm doing my thing right now, so I put it in anyway.

Back to the smoothie, I know it tastes good, the test will be does it really fill me up and for how long. I rarely get to lunch before 2 PM (and that's on a good day) ... and I'm a snacker throughout the day... oh, and Tuesday is staff meeting day which means munchkin day.... those are doughnuts, in case you didn't know. Little ones, but doughnuts nonetheless.

That's all for tonight, folks!

Just Another Manic Monday

I wish it was Sunday. 'Cause that's my fun day. My I-don't-have-to-run day. It's just another manic Monday.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE '80s music. The Bangles are by far one of my favorite bands, and I only partially attribute that fact to my high school/college obsession with Gilmore Girls.

I honestly have no idea why, but Manic Monday is one of my favorite songs of theirs. It's kind of a silly song, but seriously the story of my life. Except not just Monday. Every day.

But I digress. Today was most definitely a Manic Monday. I started off the day fairly normal ( a.k.a. slow). It was raining ... again. Ugh. I did NOT want to get out of bed, and I was having a hard time getting going once I did and got to work. I wasted some time in the morning looking up flight prices for some of the honeymoon destinations we are considering and chatting on gchat, only to then not get a SINGLE THING done the entire rest of the day due to a constant stream of customers needing my attention -- including the last couple (the only ones who actually bought anything of course) being there 15 minutes after closing i.e. less than 15 minutes before I was trying to get to my Monday yoga class at Zev! Seriously people!

I made a HUGE mess of my desk, still did not get to the three jobs I have taken out in an attempt to get done every day since Friday, and was kind of spazzing trying to get the store closed up quick so I wouldn't miss yoga. But boy am I glad I did, because today of all days I needed it!

Then I had an awesome class and came home to beautiful flowers from my man! He went out of town for the night, so it's just me, Rudski, and the pretty smelling flowers! :-)

So Monday... Manic? Yes. All's well that ends well? Yes.

In other news, I have been making lots of yummy and healthy breakfast things lately, mainly smoothies. Check out Monday post #2 -- I'm separating the two in the interest of keeping things short(er) and sweet tonight. I also made some DELISH and HEALTHY chocolate chocolate muffins yesterday to nosh on for both breakfast and when sugar/chocolate cravings hit this week. I guess being as chocolate-y as they are, they are not exactly appropriate for breakfast, but then again, why not? :) I need to make some slight modifications to that recipe before it's post worthy, but I promise to get in on here, because it you are at all like me, you NEED these muffins. Less than 100 calories each and seriously, seriously chocolatey and delicious? Yes, please.

Hope your Monday was less manic!
xoxo

mmmm chocolate

He loves me ♥

Yoga Love

I love yoga. It is amazing. It makes me feel so good and I really believe it is the best form of exercise for me personally. I think I'm lucky to be fairly flexible, and, with my gymnastics and dance background, I'm naturally predisposed to yoga. But, I also believe it's something everyone can do and benefit from in some way, shape, or form.

I have been going to a studio in Portsmouth off and on for a little over a year. Zev Yoga is perfect for me in the sense that it is more of a whole life/lifestyle philosophy than just doing yoga. Yes, I physically want to push myself, improve flexibility, and get better at the postures, but it is mostly about quieting my mind, centering myself, and focusing on my breathing. Really helpful in terms of relaxing and letting things go -- especially with the wedding planning process!

Now that we live downtown, it is easy for me to walk to yoga, I can go straight from work (as it's just up the street - I also walk to work), and it is very affordable compared to many yoga places (unlimited yoga for $25/month for new members for the first year, $40/month after that). The only problem is the schedule is a bit limited, because I work till 6 every week day and sometimes on Saturdays. There are not that many night classes, so I am always bummed if I have to miss Saturday for work, and I never seem to make it on Sundays.

I decided I needed to do something a little more than the gentle intro type class I had been going to once or twice a week. I tried doing some yoga in my living room, with a video on Hulu. It was okay, but let's face it, our apartment is tiny, I had to move furniture, and it really only worked since Johnny wasn't home. I also had to crane my neck a lot to see what I was supposed to be doing. I then started going to the next level class at Zev, which is much more challenging and interesting for me, but unfortunately only fits my schedule one day a week. It also replaces the other class I went to that day, still keeping me at only one or two a week. So, with the wedding (and hopefully honeymoon) less than 4 months away, I made the decision to go back to Bikram.

I was first exposed to Bikram yoga three years ago when I moved back to Portsmouth. A girl I had just met invited me to "go to yoga" with her. I thought "Cool! I've always wanted to do yoga!" She failed to mention exactly what *kind* of yoga this was. I had NO idea what I was getting into.

Luckily, I decided to look at their website real quick before I left work that day, so I had tiny heads up. I downed some water and grabbed a towel when I ran home to change. I felt like I was in a complete daze for that first class. I mean, it was hot. It was hard. But, honestly, I had no idea. I had no idea what I was doing, and don't think it really sunk in that it was over 100 degrees, that I was completely drenched in sweat, and that this was hard. The first day, they tell you to just stay in the room. I'm sure I tried to figure out what the heck I was supposed to be doing with my body, but I actually think I left feeling like, "that wasn't so bad. I can do this. I used to be a gymnast."

Ha. Seriously, Sara??? Well, don't worry, because I went back the next day and got a reality check. There's something about that second class. Whether it's your second class ever, or just your second class getting back into it. I don't know, but it always sucks. Every time. I mean, really. sucks. For me, anyway. I feel like I'm going to pass out or throw up, and just keep thinking I can't do this, I can't I can't I can't. Then, somehow it's over, and I feel amazing.

When I tell people I have done or now do Bikram yoga again, I get a wide variety of reactions from awe to fear. I feel like there are a lot of misconceptions, and some people just believe anything they hear. The truth about Bikram, is that like anything else, it's probably right for some people, and not for others. The other truth, and this is just a personal belief, is that if you really want to do something and believe that it is good for you, you can, and it is.

I mean, I have heard elliptical machines are bad for your knees. Running also hurts my knees. And knees? They don't stretch, and after awhile, have to be replaced if you're particularly unkind to them. Then you have fake knees. I mean, that can't possibly be normal, or "good for you". So if you are concerned about a little heat & humidity while you just stretch your body and breath... well, I am a little concerned about you. There are places in this country (and the world for that matter) that are regularly over 100 degrees and some very humid I am sure. The body has a natural cooling system: it's called sweat. If you are properly hydrated (which, by the way, most people are not) your body will cool itself and adjust to the heat. Then, you're just doing yoga, with somewhat slippery palms.

Like with anything else, you also have to know your body and your limits. If I feel sick or dizzy when I'm practicing, I stop. I breath. I take a sip of water. I lay down in savasana if I absolutely have to. I listen to what my body is telling me - some days it's stop. Others, it's keep pushing, you can do this. And others, like yesterday, it's just, do your best, you need this and it's okay if it's not your best class ever.

On Sunday, I somehow talked Johnny into joining me. The man likes a challenge, and yoga, especially in a super hot room, was definitely a first for him. We have both been working hard to eat right, get in better shape, and stay sane with everything going on in our lives right now, so it turned out to be a great decision. I loved going to yoga with him. I loved him seeing me do something that's important to me and that (sometimes) I'm pretty good at. It doesn't come as easy to him (yoga, flexibility, and all that jazz), but I loved seeing him try, and doing it together. He tried really hard, too, and I was actually impressed how well he did, especially for a first class. I loved coming home all nice and sweaty, in a great mood from the exercise and feeling accomplished, making dinner together, and spending the night relaxing and reflecting on how the practice affected us.

He's on the10-day intro program right now, and I bought a punch card for 10 classes to at least keep going with it for a little while and see how I do. I went during the day off I had Monday and he went Tuesday, then we went last night together. It was a little rough after a full day of work for both of us (I also had a headache and was feeling cruddy most of the day), but it still felt great to do it. I think we are in a great place right now, focusing on what really matters in our life, loving each other, and working at a healthier lifestyle. We are great supporters and encouragers of each other when we get into our groove, and doing stuff like this really brings us closer. I love it! And I love him. I'm a lucky girl. :-)

 This is what we look like doing yoga together!

Actually, it's more like this... with sweat dripping everywhere.

http://bikramyogaportsmouth.com/

Today's Hairstyle

So I've been pretty addicted to Pinterest for awhile (right before it really took off), and quite a few people I know have started blogs as of late. One of the popular topics of these blogs (and many many pins) are fun and different (and usually easy!) hairstyle ideas.

Since I've been doing a lot of yoga at night, I have been showering afterward, thus eliminating the need to do so in the morning. I'm usually a morning shower person, but with my long hair, and lack of ability to get up in the morning, this usually means I go to work with wet hair, either half-clipped back, or twisted into a bun. I take it down while we set up the store to air dry and more or less do it's own thing... i.e. no hairstyle.

Well, the last couple days I have not had to shower in the morning, so I decided to try a couple hairstyles from Jen's blog (went to Sewanee with her...YSR!).

It's actually quite convenient NOT to have to deal with a big, wet mop of hair in the morning! I usually spritz a little dry shampoo around my roots since my hair is quite fine and tends to get oily near my scalp. It also gives it a little more body. Yesterday's was nothing to write home about, but I really like today's: The Double Braided Headband.

Check out pics below and visit Jen's blog for instructions! I did mine slightly differently, pulling all my hair back from my face with the braids. I think it's just one less step, but both ways are easy and look great!

Wedding Wednesday

In honor of my new resolve to blog more, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and participating in wedding-themed posting on Wednesday ... because it's not like my whole blog is about the wedding or anything. ;-)

So here's what's on my plate for the wedding today/this week:
- finalize menu with caterer (needed to get this done, like, yesterday/last week)
- once that's done, finish editing wording for the invitation suite (printing everything at once, including menus, to get a discount, hence the need for the menu to be finalized!), so that they can revise my quote and get started on the proofs (I'm trying to have these go to print BEFORE I leave for Las Vegas on May 28th)
- talk w/ Diana (my wedding planner/coordinator) about flowers and ideas to trim the budget for rentals, flowers, table settings, decorations, etc.

I left my wedding folders at home, so those are the most pressing things that I can think of right now.

The other HUGE thing is that my dress is in!! Ahhhhh! It has actually been in for a couple weeks, but it had been SO long since I ordered it, I didn't know where all the paperwork was, couldn't remember if I sent the form for it to be shipped yet, and all that stuff. Anyway, I have been procrastinating calling back just because I have been SO busy at work and in general.

I feel like I'm not ready to have my wedding dress be HERE. Umm, for starters, where am I going to put it?!? Not in our tiny apartment, that's for sure! I decided awhile back that I would have alterations done around here, because multiple trips to NYC would be rather inconvenient - time consuming, expensive, etc. PLUS, I want my final fitting to be as close to the wedding as possible. But, I still don't know where or who I'm going to go to for alterations, and I did have a wedding-related nightmare a few weeks ago that my dress did not fit me AT ALL. It was way too big, which is an actual possibility as I am convinced they ordered me the wrong size, yet I never did anything about it because I kept forgetting/procrastinating/worrying they wouldn't listen to me anyway, and I just figured, well, better too big than too small. In the dream it was also too short and I couldn't wear my beautiful, fabulous, BLUE, Kate Spade wedding shoes. Needless to say, I was very upset.

One of my other "fears" about my dress at one point was that it was TOO big and poofy - not something I would normally have a problem with whatsoever. However, my mom made a comment at one point that it might not fit down the aisle of the church! I am sure that will not be the case, I mean, it's not like it's this dress:

Now THAT'S a dress!

So I think we'll be good. BUT, I do plan to visit the church and measure, and have a layer or two of tulle removed if necessary. My dad will have to come to the fitting to make sure he's taken into account in this measurement.

Time to get to work on this rainy Wednesday, but I will leave you with a shot of my shoes, since I missed Tuesday Shoes-day and purchased them a few months ago! I remain in love and super excited about my absolutely perfect something blue.

Happy Hump Day! xoxo

Four months!

Tuesday was May 1st and officially 4 months to go until our wedding day! Ahhhhhhh!

I cannot believe that almost a YEAR AND A HALF has passed since we got engaged and we are now in the stretch of planning our wedding that (in my mind) is some serious business, and every day is one day closer, one less day I have to get things done.

Last Friday I was able to leave work early to spend time with my friend Emily and get on top of and organized with how to tackle the rest of the planning. Emily has recently stepped into the role of my Maid of Honor and is doing an amazing job! I chose my bridal party way early on in the process, and while I don't regret having any of them a part of it whatsoever, a lot can and has changed over the last year and a month or so since I started asking the girls. For one thing, there were two friends I wanted as bridesmaids but wasn't sure how close we were or were going to be, and did not ask at first. I was trying to keep the numbers down, and "even" with groomsmen. I realized a few months later that that really wasn't a big deal, and having the people I love and who have supported me throughout my life was way more important than even numbers or anyone judging me for having a large bridal party.

I also didn't know when I picked out the group that Emily would move back East after about 8 years in Colorado. Since she is now geographically the closest member of the bridal party, we have been spending a lot more time together and getting closer like we were in high school and college. I am so happy that she is able to be my MOH. I was feeling lost, not having one of my close friends by my side through this, and hadn't wanted to burden any of them with the responsibility or commitment when they all lived at least 7-8 hours away (or much more). Now that she is here, not only do I feel supported, and relieved to have the help, but also super excited about things like my shower and bachelorette party which I had been unsure how or if these events would happen, because of the distance with all the girls.

Em has always kept me grounded - we are very different, but complement each other in so many ways. She is also the friend who was literally THERE when things first started...and stopped...and then started again with Johnny. She knows the WHOLE story. I mean, like she knows it better than Johnny does (mainly because he's a boy, and never listens to me). Anyway, long story short, YAY, and I love you Emi!

Back to Friday. We pulled out one of my many copies of Seacoast Weddings and went through the timeline/checklist. I found out we're not in as bad shape as I had thought, but I still have a LOT to do, and quickly, especially since I am going away at the end of the month for our annual Vegas business trip. Fortunately, I have Emi to help & motivate me, and I have been tackling the most pressing things with email correspondence all week. I also have Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off which should help me get a handle on things for the rest of this month, at least.

So now I am back to blogging, and like my new wedding diet & exercise regimen (more on that in another post), I am committed to keeping up with it for these last few months (this is the interesting part anyway!)