Hi all and Happy Monday! I recently signed up to be part of a Blog Swap and was partnered up with lovely Amie! Her post is below, enjoy and visit her blog to see my post (and a delicious recipe for Seven Layer Cookies that Amie just posted)!
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Hi everybody. I’m Amie, and I have been partnered up to do a Blog Swap with Hollyanne, so you’re all stuck with me today. Visit my blog to see what Hollyanne wrote too, because she’s the one you all really like, isn’t she? That’s ok.
The theme for this swap, if I choose to accept it, is “Action. What will you do in the next year that you’ve been putting off for too long?”
I accept.
Oh, how I love to procrastinate. I put everything off for too long. If I have a letter to drop off, and the mail gets picked up at 5:00pm, you can bet I’m there at 4:59, letter in hand. But I also love to make plans. These two loves of mine collide (BLAMMO!) and I have all sorts of plans for the next year, and I have been putting ALL of them off for too long.
There’s the mundane stuff. I haven’t been to a dentist in 3 years or so. I know, that’s gross and bad for me. But I was in grad school and had crappy insurance, and I don’t really like my dentist. And then I moved to a new state and got new insurance and need to find a new dentist, and just haven’t bothered yet. I don’t want a new dentist staring at my teeth and then getting all judgy at me for not going to a dentist for 3 years. They LOVE to judge their patients, you know. I haven’t been to the eye doctor in about 2 years, and I’m all out of new contacts, so I really do need to do that again soon too.
There’s the slightly-more-interesting stuff. I’ve been putting off a Real Serious Job Search for a while now. I tried it for a while, but the complete and utter silence from all corners (no one could even be bothered to send me a rejection! Ugh, the manners of some people) left me super disenfranchised and grumpy. It’s time to get off my tail and do the work and write a bunch of snazzy cover letters and really try. And keep trying. And not give up. And then get a new job that will leave me marginally more fulfilled and marginally better paid than my current job.
But this is all boring. You want to know about the plans for stuff I’ve put off for too long. The good stuff.
Seven years ago, I did a study abroad in Europe. One of my best friends was there with me, and before we came home, we promised that we’d go back to Europe before we each turned 30. I turn 29 in about a month, so this will be my last chance to go back to Europe. I mean, I went when I was 24 (honeymoon in Ireland) and again when I was 26 (6 weeks in France) but .. well, this is my last chance before I’m 30! Plus, my husband only went with me on the honeymoon, and hasn’t ever actually set foot on the continent of Europe. So we really should do that. He really needs a break too, he’s been working too hard, the poor dear.
My townhouse has a living room that is completely devoid of couches. We bought this place and it’s huge and we don’t have enough furniture to fill it. We’re putting off buying couches as long as we can, so we can afford fancy nice ones that will last forever, and just in case the car dies. It’s highly likely that the car will die. But I want couches by the end of next year.
Heck, while we’re at it, I want a new car by the end of next year. The car is old and falling apart and exceptionally uncomfortable. The driver’s seat back doesn’t adjust, so I have to toss a pillow behind my back to see over the wheel.
Once we have a new car that is not exceptionally uncomfortable, there will be more road trips. More road trips to my grandmother’s place on the lake for the long holiday weekends over the summer. More road trips to football games and tailgates and random state parks worth visiting. More road trips to visit friends and family. Because the new car will be comfortable and I won’t hate being in it and I’ll like driving it and it’ll be good.
Yep. That’s my plan for next year. Dentist. Eye doctor. Job search. Europe. Couches. Car. Not too much to hope for, is it? Now I just have to get off my butt and make it all happen. Wish me luck. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll be able to have made some serious progress on the list. Because if I haven’t, that means I’ve REALLY been putting it all off for too long. Oops.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Fiance Friday - Life Update!
Hello blog-o-sphere!
I know it has been quite a while since you have heard from Mr. Groom-To-Be! As you all finish up your holiday shopping, remember to get the groom-to-be in your life something special. If you are looking to get me a present and you live in the Midwest, a six-pack of Boulevard Wheat or Boulevard Nutcracker Ale is always the perfect gift! :).
So, since the last time I wrote, several things have happened. Let’s go through a couple of those.
Vegas/Birthday
Hollyanne and I took a trip to Las Vegas over my birthday weekend. We stayed at Circus Circus hotel right on the Strip, which was really fun! Unfortunately, we didn’t hit it big like we were hoping. In fact, on the Friday night we got there, I officially lost $20 in 5-10 minutes. However, after a stroke of luck on the Nebraska football game, as well as the penny slots, we only ended up down $19. Not bad for Vegas, right? Overall, it was definitely a great time! If you haven’t been to Vegas, you MUST go! I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Work
I am very excited to announce that yesterday, I accepted a new position at the University of Arizona! I will now be a Coordinator in the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership! I’ll be working with a variety of programs in the department, developing student leaders. I’m definitely very excited about this opportunity!
Anyhow, this weekend for us includes volunteering with the Tucson Community Food Bank at the Farmer’s Market Saturday morning at 6th and Irvington. If you are in Tucson, come check it out and get some great local produce! Also, we are going to check out the Winterhaven Festival of Lights tonight, which is an annual Tucson event! As I’ve never been to it before, I’m definitely looking forward to walking through!
That’s about it from me! I hope you all are doing well and are having a great weekend!
Peace, Love, and Grooms,
Kevin
I know it has been quite a while since you have heard from Mr. Groom-To-Be! As you all finish up your holiday shopping, remember to get the groom-to-be in your life something special. If you are looking to get me a present and you live in the Midwest, a six-pack of Boulevard Wheat or Boulevard Nutcracker Ale is always the perfect gift! :).
So, since the last time I wrote, several things have happened. Let’s go through a couple of those.
Vegas/Birthday
Hollyanne and I took a trip to Las Vegas over my birthday weekend. We stayed at Circus Circus hotel right on the Strip, which was really fun! Unfortunately, we didn’t hit it big like we were hoping. In fact, on the Friday night we got there, I officially lost $20 in 5-10 minutes. However, after a stroke of luck on the Nebraska football game, as well as the penny slots, we only ended up down $19. Not bad for Vegas, right? Overall, it was definitely a great time! If you haven’t been to Vegas, you MUST go! I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Work
I am very excited to announce that yesterday, I accepted a new position at the University of Arizona! I will now be a Coordinator in the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership! I’ll be working with a variety of programs in the department, developing student leaders. I’m definitely very excited about this opportunity!
Anyhow, this weekend for us includes volunteering with the Tucson Community Food Bank at the Farmer’s Market Saturday morning at 6th and Irvington. If you are in Tucson, come check it out and get some great local produce! Also, we are going to check out the Winterhaven Festival of Lights tonight, which is an annual Tucson event! As I’ve never been to it before, I’m definitely looking forward to walking through!
That’s about it from me! I hope you all are doing well and are having a great weekend!
Peace, Love, and Grooms,
Kevin
Monday, December 6, 2010
What happens in Vegas...makes you really exhausted.
This weekend, Kevin and I went to Vegas to celebrate Kevin's 26th birthday (which is today, so make sure you wish him a happy day!). We had a fab-u-lous time but are totally exhausted this morning upon our arrival back in Tucson.
Here's just a snapshot of what we did in Sin City:
-watched the fountains at the Bellagio, which played to Christmas music!
-visited the M&M store, and spent way to much money on color-coordinated bags of M&M's for gifts
-played the penny slots, not only because they're cheap and strangely fun, but because we got free drinks every morning while playing!
-drank frozen drinks even though it was freeeeeeezing!
-watched the Circus Circus circus
-tried on silly hats at Urban Outfitters
-cheered on the marathon and half-marathon runners in the Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon
-pretended like we were actually in Paris when we walked through Paris Las Vegas
-spent all day Saturday trying to figure out how to get free nightclub passes, secured passes to 3 clubs, and then fell asleep at our hotel after getting all dressed up
-ate at the Rio Carnival World Buffet Champagne Brunch, and then had a food coma
-walked around Fremont Street and visited the original Vegas casinos, and I had my first fried oreo - delicious!
Happy birthday Kevin! Only 4 more years until you are THIRTY!
Here's just a snapshot of what we did in Sin City:
-watched the fountains at the Bellagio, which played to Christmas music!
-visited the M&M store, and spent way to much money on color-coordinated bags of M&M's for gifts
-played the penny slots, not only because they're cheap and strangely fun, but because we got free drinks every morning while playing!
-drank frozen drinks even though it was freeeeeeezing!
-watched the Circus Circus circus
-tried on silly hats at Urban Outfitters
-cheered on the marathon and half-marathon runners in the Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon
-pretended like we were actually in Paris when we walked through Paris Las Vegas
-spent all day Saturday trying to figure out how to get free nightclub passes, secured passes to 3 clubs, and then fell asleep at our hotel after getting all dressed up
-ate at the Rio Carnival World Buffet Champagne Brunch, and then had a food coma
-walked around Fremont Street and visited the original Vegas casinos, and I had my first fried oreo - delicious!
Happy birthday Kevin! Only 4 more years until you are THIRTY!
Monday, November 29, 2010
thankful.
Kevin and I spent the last five days with my parents and sister at their timeshare in Newport Beach, CA, and had a lovely time. We celebrated Thanksgiving, along with our friend Ashly; visited the beach; ate way too much food; and I had a bridal shower!
Things we're [I'm] thankful for:
Things we're [I'm] thankful for:
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| seasonal food on our table. |
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| our upcoming wedding. |
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| the ability to act like kids even though we're adults. |
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| the ocean, and how it reminds us of something bigger and better than ourselves. |
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| sunsets. |
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| cupcakes, especially ones decorated with engagement rings! |
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| best friends and sisters. |
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| my amazing fiance, who puts up with more than you can imagine. |
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Engagement anniversary!
This Sunday marked one year that Kevin and I have been engaged, and 230 days until our marriage begins! What did we choose to do to celebrate this momentous occasion?
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Grocery shop.
Okay, maybe we did a little more than that. Kevin did buy me these lovely flowers at the store. He is so lucky that I love carnations, aka the cheapest flower on the planet :) I really do, though. It's weird.
Then we decided to make ratatouille, one of our fave dishes but one that we rarely make. We used about ten different vegetables, almost all of which were from the farmer's market that we recently started volunteering at. The recipe called for chicken, but we decided to keep it vegetarian. We're considering becoming vegetarian...more on that later. For now, we'll just call ourselves "meat minimalists." Anyways, I don't have the recipe right now, but I'll post it in another post when I do. I highly recommend it.
We also decided to make something sweet. I hadn't made brie in a long time, and recently found a recipe I wanted to try, so we went for it. It was absolutely delicious. The recipe for "Holiday Brie en croute" can be found here
Last but not least we decided to hit the batting cages. This was my first time at a batting cage, so naturally I was scared at first, but once I discovered that slow-pitch softball is indeed quite slow, everything was a-ok! All in all, it was a great way to spend our engagement anniversary :)
How did you all spend YOUR weekend?
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Grocery shop.
Okay, maybe we did a little more than that. Kevin did buy me these lovely flowers at the store. He is so lucky that I love carnations, aka the cheapest flower on the planet :) I really do, though. It's weird.
We also decided to make something sweet. I hadn't made brie in a long time, and recently found a recipe I wanted to try, so we went for it. It was absolutely delicious. The recipe for "Holiday Brie en croute" can be found here
Last but not least we decided to hit the batting cages. This was my first time at a batting cage, so naturally I was scared at first, but once I discovered that slow-pitch softball is indeed quite slow, everything was a-ok! All in all, it was a great way to spend our engagement anniversary :)
How did you all spend YOUR weekend?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
A Favorite Recipe
I thought I would take a minute to share a favorite, EASY recipe that Hollyanne and I love, which was also a big hit at Thanksgiving last year! Katie Ryan-Anderson, even YOU can make this (Yes, I'm calling you out). Last night we were in a hurry for dinner after being gone most of the day volunteering at the El Pueblo Farmer's Market (9-1 Saturdays at 6th and Irvington, come see us!), and then needing to head out again for the evening. We bought several sweet potatoes from the Farmer's Market, and had some Ziploc Steam Bags (Full disclosure: they don't pay us, we just love the bags) on hand. Knowing we needed to eat quick and get out the door, we made the recipe below, served on a bed of brown rice. Trust me, it was delicious. This recipe is straight from Ziploc's website. Anyone can make this!
Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Cranberries
2 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in to large pieces
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium Granny Smith apple (Gala works well, too), cored and diced in to 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in to Ziploc Steam bag and seal the bag. Shake the bag up, mixing everything together. Pat all of the ingredients into a single layer and place the bag in the microwave. Heat on high for 9 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Let stand for one minute, then open the bag and serve. This makes a great side dish at Thanksgiving, or you can add some pasta (as we did) for a great vegetarian meal!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Fiance Friday! - DIY Wedding!
Hello blog-o-sphere!
I know it’s been a few weeks. As I sit here, I have been watching game 2 of the World Series. It’s currently 8-0 Giants in the bottom of the 8th inning. Coincidentally, it is currently Thursday night at 8pm here on the West side of the country. Do you know what comes on TV on Thursdays at 8pm? Yup, Grey’s Anatomy, followed by Private Practice. Since Hollyanne is at a classmate’s house working on schoolwork, we have the TiVo set to record both shows. Now you might be saying to yourself, “Kevin, what’s the big deal? TiVo can record on one channel while you watch something else on another.” Well, technically yes, but not if you own a Series2 TiVo that you bought off Craigslist from some guy in a shady Walgreens parking lot two years ago for $30. So, 8pm rolled around, I had a choice to make. I could continue watching the Giants game, or I could allow the TiVo to change the channel and record Grey’s. Needless to say, I’ll be asking my co-workers in the morning how the game finished up. Grooms of the world, trust me when I say that there was a right and a wrong decision that could have been made in that situation. I chose the right one. :)
Anyhow, enough about me missing the end of the second game of the World Series. Did I mention that baseball is my favorite sport? I digress…So, today I thought I would talk a little bit about this whole DIY wedding concept. For those unfamiliar with the term, it stands for “Do It Yourself Wedding.” Now I can’t knock the entire concept. Those who know me know that I’m a frugal guy, always on the lookout for the best deals. Don’t believe me? Re-read the story in the first paragraph and focus on the section about my buying a used TiVo from some random guy in a parking lot. For the most part, a DIY Wedding is a GREAT way to save money!
However, I have learned that there are many things grooms may not fully comprehend when planning a “DIY Wedding.” There is no such thing as a free lunch – trust me, I’ve have my share of many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners over the years. First, type in DIY Wedding into Google. Check out how many blogs and websites are devoted to future brides and their DIY weddings! I’m fairly certain that my beautiful fiancée may have visited close to all of them. There are also magazines upon magazines devoted to the DIY Wedding concept. I’m looking at you, Martha Stewart (PS – I’m still waiting on your response from both of my letters…Don’t think you can avoid me!). In fact, there is an entire industry devoted to DIY Weddings! I would call it the Anti-Wedding-Industry-Industry. Or, since I’m in Student Affairs and we like to make acronyms, AWII.
My main word of warning comes in this form, however, grooms: Craft Nights. Yes, that’s right. DIY Weddings lead to “craft nights,” which can and will eventually turn in to “craft weekends.” You see, there is no joking on this one, grooms. You’ll be up to your ears in superglue and construction paper before you can say “Do It Yourself.” In fact, I got the full effect when my beautiful fiancée looked me sweetly in the eyes this week and said, “By the way, I invited a friend over to do crafts for the wedding this weekend.” So, while you all enjoy games three and four of the World Series, I’ll be doing crafts, and watching TiVo’d Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Did I just mention that it is World Series time again?? :)
Before signing off, I just want to give a quick Fiancé Friday shout-out to my former classmate Joe and his new wife Allie who just got married last weekend in Ohio! Congrats to both of you!
Until next week…
Peace, Love, and Crafts,
Kevin
Friday, October 8, 2010
Fiancé Friday - My Life on the D-List
Hello blog-o-sphere!
As I am writing this, I am sitting in George H.W. Bush International Airport in Houston, TX on my way to Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC! I hope everyone is having a fantastic week! Before I get things kicked off here, I want to give a special Fiance Friday shout-out to my friends Lauren and Chris, who are getting married this weekend in Baltimore!
Ok, I know I was going to talk about this whole "DIY Wedding Industry" this week, including the many "craft nights" that go along with that. However, today I had a realization! I'm a "D-List" Groom! Now for those unfamiliar with the term, allow me to explain a little. You see, I've been reading Kathy Griffin's book, "Official Book Club Selection." Kathy, you see, refers to herself as a D-List celebrity. What she means by that is that, sure, she is a little famous. However, she's not Jennifer Anniston famous. Now, she has an entire TV show devoted to this concept. I have to admit, I don't have cable, so I have never seen her show. Oh, and I don't buy books anymore, so I got her eBook from the Pima County Library. Sorry Kathy, no royalties off of me!
You might be wondering, "Kevin, How are you a D-List Groom??" Well, let me tell you what happened today. Holl and I went to a large, national chain to look at options for tuxedos this morning. Since we are getting married in a different city, we thought it might be easier to go through a national chain to get the tuxes. Well, when we got there this morning, they immediately gave us a binder with about 10 different options for styles. While we looked through it, the attendant stood over us, not saying a word, as if the binder was worth a million dollars! Then, when we started asking questions about the differences between styles, we were rewarded with quick, short answers that didn't really give us a lot. So, we left without making any decisions.
Apparently, this less-than-friendly person had never heard of this blog. How rude! You see, I'm famous to all of you, dear readers, but apparently not to everyone. So here I am, just an ordinary D-List groom, writing about my wedding planning experiences for all of you. Of course, since my life as a D-List groom includes being engaged to my beautiful Fiancee, I would not change it for the world. :)
Ok, time to go shamelessly plug this post on Facebook and Twitter before I take off for DC! Such is the life of the D-List Groom. :)
Peace, Love, Weddings, and D-Listings,
Kevin
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Updates! ...and October
Hello dear readers!
My apologies for not having updated recently, but it's because the future Mr. and I have been busy little {wedding planning} bees. With just eight months and some amount of days that I'm too lazy to count, we'll be man & wife, and as the date gets closer, we seem to get busier and busier. In the past few weeks, we have:
-constructed the world's largest paper chain to count down to our wedding date
-designed our save-the-date cards (part template, part our additions), to be sent shortly
-searched for, found, and purchased the perfect envelopes (found here) for said save-the-dates (ok, ok, so it was mostly me who did this)
-{I} begun addressing save-the-dates. BY HAND. let's just say that was a bad idea.
-purchased and begun design on our place cards & table numbers (without revealing too much, i will say they involve these mini-chalkboards)
-researched and decided on a wedding favor (which we will also be making...God-willing)
-booked our wedding night hotel at a will-be-kept-undisclosed location :)
-{almost} completed our wedding registries
-{Kevin} continues to plot his attack on the Martha Stewart regime...
-painted most of our apartment, with the help of our lovely friend claudia
-{I} found, purchased, and just recently received my wedding DRESS & veil, and they are both absolutely perfect; to all of you future brides out there, i highly recommend searching for your dream (but often unaffordable) designer dress through preownedweddingdresses.com; you'll get a much better deal, have more money to spend on other parts of your wedding, AND help someone repurpose an item that was very special to them.
and, most exciting of them all...
-research honeymoon options, and although we haven't decided or booked anything yet, are leaning towards this Caribbean cruise - woot!
we've also been working on a total redesign of the blog, which we will hopefully be launching the beginning of next week! we are super excited and we hope you all will love it.
in other news, IT'S OCTOBER, which means it's my favorite month. (usually). it's finally starting to cool down in tucson, and we're looking forward to many things this month:
-tucson beer festival next weekend
-pumpkin picking & pumpkin carving & {mostly} pumpkin eating
-my dear friend & bridesmaid Ashly's visit towards the end of the month
-and, mostly, it NOT being 113 degrees everyday
more updates soon!
xo.
My apologies for not having updated recently, but it's because the future Mr. and I have been busy little {wedding planning} bees. With just eight months and some amount of days that I'm too lazy to count, we'll be man & wife, and as the date gets closer, we seem to get busier and busier. In the past few weeks, we have:
-constructed the world's largest paper chain to count down to our wedding date
-designed our save-the-date cards (part template, part our additions), to be sent shortly
-searched for, found, and purchased the perfect envelopes (found here) for said save-the-dates (ok, ok, so it was mostly me who did this)
-{I} begun addressing save-the-dates. BY HAND. let's just say that was a bad idea.
-purchased and begun design on our place cards & table numbers (without revealing too much, i will say they involve these mini-chalkboards)
-researched and decided on a wedding favor (which we will also be making...God-willing)
-booked our wedding night hotel at a will-be-kept-undisclosed location :)
-{almost} completed our wedding registries
-{Kevin} continues to plot his attack on the Martha Stewart regime...
-painted most of our apartment, with the help of our lovely friend claudia
-{I} found, purchased, and just recently received my wedding DRESS & veil, and they are both absolutely perfect; to all of you future brides out there, i highly recommend searching for your dream (but often unaffordable) designer dress through preownedweddingdresses.com; you'll get a much better deal, have more money to spend on other parts of your wedding, AND help someone repurpose an item that was very special to them.
and, most exciting of them all...
-research honeymoon options, and although we haven't decided or booked anything yet, are leaning towards this Caribbean cruise - woot!
we've also been working on a total redesign of the blog, which we will hopefully be launching the beginning of next week! we are super excited and we hope you all will love it.
in other news, IT'S OCTOBER, which means it's my favorite month. (usually). it's finally starting to cool down in tucson, and we're looking forward to many things this month:
-tucson beer festival next weekend
-pumpkin picking & pumpkin carving & {mostly} pumpkin eating
-my dear friend & bridesmaid Ashly's visit towards the end of the month
-and, mostly, it NOT being 113 degrees everyday
more updates soon!
xo.
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| kevin & i before last week's arizona-cal game; go wildcats! |
Friday, October 1, 2010
Fiance Friday!
Hello blog-o-sphere!
I hope that you all had a great couple of weeks! As you, I'm sure have read, things have been buzzing in terms of wedding planning. Of course, now you all are more in-the-know about my own wedding than I am, seeing that I am not even allowed to read the blog that I contribute too! For those wondering, I promise that I have not looked at the two blog posts that I believe are below this one. All of this leads up to the topic of my post today: Bridal Shows.
Now stay with me here, folks. You may be expecting me to completely bash this bridal tradition. Now before I get in to my issues with it, there is something I do have to say about them. This is wedding efficiency at its finest!! You can get a dress, AND get all of your vendors taken care of in one-stop shopping! I LOVE this idea! Essentially, you could go to a bridal show for a couple of hours, and come back with EVERYTHING planned! Why WOULDN'T anyone go to one??
Now, allow me to answer my own question. What I just mentioned above happens in a fantasy, grooms of the world! Grooms, listen to me. Bridal shows are just a cover-up! Your beautiful fiancee is going to come back from one with all of these new ideas, and quite possibly may be completely re-thinking everything you once thought was set in stone when it came to wedding plans. Now, let me be clear. I don't know this from personal experience. this is just a little speculation, so I suppose you can take this with a grain of salt this week. See, my beautiful fiancee gets many of her ideas from other wedding blogs. These ideas in-turn lead to craft nights and redecorating our kitchen table. More on that next week. :)
Until next week,
Kevin
PS - Martha, I still have not heard from you. Perhaps my letter got lost again. I'll re-send it. Hugs and high-fives!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Yes to the dress! :) (KEVIN DO NOT READ)
Hello friends + family!
I have exciting news to share: I FOUND A WEDDING DRESS!
So, I went back home to California in hopes of finally finding + purchasing a dress. The designer of the dress I had fell in love with back in Omaha was having a trunk show at a bridal shop in Anaheim, so it seemed like I might be able to find the dress AND get a great deal on it, as I felt it was too much at full retail price. Anyways, when my mom and my friend Ashly and I arrived at the bridal shop on Friday, we were told that there were no sales or discounts, and that the "trunk show" meant that there were just more gowns from that designer in stock that weekend. Please note: This is NOT what their website said. Although we were quite angry, I decided to try on dresses there anyways and ended up finding a (different) dress that I love even more than the first one, which for awhile I didn't think was possible :)
The saleswoman was a bit rude and pushy toward us near the end, so we decided to let her know that we were going to think it over for a day or so before making a final decision. I went home and researched where else in California and Arizona that dress was sold, and discovered there were several places that would be more convenient to buy it from.
After a little more digging (websites that sell replica designer dresses from China, website that make replica dresses in the US, and some total scams), I came across www.preownedweddingdresses.com! PreOwned Wedding Dresses connects sellers of designer wedding dresses with buyers who have found the dress of their dreams but maybe aren't able to afford it. Sellers list their dresses at a fraction of the price and the dresses have typically been worn just once or not at all, and are in excellent condition.
As it turns out, there were a few sellers on the website selling my exact dress. I ended up connecting with a seller of my dress that has almost my EXACT measurements. Too good to be true? Nope. I messaged her on Saturday and heard back late last night; she is still selling the dress and it has been cleaned and preserved since her wedding last year, and is in great condition! Best yet, the dress is about 60% off of the original price. We have started the transaction process and I should have the dress in the mail sometime next week :)
Here are a few pictures of the dress; I will post some of me wearing it when I get them from my mom and Ashly's cameras.
I have exciting news to share: I FOUND A WEDDING DRESS!
So, I went back home to California in hopes of finally finding + purchasing a dress. The designer of the dress I had fell in love with back in Omaha was having a trunk show at a bridal shop in Anaheim, so it seemed like I might be able to find the dress AND get a great deal on it, as I felt it was too much at full retail price. Anyways, when my mom and my friend Ashly and I arrived at the bridal shop on Friday, we were told that there were no sales or discounts, and that the "trunk show" meant that there were just more gowns from that designer in stock that weekend. Please note: This is NOT what their website said. Although we were quite angry, I decided to try on dresses there anyways and ended up finding a (different) dress that I love even more than the first one, which for awhile I didn't think was possible :)
The saleswoman was a bit rude and pushy toward us near the end, so we decided to let her know that we were going to think it over for a day or so before making a final decision. I went home and researched where else in California and Arizona that dress was sold, and discovered there were several places that would be more convenient to buy it from.
After a little more digging (websites that sell replica designer dresses from China, website that make replica dresses in the US, and some total scams), I came across www.preownedweddingdresses.com! PreOwned Wedding Dresses connects sellers of designer wedding dresses with buyers who have found the dress of their dreams but maybe aren't able to afford it. Sellers list their dresses at a fraction of the price and the dresses have typically been worn just once or not at all, and are in excellent condition.
As it turns out, there were a few sellers on the website selling my exact dress. I ended up connecting with a seller of my dress that has almost my EXACT measurements. Too good to be true? Nope. I messaged her on Saturday and heard back late last night; she is still selling the dress and it has been cleaned and preserved since her wedding last year, and is in great condition! Best yet, the dress is about 60% off of the original price. We have started the transaction process and I should have the dress in the mail sometime next week :)
Here are a few pictures of the dress; I will post some of me wearing it when I get them from my mom and Ashly's cameras.
 |
| the dress has a lace sweetheart strapless bodice with cross-over taffeta cummerbund at the midriff. the skirt is organza with scalloped lace at the bottom. |
Friday, August 27, 2010
Fiance Friday - Open Letter to Martha Stewart
Hello Blog-o-sphere!
Well, I knowthat everyone has been sitting at the edge of their seats ALL DAY, knowing that it is time for another epic Fiance Friday post! Well, your wait is over. As promised, I have another open letter to Martha Stewart! In case you missed my first letter, you can find it here. Also, a special Fiance Friday shout-out to Josh and Ashley who are getting married this weekend in Fairbury, NE! I wish I could be there!
And now, on to the letter...
My Dearest Martha,
I hope you are doing well. Every day I walk to my mailbox and hope that you have responded to my first letter. After a long, hot, summer, I have come to the conclusion that you must not have received it. It's really the only plausible explanation. I'll be sure to re-send it to you with some extra postage, as well as delivery confirmation. The other explanation of why I haven't gotten your response is because my home address changed. I realize that sometimes things get lost while being re-routed. My cell phone, however, has not. I've always got time for your call.
Well, Martha, you may be wondering why I am writing for a second time. You see, I am a subscriber to XM Radio. One day, I was driving in my car, listening to my favorite station, and I heard a commercial that caught my attention. It seems, Martha, that not even radio listeners are safe from you now! You now have your OWN XM Radio station! I would link to it, but then that would just give you more publicity that you don't need.
You may be wondering, Martha, what my problem is with your radio station. To be completely honest, in the spirit of full disclosure, I've never been subjected to listening to your station. However, as you know by now, I am here as one of the very few voices on the Internet for past present, and future grooms! I can only imagine the number of grooms who now have to listen to your radio station discussing design and wedding decorations. Why must you torture us, Martha?? Are your TV station and magazines not enough for you?
Well, Martha, I didn't think it would come to this, but I feel I must present one last argument to you. Listen to me, Martha. I'm going to come at you from a practical point of view. Let me get this straight. You are talking about design on the RADIO???? How can I possibly know what colors you are talking about without seeing them? When you say "blue," do you mean midnight blue, or perriwinkle? How will your listeners ever know?!?!? I mean, Martha, you don't want to walk in to someone's home who has taken your advice from the radio, only to find midnight blue drapes paired with perriwinkle carpeting! You can save America from a fashion crisis, Martha! I plead and beg you! Shut down your radio station!
If you would like to chat about this more, you know how to find me. I'll be awaiting your reply.
Hugs, High-5's, and Color Swatches,
Kevin
Well, I knowthat everyone has been sitting at the edge of their seats ALL DAY, knowing that it is time for another epic Fiance Friday post! Well, your wait is over. As promised, I have another open letter to Martha Stewart! In case you missed my first letter, you can find it here. Also, a special Fiance Friday shout-out to Josh and Ashley who are getting married this weekend in Fairbury, NE! I wish I could be there!
And now, on to the letter...
My Dearest Martha,
I hope you are doing well. Every day I walk to my mailbox and hope that you have responded to my first letter. After a long, hot, summer, I have come to the conclusion that you must not have received it. It's really the only plausible explanation. I'll be sure to re-send it to you with some extra postage, as well as delivery confirmation. The other explanation of why I haven't gotten your response is because my home address changed. I realize that sometimes things get lost while being re-routed. My cell phone, however, has not. I've always got time for your call.
Well, Martha, you may be wondering why I am writing for a second time. You see, I am a subscriber to XM Radio. One day, I was driving in my car, listening to my favorite station, and I heard a commercial that caught my attention. It seems, Martha, that not even radio listeners are safe from you now! You now have your OWN XM Radio station! I would link to it, but then that would just give you more publicity that you don't need.
You may be wondering, Martha, what my problem is with your radio station. To be completely honest, in the spirit of full disclosure, I've never been subjected to listening to your station. However, as you know by now, I am here as one of the very few voices on the Internet for past present, and future grooms! I can only imagine the number of grooms who now have to listen to your radio station discussing design and wedding decorations. Why must you torture us, Martha?? Are your TV station and magazines not enough for you?
Well, Martha, I didn't think it would come to this, but I feel I must present one last argument to you. Listen to me, Martha. I'm going to come at you from a practical point of view. Let me get this straight. You are talking about design on the RADIO???? How can I possibly know what colors you are talking about without seeing them? When you say "blue," do you mean midnight blue, or perriwinkle? How will your listeners ever know?!?!? I mean, Martha, you don't want to walk in to someone's home who has taken your advice from the radio, only to find midnight blue drapes paired with perriwinkle carpeting! You can save America from a fashion crisis, Martha! I plead and beg you! Shut down your radio station!
If you would like to chat about this more, you know how to find me. I'll be awaiting your reply.
Hugs, High-5's, and Color Swatches,
Kevin
Friday, August 20, 2010
Fiancé Friday - The Big Announcement
Hello Blog-o-sphere!
I have kept you all in waiting for quite some time, now, about this big announcement I'm going to make here, today. If any of you are friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, you have seen the speculation about what exactly this announcement could be about. Recently, I have heard the rumor that St. Ignatius himself is coming back from the dead to witness our marriage. I've also heard that Pope Benedict XVI will be witnessing our marriage. Today, I even heard the rumor that Hollyanne and I are actually already married! A couple of other favorites come from friends I suffered through, I mean "went to", grad school with. Those guesses include an appearance on America's Got Talent and an NBA contract with the Miami Heat. While I'm no hand whistler or basketball player, I think they were about the closest guesses to what I am about to announce. You are probably now wondering, "Seriously, Kevin? Get on with this already!" Also, I contacted ESPN to see if they would do a prime-time special, allowing me to give my announcement on national television. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for Chris Berman to call me back. But, alas, I can't sit around and wait for ESPN all day, I've got blog readers that I need to let in on the announcement! So, folks, you heard it here first.....The announcement is....................MY SIDE OF THE WEDDING PARTY!!
Lt. My-Linh "Twink" Pham
Twink and I have been best friends since our high school days at Oak Park. We've been through thick and thin together. In fact, if you search through the Cleary Family Home Video Archives, and have a VHS player, you will come across some classic footage of the two of us lip syncing and dancing to Veggie Tales during the Mr. Oak Park competition. Currently, Twink is serving our country in Afghanistan, and will return in time for the wedding! Of course, I am thrilled to have Twink as my Best "Man" (Not really sure on the terminology if a best man is a female....).
Peter Kimani
Kimani is my wonderful brother-in-law that has the distinct pleasure of being related to me through my sister. I'm not sure he fully realized what he was getting himself in to when he came in to the family. :) We've had many-a-good times together and I couldn't be happier to have him as a Groomsman!
John Roselle III
John and I met at the Summer Preview dance the summer before we started our academic careers at Creighton. Now, if you know anything about me and dancing, you will know that we met on the outside of the dance floor, and not actually dancing ourselves. :) John and I share and affinity for St. Ignatius and the Jesuits. Of course, John's affinity is a little stronger, given that he's now a Jesuit, himself. :)
Craig Carlson
Craig came in to our family when he married my cousin Cindy. Together, they have two beautiful daughters and live in the Des Moines, IA area. A founding member of the MOD Squad, Craig and I have had many good times together on the MOD Annual Camping Trip! Though Craig is both a Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins fan, I don't hold it against him too much. :)
Dan Buck
Dan also has the pleasure of being related to me, as he is my oldest cousin! Dan lives in Omaha with his wife D'Lynn and their four beautiful children! Together, Dan and I are the co-creators of "Stars Friday." For those unfamiliar with this international holiday, it falls on the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. Many people go out an shop on this day. Dan, Craig, and I, however, enjoy staying in and playing hours of an old PC turn-based space strategy game known as Stars!. Dan and I also share a love for Tecmo Super Bowl on the NES. I cannot even begin to count the number of times my QB was sacked by the NY Giants defense in my basement while growing up. :)
Joe Buck
Last, but certainly not least, is my cousin Joe. Having the opportunity to attend Creighton in Omaha, I had many opportunities hang out with Joe. Joe and I have been on many camping trips together, as well as a couple of Little Jays Weekends while I was at CU. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live with him and the rest of the Omaha Bucks for a few weeks after I graduated from Creighton, while I finished my position at Nebraska AIDS Project. I recently served as Joe's Confirmation Sponsor, which took place this past Spring.
Well, folks, there you have it: The Groomspeople! Or, is it Groomsfolks? Does anyone have any suggestions??
Next week on Fiance Friday: Another Open Letter to Martha Stewart. Yes, Martha, the students are back and I'm going no holds barred! Be prepared!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
napkin love note.
a very short post today, and no, i'm sorry, this is NOT the big announcement you all have been so patiently (or some not so patiently - ahem, mary & stefanie) for, but just thought i'd share the little love note napkin kevin left me in my lunch this morning :)
hope you all can find a little love in your own lives today, too :)
hope you all can find a little love in your own lives today, too :)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
B-I-G Announcement
Okay, so maybe it's not that big.
If you've been following the blog, you'll have noticed that in last Friday's post Kevin announced that there would be a couple of big annoucements coming up. As much as I wish I could share Kevin's big annoucement, he'll have to handle that one on his own (but he should do it very soon...cough, cough, hint, hint). As for our big announcement, that one I can share...
drum roll please.
We're going to run a marathon!
For those of you who don't know, Kevin and I ran our first half-marathon this past January...with no training. No, we're not that badass. We were mostly, well, stupid. We couldn't move for several days afterwards and didn't run again for several weeks. But for some reason, we masochists are coming back for more. In an effort to see how we would do in a race we have actually trained for, as well as getting in shape for our upcoming wedding, we have decided to go all out and register for the Holualoa Tucson Marathon this December 12.
The training plan we're following is eighteen lonnggggg weeks, which makes this week numero uno. Luckily for us, the training plan started yesterday with our favorite day: rest day! (There are two rest days each week, as well as one cross-training day). So, today marks the real first day of training: 3 miles. We think we can handle that.
We'll be updating on the blog (probably weekly) about our training progress and whether or not we've died or quit yet. We're hoping to make the blog more about our relationship AND our wedding, rather than just our wedding, so this is just one of the many things you'll start to see included here.
from Kevin:
If you've been following the blog, you'll have noticed that in last Friday's post Kevin announced that there would be a couple of big annoucements coming up. As much as I wish I could share Kevin's big annoucement, he'll have to handle that one on his own (but he should do it very soon...cough, cough, hint, hint). As for our big announcement, that one I can share...
drum roll please.
We're going to run a marathon!
For those of you who don't know, Kevin and I ran our first half-marathon this past January...with no training. No, we're not that badass. We were mostly, well, stupid. We couldn't move for several days afterwards and didn't run again for several weeks. But for some reason, we masochists are coming back for more. In an effort to see how we would do in a race we have actually trained for, as well as getting in shape for our upcoming wedding, we have decided to go all out and register for the Holualoa Tucson Marathon this December 12.
The training plan we're following is eighteen lonnggggg weeks, which makes this week numero uno. Luckily for us, the training plan started yesterday with our favorite day: rest day! (There are two rest days each week, as well as one cross-training day). So, today marks the real first day of training: 3 miles. We think we can handle that.
We'll be updating on the blog (probably weekly) about our training progress and whether or not we've died or quit yet. We're hoping to make the blog more about our relationship AND our wedding, rather than just our wedding, so this is just one of the many things you'll start to see included here.
from Kevin:
Hi all!
So, as you all now know, we are running a marathon. Now, I know that none of you have doubts when it comes to my beautiful fiance finishing this race. I mean, really, there is no way that she's not going to finish. Many of you know I nearly collapsed (Ok, not really collapsed, but couldn't walk for several days afterwards) after doing a half-marathon back in January. I have a plan this time, though (besides Hal Higdon's 18-week plan). The beauty of this marathon is that it's all DOWNHILL! In fact, from the starting line to the finishing line, you LOSE 1800 feet in elevation! So, here's the plan. If I get tired during the race, I'm going to stop, lie on the ground, and just ROLL the rest of the way! Whoever came up with this marathon course was a GENIUS! There is NO WAY that I can't finish!! In all seriousness, though, I am excited about the challenge of running this marathon. Who knows if I'm going to finish, but, as many of you know, I'm just crazy enough to try! :)
So, as you all now know, we are running a marathon. Now, I know that none of you have doubts when it comes to my beautiful fiance finishing this race. I mean, really, there is no way that she's not going to finish. Many of you know I nearly collapsed (Ok, not really collapsed, but couldn't walk for several days afterwards) after doing a half-marathon back in January. I have a plan this time, though (besides Hal Higdon's 18-week plan). The beauty of this marathon is that it's all DOWNHILL! In fact, from the starting line to the finishing line, you LOSE 1800 feet in elevation! So, here's the plan. If I get tired during the race, I'm going to stop, lie on the ground, and just ROLL the rest of the way! Whoever came up with this marathon course was a GENIUS! There is NO WAY that I can't finish!! In all seriousness, though, I am excited about the challenge of running this marathon. Who knows if I'm going to finish, but, as many of you know, I'm just crazy enough to try! :)
 |
| kevin & i at the p.f. chang's half-marathon - january 2010. somehow standing. |
Friday, August 6, 2010
Fiancé Friday
Hello blog-o-sphere!
I hope everyone has had a fantastic Fiance Friday! I know that I sure did! For those who are unaware, I have begun a new job at The University of Arizona! You know you've really hit it big when you have your very own retirement plan! :) It must mean I'm a grown-up!
Today's post is more of an advertisement. It's not the kind of advertisement that you change the channel for (I'm looking at you Meghan). Maybe it's less like an advertisement, and more like a preview. However, it's not like the kind of preview you skip because you get to the movie late. This is the kind of preview that has been hyped up on that thing we refer to as the "internet." It's the kind of preview that you wait anxiously for, refreshing your web browser at work every 30 seconds to see if it has posted on the Apple website (that shoutout is for you, Dad), only to quickly minimize it as your boss walks by. This is the kind of preview you see, then send out the link to all of your followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook.
Yes, this is a HUGE preview. I would say that it's even huge-er than when the Deathly Hallows preview first came online. Yes, folks, we are talking J.K. Rowling kind of big! This preview for what is about to come from "Two Become One" is EPIC.
"What on Earth could this preview be for?" You ask. Well, we've got some big announcements on the horizon. Hold on to your cheesy poofs, folks, because people will be talking about what is to come for CENTURIES ahead. I've got you curious now, don't I? What if I ended this post here, without ever giving you the preview of what is to come? Then, I suppose this would be more of a preview for the preview. Perhaps this post could just end, as The Sopranos series finale did several years ago, and just go to a black screen, leaving you guessing.
Well, I suppose that would just be mean of me to leave you all hanging (not to mention, I am on my way out the door for Salsa dancing lessons!). So, here are a few HUGE things to come from us here at Two Become One.
1. A BIG announcement from me!
2. A BIG announcement from the both of us!
3. Another open letter to Ms. Martha Stewart. Yes, I'm giving her a bit more time to respond to my first letter, but another letter is definitely in order! Watch out Martha, I'm coming after you!
Have a great week everyone!
Peace, Love, and Previews,
Kevin
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
giant cupcakes.
Happy Tuesday!
We've been thinking a lot lately about what we want to do for our wedding cake - flavor, style, all of that fun stuff. Recently we've been considering doing cupcakes instead; yes, they're trendy, but more than that, they're cute and fun and not as wasteful AND Kevin and I do share a l-o-v-e for cupcakes! We were thinking we'd do mostly cupcakes (on a tower), with a small round cake at the top....and then I saw this picture.
............
Oh. My. Gosh. GIANT CUPCAKE. Yes. Please.
And just like that, cupcakes it is.
We've been thinking a lot lately about what we want to do for our wedding cake - flavor, style, all of that fun stuff. Recently we've been considering doing cupcakes instead; yes, they're trendy, but more than that, they're cute and fun and not as wasteful AND Kevin and I do share a l-o-v-e for cupcakes! We were thinking we'd do mostly cupcakes (on a tower), with a small round cake at the top....and then I saw this picture.
............
Oh. My. Gosh. GIANT CUPCAKE. Yes. Please.
And just like that, cupcakes it is.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Omaha Engagement Photos!
Hello everyone! First of all, I missed all of our loyal blog readers during my time away, but am happy to be back in the country and back to blogging! Today, I am excited to post several of our lovely engagement photos taken in Omaha back in April. (courtesy of Lani at Allure Photographic). We got them back awhile ago, but I told Kevin he couldn't do anything with them until I'd seen them :) Alas, here they are! Enjoy and stay tuned for more wedding planning updates!
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