Sunshines and Creeps

Sunshine to lots of family visiting visiting this weekend: parents, Jessi, grandma and aunt Maria from Austria.

Creep that Michael is out of town when everyone is visiting. He's going to Seattle for a concert with friends.

Sunshine to the Hoigaard's (local sporting good store) yearly "Tent Sale" being next weekend. I thought it was this weekend and since Michael is gone, I wasn't planning to go. But since it's next weekend, we can! They have amazing markdowns on last year's stuff and I got my skis there last year.

Sunshine to getting my ring fixed this week.

Sunshine to yummy Indian food this week. I love Indian food!

Sunshine to Winnie's playdate with our neighbor's 95 lbs golden retriever. Creep  hat he might be moving soon. They had so much fun!

Creep to Winnie peeing on the couch last night. I was literally 6 inches from her while we were playing and she just squatted. Little rascal!

Sunshine to all the wedding anniversaries this week: Ours on the 8th; Jami and Chris on the 11th; and Chad and Michelle today.

Sunshine to the BOGO sale at Lund's and Byerly's this week. My favorite dessert indulgence was BOGO. YUM!

Sunshine to getting Winnie a new kennel. I think (and hope) she will love it once we get it set up.

Creep to lots of late nights for Michael this week. I feel like I hardly got to see him.

Sunshine to my annual Miss America party on Sunday. My Girls Night friends and their hubbys/soon-to-be-hubbies are coming over for it. I appreciate that they humor me in my obsession every year.

Sunshines and Creeps

Sunshine to going to one of my favorite cities in the world today: CHICAGO! Our friends Corey and Brittany (remember the Perfect Strangers Save the Date video?) are getting married.

Sunshine to going to Chicago with Michael for the first time since we moved. We cannot wait to be back in the city where we met and fell in love.

Sunshine to deep dish pizza tonight!

Sunshine to seeing Jen and Kristie tonight!

Sunshine to a run along Lake Michigan tomorrow.

Sunshine to Ann Sather, my favorite breakfast place, tomorrow.

Sunshine to seeing lots of other Chicago friends tomorrow.

Creep to having to do a brick on Sunday night when we get back from Chicago. That is the last thing I want to do when I get home, but I'll probably eat a week's worth of calories while I'm there so it's for the best.

And now, some non-Chicago posts...

Sunshine to reading the entire new Dan Brown book "Inferno" last weekend. Creep to not being able to find a new book that I'm interested in.

Sunshine to some good workouts this week. Creep to waking up at 4:45am today to go to spin class.

Sunshine to a productive work retreat this week. I will be very busy this summer. Thank goodness that the person we hired for my job starts on June 17!

June - crazy-busy month!

We have a ton of stuff going on in June! Nearly all of it is really fun stuff but it will be a crazy-intense month.

Here’s what’s going on:

June 7-9 – Chicago for our friends Corey and Brittany’s wedding
June 12 – dinner with friends Allie and Christian
June 14-16 – Jessi is coming to visit and we are seeing War Horse
June 16 – Father’s Day – don’t know what we’re doing yet but I’m assuming dinner with the M’s fam
June 20-22 – Chicago for Amy’s graduation, plus a special pit stop on the way home (more on that in a later blog post)
June 26 – Girls Night
June 28-30 – weekend at the cabin

Also, we train for the tri all month long, with a practice mini-tri on Sunday, June 30. And did I mention that it is also the last month of the fiscal year at my school? So I have to raise another $92K to reach our goal by June 30? NBD…

Different Kind of Sunshine Today

I don't have time to write my usual Sunshines and Creep because it's Reunion Weekend and I'm super busy working the next few days (Creep to that).

So instead, I leave you with this video. My two friends, Corey and Brittany, are getting married this summer in Chicago. Corey and I worked together at Northwestern and have remained close friends over the years. Though he can be completely inappropriate and hilarious, he has one of the fondest hearts of anyone I know. And Brittany is the perfect fit for him. I just adore her and I am so excited for these two to tie the know.

Ok, back to the video. Instead of doing a regular Save the Date, the made this fun Save the Date video instead. And if you never watched the TV show Perfect Strangers (set in Chicago), I recommend you watch the video below FIRST, and then click on the link above. Great job, Corey and Brittany. Cannot wait to celebrate your big day!

Happy weekend everyone!

Wedding Wednesday: Trends

Soap box time, blog readers. And to my friends who have already had weddings and I was there, this is not a slam on any of you or your weddings. I love you and I loved your wedding. 

I have been in and attended quite a few weddings over the past five years. In fact, I’ve been in seven and been to nearly 20. And each time, I have loved what the bride couple has done with regard to décor, theme, fashion, etc. However, now that I am planning my own wedding, I am constantly reading blogs, checking Pinterest, and scouring magazines for ideas. And I am running into a lot of bridal trends that I’m just not loving anymore. And that is because they are SO overdone. Damn you, Pinterest for being so awesome and yet also so annoying.

My friends who are married did some of these things years ago and I’m still seeing them on blogs as “new, creative ideas for…” Um, hello?! Hey bloggers – get some new ideas! Or read the archives of other wedding blogs and you will see your so-called “new idea” has been around for years.

Don't get me wrong - there are lots of trends I love and plan to use at my wedding: one-shouldered gown, outdoor ceremony, tented reception, and a "first-look" to name a few. But sometimes, it's time for trends to be just that - a trend - and not become "the norm."

Here are my top three wedding trends I wish would go into retirement. After all, if my friends did these a year or five ago, then they are not so new anymore.

Rustic and Vintage
If I hear or read these words one more time, I may rip my hair out. Hey brides - just because you’re planning an outdoor ceremony or reception does NOT mean you have to have a wedding labeled vintage or rustic. Also, just because you incorporate burlap does not mean your wedding is vintage or rustic.

Honestly, I think I'm probably on my own on this one, as I have seen SO many blog posts about the bride who wanted the “vintage and rustic” wedding. They all have the same stuff – antique typewriters on an aged dresser, birdcages, and throwback glass Coca-Cola bottles – for their ceremony and reception. I hope a new theme catches on soon…

Mason Jars
I loved when my friend Steph utilized mason jars last fall as décor and favors. I thought it was so cute and quite honestly, original. In fact, my friend Kristen and I even tied this idea into her bridal shower. Fast-forward 10 months and I see this trend everywhere. Stop claiming this is an original idea, people! I saw it first hand nearly a year ago and I follow you on Pinterest; I saw all your pins about these. Bright side – Steph must feel very flattered, as she was ahead of the times :-)

The Basket of Flip Flops for “Dancing Shoes.” 
I’ll admit – every time this is an option at a wedding, I get excited because it is SO nice to have this option. My feet are usually ready for a break from my heels so grabbing some Old Navy flips flops and throwing them on feels like heaven. But this is not a new trend. Michael’s mom thought this was “the greatest thing ever” at his cousin’s wedding in Oct. I told her I’ve been to three weddings that have done this, and the first was in 2007. As much as I want this to retire, I have a feeling that Michael’s mom may just do this herself for our wedding because she wants it so badly. And I’ll probably be thankful when my feet are ready for a breather.

What other wedding trends you are seeing that you wish would go into retirement? Or are there some trends you wish would come back OUT of retirement? Let me know so I make sure I do or do not have them at my wedding.

101 days!

My Girlfriend Got Married Part 2

Last week, I posted Part 1 of my Girlfriend Johanne’s wedding. You can read about it and view pictures here.

Michael was in Chicago on Friday night for an event so he flew down on Saturday morning. After picking up his parents’ car in Scottsdale, he drove down to Tucson and arrive just a few hours before the wedding. We were able to see each other before it too, which was so nice b/c I just missed him so much (I know - cheesy but I really did!). I was also able to hand off the camera so he could take some pics during the ceremony.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet. Eva did a nice job and other than it being really windy (which led to Johanne’s veil catching on the bridge and me dashing out to fix it so it didn’t rip off her head), it went off without a hitch. It was a cloudy day in Tucson and it ended up raining later, but the temperature was pleasant and overcast skies are a photographer’s dream so I’m sure the wedding pics turned out great.

Ceremony site

Pretty!

Johanne's aunt Eva and Jason

My walking partner Justin and me

Here comes the bride

Johanne and her mom

Vows

More vows

Married!

Ceremony over

The ceremony and reception were held at the same venue, which was so nice. After some pics post-wedding, I was able to meet up with Michael and spent the rest of the night having a great time. I was able to see my roommate from when I lived in CO, Abby (we were connected courtesy of Johanne), who I haven’t seen since her wedding in CO 4+ years ago, which was SO great and some of Johanne’s other friends who have become my friends over the years. Though the DJ played some interesting choices (Back that Ass Up and Get Low – my grandmas would have died hearing those songs), it was a good time and Johanne and Jason really enjoyed the evening and that's the most important thing. I leave you with a bunch of pictures now.


Congrats to Johanne and Jason!


P.S. Jason said I can still call Johanne Girlfriend; I just can't call her Wife. No problem, Jason! I don't think she wants you calling her that either :-)

Me and M

I have the best date :-)

Bride and groom at their table

Speeches

First Dance

Me and Abby, my roommate from my summer in Colorado. Love her!

Still working on getting some good pics of us

Cutting the cake. It was delicious!

Time to throw the bouquet. The bridesmaid next to me is Johanne's sister and she caught it. 

Grooving on the dance floor.

The bridge having a great time.

My Girlfriend Got Married! Part 1

Last weekend, Michael and I were in AZ for my Girlfriend Johanne's (pronounced Yo-Hannah) wedding. Johanne and I became Girlfriends (with a capital G) in graduate school. She was a year ahead of me in our program and we clicked within the first week of meeting each other. We went for walks together every single night and pretty much spent every second together in 2005-2006. We actually spent so much time together that people thought we were an actual couple, hence our nicknames for each other is Girlfriend. I would have never made it through grad school if it wasn't for Johanne, and I am so thankful to have her in my life.

So Friday, I flew down to Tucson alone (M had to go to Chicago and met me there Saturday for the wedding) and spent the day hanging out and helping where I could. We had a quick rehearsal with Johanne's aunt Eva, who officiated the ceremony. I know Eva pretty well, after spending time with her when she lived in Chicago on several occasions. And now she lives in MSP so we plan to get together soon.

Rehearsing with the readers

Bride and groom (of course, my GF is looking fashionable :-) )

More rehearsing

Then we went to the rehearsal dinner. It was at a Mexican restaurant. DELICIOUS!

Me and my GF

B and G sharing a laugh

Kransekege (pronouced con-sa-kay) - traditional Danish dessert with marzipan. Johanne is Danish (I'm sure you knew that by her name) and her grandma made this. So good!

Johanne and Jason

Saturday morning, we woke up and started getting ready. It was a fun day of hair, makeup, laughs, and memories.

Bride post-hair and pre-makeup

Back of hair

Post-hair/pre-makeup

Kristin getting fake eyelashes put on (they look great in photos)

Me and the bride post makeup (too much blush on me!)

Then it was time to get dressed and head to the ceremony/reception venue.

Kristin and Joanna

Bride in the limo

Me and Johanne's mom, Eileen.

Bridesmaids and bride

Bridesmaids minus me (we all wore different dresses in the same color and fabric)

And now for some pictures of the bride!

So pretty

Finishing touches

Gorgeous

Me and my GF

Johanne and Jason didn't want to see each other before the wedding but they wanted a few pictures. Here was their super cute compromise (idea courtesy of Pinterest - gotta love it!)

Professional photographers capturing the moment

Time for the veil

Part 2 coming soon!!!