I was going to not post anything between the trip posts, but here is an update on the move/job situation.
I found out from the state board today that even though I have two year's teaching experience, above average reviews and amazing recommendations -- I am far from qualified to teach in Iowa. So, starting Monday, I'm job hunting. And not in the teaching field. My plan is to find a 9 to 5 job that I can stand (there will be no newspapering for me), figure out what I REALLY want to do, and start my master's (most likely as a distance ed. student) in January. I know there are some programs I can still sign up for now, but I really want to put thought into what I want.
I have not been happy about this since I found out about it this afternoon (which was after I wasted 10 minutes of my life trying to get a person on the telephone to no avail, and Jeremy went searching on the Web site and wanted to stab it). But, I figure everything happens for a reason, and it's all going to work out. All I need is a job that pays at least what I was making as a teacher (which we all know isn't going to be that hard). It's also nice that DM actually has a lot of opportunities, so while it might not be a job I want to do for the next 30 years, it may be something that at least keeps me interested for the next 2 or 3.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Paris
I don't know why it has taken me so long to write this -- it's not like I'm doing anything of real importance. However, typing things does cut into my reading and knitting time.
Anyway, this was the day that the tour really started. We got our wake up call at 4:45 a.m. I'm not joking. I, however, was up and ready to go at 4:30. I was officially over the probably salmonella I had the day before, and I was ready to be able to see stuff without worry about puking all over it.
We drove through Kent and went past Greenwich. On the way, we also drove past wide, open areas that were actually black death burial pits. They will never build on these.
We took the ferry from Dover to Calais, which was a 90-minute drive, and I managed to not get motion sickness. I was even brave enough to go out on the deck. I did make sure I was down in the seats before we actually moved though. It was a pretty smooth ride, and it gave me plenty of time to knit.
We had really wanted to do the Paris Illuminations dinner, but since it was close to Midsummer's Eve, we couldn't do it because it was light too late. We did get to take a river tour of the Seine, and we went under the Arc de Triumph after we ate. Jeremy was very excited to get to order a burger royale at McDonalds, and I had to point my way to a chicken and lettuce baguette. It was honestly one of the better sandwiches I've ever had. I was a little too excited to be able to walk and tear into the sandwich. America needs a fast food joint called "Le Baguette" that sells yummy sammiches.
We were lucky enough to see the Eiffel Tower's "sparkle show." This also meant we got to see a little bit more of Paris lit up. We took a quick drive past the opera where Phantom of the Opera takes place and drove into the Louvre's courtyard, which was an interesting feat considering the arches into it are very tiny -- basically barely wide (and tall) enough to fit the bus through.
It was another early morning the next day -- not another 4:30 day. But, let's just say we never slept past 7 on this trip. We started off with a tour of the city, which was basically a rehash of the tour of the night before. My complaint was no one pointed out the area that Hemingway liked. Oh well. The tour did include a ticket up to the second observation deck of the Eiffel Tower. I didn't look out so much during the elevator ride up, but I was fine when I got out there. We got some amazing photos of Paris, and I'm very glad I went up. I refused to go to the top, though.
It was then on to the Louvre; I was a little bummed because we did not get to see any of the really ancient stuff -- so no Code of Hammurabi:( However, they did allow photographs, which really surprised us. It was just a highlight tour, which meant we got to see Venus, Mona Lisa, and the Winged Victory. We also saw a few of the slaves that Michaelangelo sculpted for a pope's tomb (one of the Piuses, I think), and we got to see the rest of them when we saw the David in Florence. The big bummer, though, was that all of the "modern" art is in the Musee d'Orsey. This meant no Monet or Van Gogh for me. Had it not been for the fact that I got to see these classic works of art, I don't think I would have wanted to go into the Louvre. It was PACKED. I don't think they believe in following fire codes. It was enough to almost make me have a panic attack.
After the Louvre, we went to Monmarte, because it was on a hill -- we got another great view of Paris. We had lunch at a little cafe, and the birds here were insanely tame. Birds would fly in and out of the restaurant, eating crumbs off the floor. One actually clipped me in the head with its wings or feet. There were still a bunch of artists that set up shop in the center of this area.
That night, it was on to the Moulin Rouge. The food wasn't that great, and the show started to drag. It might have been helpful had it not be in French. We had no clue what they were singing about. During the circus portion of the show, there was a mini horse that looked like it was ready to escape. I hoped it would go nutty and do so, but no such luck.
This was really the end of our time in Paris, which was a really sobering thought. I really loved it and am ready to go back. There's just so much to see that we didn't get to go to -- like Notre Dame and the Musee de Orsey. It's a clean New Orleans, and it might have taken over New Orleans' spot as my favorite place.
Anyway, this was the day that the tour really started. We got our wake up call at 4:45 a.m. I'm not joking. I, however, was up and ready to go at 4:30. I was officially over the probably salmonella I had the day before, and I was ready to be able to see stuff without worry about puking all over it.
We drove through Kent and went past Greenwich. On the way, we also drove past wide, open areas that were actually black death burial pits. They will never build on these.
We took the ferry from Dover to Calais, which was a 90-minute drive, and I managed to not get motion sickness. I was even brave enough to go out on the deck. I did make sure I was down in the seats before we actually moved though. It was a pretty smooth ride, and it gave me plenty of time to knit.
We had really wanted to do the Paris Illuminations dinner, but since it was close to Midsummer's Eve, we couldn't do it because it was light too late. We did get to take a river tour of the Seine, and we went under the Arc de Triumph after we ate. Jeremy was very excited to get to order a burger royale at McDonalds, and I had to point my way to a chicken and lettuce baguette. It was honestly one of the better sandwiches I've ever had. I was a little too excited to be able to walk and tear into the sandwich. America needs a fast food joint called "Le Baguette" that sells yummy sammiches. We were lucky enough to see the Eiffel Tower's "sparkle show." This also meant we got to see a little bit more of Paris lit up. We took a quick drive past the opera where Phantom of the Opera takes place and drove into the Louvre's courtyard, which was an interesting feat considering the arches into it are very tiny -- basically barely wide (and tall) enough to fit the bus through.
It was another early morning the next day -- not another 4:30 day. But, let's just say we never slept past 7 on this trip. We started off with a tour of the city, which was basically a rehash of the tour of the night before. My complaint was no one pointed out the area that Hemingway liked. Oh well. The tour did include a ticket up to the second observation deck of the Eiffel Tower. I didn't look out so much during the elevator ride up, but I was fine when I got out there. We got some amazing photos of Paris, and I'm very glad I went up. I refused to go to the top, though.
It was then on to the Louvre; I was a little bummed because we did not get to see any of the really ancient stuff -- so no Code of Hammurabi:( However, they did allow photographs, which really surprised us. It was just a highlight tour, which meant we got to see Venus, Mona Lisa, and the Winged Victory. We also saw a few of the slaves that Michaelangelo sculpted for a pope's tomb (one of the Piuses, I think), and we got to see the rest of them when we saw the David in Florence. The big bummer, though, was that all of the "modern" art is in the Musee d'Orsey. This meant no Monet or Van Gogh for me. Had it not been for the fact that I got to see these classic works of art, I don't think I would have wanted to go into the Louvre. It was PACKED. I don't think they believe in following fire codes. It was enough to almost make me have a panic attack.
After the Louvre, we went to Monmarte, because it was on a hill -- we got another great view of Paris. We had lunch at a little cafe, and the birds here were insanely tame. Birds would fly in and out of the restaurant, eating crumbs off the floor. One actually clipped me in the head with its wings or feet. There were still a bunch of artists that set up shop in the center of this area.
That night, it was on to the Moulin Rouge. The food wasn't that great, and the show started to drag. It might have been helpful had it not be in French. We had no clue what they were singing about. During the circus portion of the show, there was a mini horse that looked like it was ready to escape. I hoped it would go nutty and do so, but no such luck.
This was really the end of our time in Paris, which was a really sobering thought. I really loved it and am ready to go back. There's just so much to see that we didn't get to go to -- like Notre Dame and the Musee de Orsey. It's a clean New Orleans, and it might have taken over New Orleans' spot as my favorite place.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Europe -- Days 1 and 2 -- England
I'm going to attempt to get this Europe trip documented by the end of this week, but I"m not guaranteeing anything.
Anyway, our flight to London was great. I was excited because I got to see Massachusetts' boot; however I wasn't brilliant enough to take a picture of it. We were excited because we had video screens in our seats, so we got to have games, trivia (and together we beat up the other players on the plane), and pick which movies we wanted to watch.
We got into Gatwick about 7 a.m., and I as usual attracted the person who thought that cows were sheep and that it was SOOOO amazing that England had these HUGE areas where THOUSANDS of cars were parked. I wanted to turn around and say, "Ma'am, if you've ever left your house in the U.S., you'd realize those are parking lots." I really couldn't make up this stuff if I tried.
Gatwick is a 30 minute train ride away from London, and the great part was our travel company (Trafalgar) arranged for our transport from plane to airport. We got to Victoria Station and then were introduced to London traffic, which was the calmest we saw on the trip. I will never make too much fun of Missouri drivers anymore.
We couldn't get our room until after 1, so we left our bags with the front desk and took off walking. We figured we'd find a currency exchanged on the way, but no dice. We stumbled onto Kensington Park, so we ended up wandering around it for the day. This meant we saw Kensington Palace (where Diana lived, and the entire continent is obsessed with her), Royal Albert Hall (there was some squealing when I realized what it was and then educated Jeremy on the fact that Beatles played there and the entire story behind it), the Albert memorial, Diana's memorial (Jeremy said it looked like a log ride), and amazingly well-behaved dogs. Sam would not have fit in over there. We headed back to the hotel, got our room, and crashed out because we could no longer keep our eyes open. We didn't wander out for dinner and opted for the hotel food.
The next morning, we had a 1/2 day tour scheduled, and we get on the bus only to find out we will get to see the queen; princes Harry, William, Charles, and Philip; Princess Ann; and Camilla because it was the queen's birthday (Trouping the Colour). My mouth immediately dropped open, and I was just ready to go stand on the edge of the street. On this tour we also drove past Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. James Palace, the museums and Downing Street. Since it was the "big" day, we also got to see a lot of the nobles in their fancy clothes and big hats (yes, I was bummed that I wasn't given enough notice because I would have so bought a big hat to wear). The bad part of the day was that I was sick. I'm blaming the awful English food, but I honestly don't know what it was. All I know is that seeing food made my stomach curl, and made me a little agitated. The short, rude woman who kept shoving her camera in my view at the parade almost got beat down because of this. At least the boy is tall and got decent pictures. Neither of us managed to get Prince Charles or Princess Ann; they were wearing full dress uniform so the hats obscured them. They were there though.
After Trouping the Colour, the tour was basically done. So, we hiked it down to Buckingham Palace, which is smaller than I thought it was, and then went back to Westminster Abbey so we could go inside. It was a little unnerving to think that we were walking over graves in the church and that we were basically looking at graves the entire time, but it was very interesting. They had a very good audiotour that was narrated by Jeremy Irons. I was happy enough to see the grave of Elizabeth I, which includes a life size figure of her. We were very glad we went.
Then, we trooped it up to the national gallery, which we were kinda disappointed in. There weren't many impressionist paintings, and I'm most happiest seeing Monet and Van Gogh. It did have DaVinci's Maddona on the Rocks, so it was nice to see that.
We were still jet lagged, and I was tired and cranky thanks to the stomach issues, so we got on the Underground and went back to the hotel. I crashed out for two hours, and Jeremy went to the grocery store to get us peanut butter and bread. I had croissants for dinner, and he had peanut butter sandwiches. Neither of us felt like we were missing out on much.
I did not go to Abbey Road. I couldn't easily pinpoint it on the maps we had, and I was too sick to really make an effort to go see it. I was happy enough that we saw the royals because how often does that happen?
Hopefully, I will update tomorrow with details from Paris, which was our favorite part of the trip, much to my surprise. Of course, the French know how to make bread, which will endear any country to me.
Anyway, our flight to London was great. I was excited because I got to see Massachusetts' boot; however I wasn't brilliant enough to take a picture of it. We were excited because we had video screens in our seats, so we got to have games, trivia (and together we beat up the other players on the plane), and pick which movies we wanted to watch.
We got into Gatwick about 7 a.m., and I as usual attracted the person who thought that cows were sheep and that it was SOOOO amazing that England had these HUGE areas where THOUSANDS of cars were parked. I wanted to turn around and say, "Ma'am, if you've ever left your house in the U.S., you'd realize those are parking lots." I really couldn't make up this stuff if I tried.
Gatwick is a 30 minute train ride away from London, and the great part was our travel company (Trafalgar) arranged for our transport from plane to airport. We got to Victoria Station and then were introduced to London traffic, which was the calmest we saw on the trip. I will never make too much fun of Missouri drivers anymore.
We couldn't get our room until after 1, so we left our bags with the front desk and took off walking. We figured we'd find a currency exchanged on the way, but no dice. We stumbled onto Kensington Park, so we ended up wandering around it for the day. This meant we saw Kensington Palace (where Diana lived, and the entire continent is obsessed with her), Royal Albert Hall (there was some squealing when I realized what it was and then educated Jeremy on the fact that Beatles played there and the entire story behind it), the Albert memorial, Diana's memorial (Jeremy said it looked like a log ride), and amazingly well-behaved dogs. Sam would not have fit in over there. We headed back to the hotel, got our room, and crashed out because we could no longer keep our eyes open. We didn't wander out for dinner and opted for the hotel food.
The next morning, we had a 1/2 day tour scheduled, and we get on the bus only to find out we will get to see the queen; princes Harry, William, Charles, and Philip; Princess Ann; and Camilla because it was the queen's birthday (Trouping the Colour). My mouth immediately dropped open, and I was just ready to go stand on the edge of the street. On this tour we also drove past Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. James Palace, the museums and Downing Street. Since it was the "big" day, we also got to see a lot of the nobles in their fancy clothes and big hats (yes, I was bummed that I wasn't given enough notice because I would have so bought a big hat to wear). The bad part of the day was that I was sick. I'm blaming the awful English food, but I honestly don't know what it was. All I know is that seeing food made my stomach curl, and made me a little agitated. The short, rude woman who kept shoving her camera in my view at the parade almost got beat down because of this. At least the boy is tall and got decent pictures. Neither of us managed to get Prince Charles or Princess Ann; they were wearing full dress uniform so the hats obscured them. They were there though.
Philip, why do all these commoners think that I care to see them?
Camilla's hat was just ugly. I would have had a much more interesting one.
After Trouping the Colour, the tour was basically done. So, we hiked it down to Buckingham Palace, which is smaller than I thought it was, and then went back to Westminster Abbey so we could go inside. It was a little unnerving to think that we were walking over graves in the church and that we were basically looking at graves the entire time, but it was very interesting. They had a very good audiotour that was narrated by Jeremy Irons. I was happy enough to see the grave of Elizabeth I, which includes a life size figure of her. We were very glad we went.
Then, we trooped it up to the national gallery, which we were kinda disappointed in. There weren't many impressionist paintings, and I'm most happiest seeing Monet and Van Gogh. It did have DaVinci's Maddona on the Rocks, so it was nice to see that.
We were still jet lagged, and I was tired and cranky thanks to the stomach issues, so we got on the Underground and went back to the hotel. I crashed out for two hours, and Jeremy went to the grocery store to get us peanut butter and bread. I had croissants for dinner, and he had peanut butter sandwiches. Neither of us felt like we were missing out on much.
I did not go to Abbey Road. I couldn't easily pinpoint it on the maps we had, and I was too sick to really make an effort to go see it. I was happy enough that we saw the royals because how often does that happen?
Hopefully, I will update tomorrow with details from Paris, which was our favorite part of the trip, much to my surprise. Of course, the French know how to make bread, which will endear any country to me.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Moving home
This used to be our wedding blog; now, it's going to record our exploits in Iowa, including the stress of building a home.
Had you asked me even two years ago if I would move back to Iowa, I would have told you to have your sanity levels tested. I didn't realize how homesick I was, though, until the boy suggested that we move back to Des Moines last December. We had planned to move somewhere in the U.S., but I had figured it was going to be somewhere I hadn't lived yet. I am glad that we're going though. It's time to go back to my nutty, little family.
Of course, in the past few weeks, I've been questioning the decision. I'm a little nervous because I'm unemployed right now -- although the unemployment rate in Iowa is only 3 percent. I'll find something, even if it is just subbing full-time this year. But, it still makes me nervous. But, when I find out I get to go to Parker's T-ball game the first weekend we're there, and when I hear that he was VERY upset and disappointed that Aunt Beth didn't come up this time with Uncle Jeremy, I know we're moving to the right place.
Besides, I can't tell these two they can't spend time together now:
Had you asked me even two years ago if I would move back to Iowa, I would have told you to have your sanity levels tested. I didn't realize how homesick I was, though, until the boy suggested that we move back to Des Moines last December. We had planned to move somewhere in the U.S., but I had figured it was going to be somewhere I hadn't lived yet. I am glad that we're going though. It's time to go back to my nutty, little family.
Of course, in the past few weeks, I've been questioning the decision. I'm a little nervous because I'm unemployed right now -- although the unemployment rate in Iowa is only 3 percent. I'll find something, even if it is just subbing full-time this year. But, it still makes me nervous. But, when I find out I get to go to Parker's T-ball game the first weekend we're there, and when I hear that he was VERY upset and disappointed that Aunt Beth didn't come up this time with Uncle Jeremy, I know we're moving to the right place.
Besides, I can't tell these two they can't spend time together now:
Sunday, April 29, 2007
And it's done
The wedding has come and gone, and it really was the happiest day of my life. I had so much fun! To prove that I had fun, the bottom of my dress is nice and black. It was so great having all my girls back together and out on the dance floor.
The day went by with few bumps (minus the fact that the keys went to the reception and we did not, so we got to spend time together alone at the church). And, the weather was nice enough to hold off until after the ceremony. Besides -- it's good luck to have rain on your wedding day -- and it didn't bother any of the festivities (and even washed off the car polish from the rental so it saved us some work).
Most of our vendors were superb. I can't say enough good things about our florist, Shannon Pallin of Fiore. She did such a great job!! All the flowers were great! New World Landing was also great. Jennifer and her crew spoiled us and did an amazing job!! And, staying in with the typical theme, Salter Photography did a great job (the photos from this post are from them). They even managed to find me putting on my beloved Chucks. If you'd like to see more of their highlights, you can go here. The gallery will be up for about two months and is just a sampling of the prints I will get.
However, not all our vendors were great. While my hair looked great, my nails started to pop off the day I got them. They were all gone after a week -- and that wasn't even from me trying to take them off. Lesson: I am not going back to Experience, even if they do have Bumble and Bumble.
Also, I was not happy with our DJ, Boogie Inc. The DJ appeared to be wasted by the end of the night and even cut off the song that my bridesmaids and I requested while we were singing it. And, when all five of us looked over at her and complained, she laughed. Lets just say that the comment card they sent us is getting returned with not such a good review.
But, other than that I can't complain. We had extra entertainment provided by my little cousin, Parker. And, we had the people that meant the most to us there to help us celebrate. In addistion to the professional photos, there are more at www.flickr.com/photos/bethknipper
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Glam!
I got my bridals done last night. I'm posting two photos here that really don't show the dress just in case a certain boy decides to actually look at this blog.
As usual I was late (I really didn't realize how long my makeup was going to take), but it was a fabulous shoot with Patsy Brown and the Leythams (well, Rae didn't shoot, but she did a good job of looking like a cute pregnant lady who made me laugh a lot). I'm really fortunate to have so many good photogs:)
Now I just have to figure out which one I like the best! It's not going to be an easy job!
As usual I was late (I really didn't realize how long my makeup was going to take), but it was a fabulous shoot with Patsy Brown and the Leythams (well, Rae didn't shoot, but she did a good job of looking like a cute pregnant lady who made me laugh a lot). I'm really fortunate to have so many good photogs:)
Now I just have to figure out which one I like the best! It's not going to be an easy job!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
More things to cross off that stupid list
What's this a picture of?
My DIY bustle.
I first attempted to do a one-point over bustle and then I got impatient with it and said screw it. So, now it is a bastardized version of an underbustle. Point is, it serves its purpose and isn't too hard to put up. Sorry the photo is not so great; this is what happens when Jeremy has the digital camera at work and I'm at home.
It reminded me how much I detest sewing. But, thankfully my grandmother attempted several times to teach me how to quilt, so I can do the basics every once in awhile.
I did find a favor box kit at Michael's, and it's going to be easy to put together. So Jeremy's going to be recruited to help put these together. The hardest part will be me trying to not kill the printer for the labels, which will just have a big "k" on them.
I also found a hairstyle I like. It won't be what I'm doing for my bridals on Friday, but I do want something similar for the actual day. This picture doesn't show it, but the tiara goes before the "bump" and part of it is under the part that's pulled back. The veil goes behind the "bump." I liked it because it was a little different but is still curly and is partially pulled back.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Bad news, good news, things got done!
*Monday morning edit: I realized I forgot to put the good news on here. I get easily distracted and things leave my brain in no time at all. This week I'm blaming it on spring break since I have no responsibility except to remember to wake up to go to the beach on time with friends. Anyway, the good news is that we have Les back in the wedding!!!! He found out he can get weekend passes from jump school, so he'll be here! He claimed he couldn't be in the wedding b/c there's still a chance he might not make it and that he doesn't know exactly what time he'll get here. However, I told him he's bringing his dress uniform because his skinny little butt will be up front with us. So now we'll have two best men because Jeremy and I couldn't bring ourselves to demote Adam. Although, he did say it would be OK. He's really happy now because he doesn't have to give any speeches. I'm just happy because the numbers are even again!*
This week didn't start off so well. Jeremy's dad died, and while I thought I was pretty secure with dealing with the death of someone close again. But no, I had flash blacks all week of when my mom died. It was painful, and I hated doing anything with the wedding.
But, some things did get accomplished.
Jeremy had time to call and get some answers from the church, so I could cross that off the list. We decided to forgo the trolley because it was going to be insanely expensive (Not insanely expensive but more than we wanted to spend), so we're going to just rent a snazzy car for ourselves (like a mustang). I even managed to find a guitar for Matt so he doesn't have to bring his from Missouri. And, we both figured out what we're buying for the bridal party (mine is even ordered and on the way.)
This week I'm off so I'm going to work on the program, have my bridals taken, and finish thank you notes!
This week didn't start off so well. Jeremy's dad died, and while I thought I was pretty secure with dealing with the death of someone close again. But no, I had flash blacks all week of when my mom died. It was painful, and I hated doing anything with the wedding.
But, some things did get accomplished.
Jeremy had time to call and get some answers from the church, so I could cross that off the list. We decided to forgo the trolley because it was going to be insanely expensive (Not insanely expensive but more than we wanted to spend), so we're going to just rent a snazzy car for ourselves (like a mustang). I even managed to find a guitar for Matt so he doesn't have to bring his from Missouri. And, we both figured out what we're buying for the bridal party (mine is even ordered and on the way.)
This week I'm off so I'm going to work on the program, have my bridals taken, and finish thank you notes!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
More stuff done, I am on a roll
After the realization that this thing is actually happening and is happening really quickly and that I still had a lot of things to do, I managed to get some things done this week.
I've been putting off figuring out who was going to do my hair. My normal girl isn't good with updos, so I couldn't use her. I have never liked going to a new person (yes, it was very traumatic when I moved here). I've only had 3 hairstylists my entire life, and I'm very thankful I've found the one I have now too, otherwise I'd seriously be figuring out a way to see Shirley in Iowa 3 or 4 times a year. Anyway, I digress. I decided to just go ahead and call Experience Spa to set up an appointment. I've got my trial run on March 31 and an appointment for the morning of the 14th with Bridgette. Woo hoo. I also remembered to make an appointment for that Wednesday to get my nails and toes done, as well as an eyebrow was. Jeremy even wanted an appointment to get a manicure, and now I've been told he wants a pedicure too. So, we're having those done together.
Tonight, I decided it was time to sit down and figure out what to do for favors. Luckily, The Knot (how I love that site) had mini Hershey's bars on sale that could be personalized. So they are on the way. Now I just have to find something to put them in, and we are good to go.
So now my list is down to 64 things. And a lot of those really aren't major things. One of them is to actually go to the trial run, and since I've got it scheduled, I feel pretty OK with it. This thing might actually get fully planned before April 14:)
I've been putting off figuring out who was going to do my hair. My normal girl isn't good with updos, so I couldn't use her. I have never liked going to a new person (yes, it was very traumatic when I moved here). I've only had 3 hairstylists my entire life, and I'm very thankful I've found the one I have now too, otherwise I'd seriously be figuring out a way to see Shirley in Iowa 3 or 4 times a year. Anyway, I digress. I decided to just go ahead and call Experience Spa to set up an appointment. I've got my trial run on March 31 and an appointment for the morning of the 14th with Bridgette. Woo hoo. I also remembered to make an appointment for that Wednesday to get my nails and toes done, as well as an eyebrow was. Jeremy even wanted an appointment to get a manicure, and now I've been told he wants a pedicure too. So, we're having those done together.
Tonight, I decided it was time to sit down and figure out what to do for favors. Luckily, The Knot (how I love that site) had mini Hershey's bars on sale that could be personalized. So they are on the way. Now I just have to find something to put them in, and we are good to go.
So now my list is down to 64 things. And a lot of those really aren't major things. One of them is to actually go to the trial run, and since I've got it scheduled, I feel pretty OK with it. This thing might actually get fully planned before April 14:)
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
!
AAAAAAAACk!!!!
37 days, 67 things left on the checklist.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
That is all.
37 days, 67 things left on the checklist.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
That is all.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
A roller-coaster week
This has been one emotionally crazy week.
Last weekend I realized that my dress was supposed to be done at the end of January. Being that it was a month later, and I hadn't heard from the alterations lady, I was a bit nervous.
Monday, I called. All I got was: You have wrong number.
I was scared out of my mind. Being six weeks away from the wedding, there was NO way I could order a new one and have it get here on time. In my panic, I started looking online for a back-up plan. Luckily, J. Crew had one that was very similar, even though it was twice the price of mine. Jeremy was nice enough to offer to pay for it if I did have to get a new one.
Tuesday, I rushed to Gulf Breeze to check on it. It was there; it was OK; it just wasn't done. She told me it would be another week. Rational thought returned to my brain. I celebrated by buying a new pair of Birkenstocks for my rehearsal dinner dress (although I did seriously contemplate buying a pair of black Rainbows for it).
Wednesday, I met with the reception hall people and set up the menu (chicken and pasta with sugar snap peas and a salad), so that was taken care of and was extremely easy and painless.
Friday, I realized I had a voice mail after school. My dress was done! I rushed back to Gulf Breeze, got it, rushed home, tried it on, and it's perfect! IT doesn't have a bustle yet because she doesn't ever do wedding dresses but did mine because it was plain and only needed hemmed. However, I have figured out a way to do it myself either involving a safety pin on the inside with the existing ribbon or sewing in another ribbon to tie it together. This wedding is really making me into Martha Stewart. But considering I will pay less than $60 for alterations and the bustle, which usually costs people about the cost of my dress, I'm quite OK with that.
Today I had my first run-in with using a new last name. We were at Barnes & Noble, and Jeremy decided that pre-ordering the last Harry Potter online wasn't going to work. So, as I started filling out the form, I realized that when it comes out in July, I will no longer be Beth Evans. Writing Beth Knipper felt really odd. It's going to take some getting used to ...
Last weekend I realized that my dress was supposed to be done at the end of January. Being that it was a month later, and I hadn't heard from the alterations lady, I was a bit nervous.
Monday, I called. All I got was: You have wrong number.
I was scared out of my mind. Being six weeks away from the wedding, there was NO way I could order a new one and have it get here on time. In my panic, I started looking online for a back-up plan. Luckily, J. Crew had one that was very similar, even though it was twice the price of mine. Jeremy was nice enough to offer to pay for it if I did have to get a new one.
Tuesday, I rushed to Gulf Breeze to check on it. It was there; it was OK; it just wasn't done. She told me it would be another week. Rational thought returned to my brain. I celebrated by buying a new pair of Birkenstocks for my rehearsal dinner dress (although I did seriously contemplate buying a pair of black Rainbows for it).
Wednesday, I met with the reception hall people and set up the menu (chicken and pasta with sugar snap peas and a salad), so that was taken care of and was extremely easy and painless.
Friday, I realized I had a voice mail after school. My dress was done! I rushed back to Gulf Breeze, got it, rushed home, tried it on, and it's perfect! IT doesn't have a bustle yet because she doesn't ever do wedding dresses but did mine because it was plain and only needed hemmed. However, I have figured out a way to do it myself either involving a safety pin on the inside with the existing ribbon or sewing in another ribbon to tie it together. This wedding is really making me into Martha Stewart. But considering I will pay less than $60 for alterations and the bustle, which usually costs people about the cost of my dress, I'm quite OK with that.
Today I had my first run-in with using a new last name. We were at Barnes & Noble, and Jeremy decided that pre-ordering the last Harry Potter online wasn't going to work. So, as I started filling out the form, I realized that when it comes out in July, I will no longer be Beth Evans. Writing Beth Knipper felt really odd. It's going to take some getting used to ...
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Another thing to mark off
The first dance song has not been an easy task. I didn't want one that was commonly used, couldn't be too long, and too mushy was also out. It didn't help that we don't have a song, nor do we have music in common that would be appropriate (while I love the Rza, he's not exactly the first choice for a wedding song). I also didn't want another Beatles' song since one will be played during the ceremony and a collection of their songs will most likely be the pre-ceremony music.
I have a feeling that this choice was only made more difficult by the fact that we do have more than 2,000 albums, and I was bound and determined to find the perfect one.
So, tonight I spent 90 minutes on Indiebride trying to find hints for a nontraditional song, and the winner is: Bob Dylan's If Not for You.
At two and a half minutes, it's the perfect length, the lyrics are fitting (both of us have issues sleeping if the other one isn't there, and Jeremy does have issues finding things if I'm not around), and it isn't super slow.
I have a feeling that this choice was only made more difficult by the fact that we do have more than 2,000 albums, and I was bound and determined to find the perfect one.
So, tonight I spent 90 minutes on Indiebride trying to find hints for a nontraditional song, and the winner is: Bob Dylan's If Not for You.
At two and a half minutes, it's the perfect length, the lyrics are fitting (both of us have issues sleeping if the other one isn't there, and Jeremy does have issues finding things if I'm not around), and it isn't super slow.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Serve it up
I managed to find a great deal on a Lenox cake serving/cutting set. It was half off, so it was a big savings over the really fancy Swarovski set. But it still looks decent. Plus, it gave me something else to cross off the list, which is always nice.
And, now I'm enjoying getting the rsvps in the mail. They're a lot more exciting than the credit card solicitations or the bills. The other exciting thing is that items have been fulfilled on the registry. So to whomever bought a crockpot and breadmaker, thank you. I'm now playing the game of "hmm ... who would buy this for me?"
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Hallelujah
The invites are finally done.
Well, I thought they were until we started stuffing them into envelopes and I realized that there were eight I never made name tags for and five that I never got addresses for. But, still, those figures are a lot better than the hundred I had before. Besides, the ones that I do have the addresses for will be done tonight. And out in the mail tomorrow. Woo hoo.
The process became a lot easier today when I finally had it with the old printer and went and bought a new one. I think I might have actually broken the other one with the cardstock. I'm pleading the fifth.
And now I might actually be able to enjoy the wedding stuff again. I think I was just a little too over ambitious with the fancy invites. But, they look good (even though the new printer prints more grey than black.)
I'd put a picture up, but you're just going to have to wait to get them in the mail and then you can be awed.
Well, I thought they were until we started stuffing them into envelopes and I realized that there were eight I never made name tags for and five that I never got addresses for. But, still, those figures are a lot better than the hundred I had before. Besides, the ones that I do have the addresses for will be done tonight. And out in the mail tomorrow. Woo hoo.
The process became a lot easier today when I finally had it with the old printer and went and bought a new one. I think I might have actually broken the other one with the cardstock. I'm pleading the fifth.
And now I might actually be able to enjoy the wedding stuff again. I think I was just a little too over ambitious with the fancy invites. But, they look good (even though the new printer prints more grey than black.)
I'd put a picture up, but you're just going to have to wait to get them in the mail and then you can be awed.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Woo hoo
With any luck, I will have all the invites sent out by the end of this week. I'm now beginning to think the pocketfolds were an insane idea because the cards don't always want to fit. And, I miscut some of the ribbons, so the bands vary from being really tight to kinda loose. But I don't care. I'll just be glad when I don't have to deal with these things anymore.
Also, I bought the stuff to make the guestbook, the unity candle, and the memory candle (which could not be a small size to fit all the names on there -- it's almost humorous). Jeremy's still up in arms about the unity candle because he doesn't think one is necessary.
Also, I bought the stuff to make the guestbook, the unity candle, and the memory candle (which could not be a small size to fit all the names on there -- it's almost humorous). Jeremy's still up in arms about the unity candle because he doesn't think one is necessary.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Phew
So, thanks to the past week, I'm no longer hating the wedding planning process.
A. I took a trip to Minneapolis. Yes, it was cold (3 degrees? Seriously.), but Lois and I got some good work done on the invitations. We huddled around her kitchen table and managed to knock out the bands for the invitations for almost all of them. We would have done more had we had enough of the champagne paper to back the name tags.
B. I got the flowers figured out. I talked to the flower lady, and we got it all taken care of. I get my white tulips, but Jeremy no longer gets his "shot glass" flower. Instead of a calla lily, he will have a white tulip too. The girls will have bouquets of various shades of pink gerberas, while the bouts will be the same. And the mothers and corsages will have orchids. We'll also have two altar pieces with ivory French tulips.
C. I got the direction cards written up and some of the RSVP cards printed out. This did create some frustration because the printer gets cranky and results in me getting angry. But, the end is in sight.
D. We ordered our wedding bands. Jeremy's excited yet bummed because he doesn't get to wear it.
So yes, things are coming together, which is good because it is now less than three months away
A. I took a trip to Minneapolis. Yes, it was cold (3 degrees? Seriously.), but Lois and I got some good work done on the invitations. We huddled around her kitchen table and managed to knock out the bands for the invitations for almost all of them. We would have done more had we had enough of the champagne paper to back the name tags.
B. I got the flowers figured out. I talked to the flower lady, and we got it all taken care of. I get my white tulips, but Jeremy no longer gets his "shot glass" flower. Instead of a calla lily, he will have a white tulip too. The girls will have bouquets of various shades of pink gerberas, while the bouts will be the same. And the mothers and corsages will have orchids. We'll also have two altar pieces with ivory French tulips.
C. I got the direction cards written up and some of the RSVP cards printed out. This did create some frustration because the printer gets cranky and results in me getting angry. But, the end is in sight.
D. We ordered our wedding bands. Jeremy's excited yet bummed because he doesn't get to wear it.
So yes, things are coming together, which is good because it is now less than three months away
Saturday, December 30, 2006
A slight bump in the road
Good news: Les, our best man, is back from Iraq and in one piece with no pieces missing.
Bad news: Les is going to jump school in April and might not be at the wedding. This news made me cry at a bar.
So if any one knows where we can order large, cardboard, picture cutouts, please let me know. Because I made the executive decision that Les isn't getting replaced.
Bad news: Les is going to jump school in April and might not be at the wedding. This news made me cry at a bar.
So if any one knows where we can order large, cardboard, picture cutouts, please let me know. Because I made the executive decision that Les isn't getting replaced.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Help, please
If anyone reads this and knows of someone who does a good job with wedding gown alterations, please let me know! I'd greatly appreciate it. You can either leave me a comment or e-mail me at knip2be@gmail.com
Thanks:)
Thanks:)
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Grr
OK. So I got the labels up, but if you notice, there is less info in the sidebar.
I'm not so happy with it right now because it's not a basic html editor on here now, and it confuses me. So, it's going to be sparse unless I get a hankering to learn about widget tags.
I'm not so happy with it right now because it's not a basic html editor on here now, and it confuses me. So, it's going to be sparse unless I get a hankering to learn about widget tags.
Here we go again
Something good came of me being home sick for two days -- things got done!
I'm now up to 88 invites done (still minus inserts), so I don't have too many more to do; about half that number. Woo hoo.
And, I even started making appointments for flowers. Of course, I forgot that there's this thing called Christmas coming up, which means they are all slammed. So, I don't get to talk to any of them until January. Which means I'm not talking about it to January because my track record with such things.
I managed to start labels on this blog. I realized that I talk mostly about paper. I guess it shows what I really like about this wedding (I won't discuss how excited I got when I realized Paper Source has gift certificates). However, I'm not brilliant enough to figure out how to establish label links on the page. Oh well.
I'm now up to 88 invites done (still minus inserts), so I don't have too many more to do; about half that number. Woo hoo.
And, I even started making appointments for flowers. Of course, I forgot that there's this thing called Christmas coming up, which means they are all slammed. So, I don't get to talk to any of them until January. Which means I'm not talking about it to January because my track record with such things.
I managed to start labels on this blog. I realized that I talk mostly about paper. I guess it shows what I really like about this wedding (I won't discuss how excited I got when I realized Paper Source has gift certificates). However, I'm not brilliant enough to figure out how to establish label links on the page. Oh well.
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