3 more months!

I've been M.I.A...Seems like I have zero free time these days. Wedding planning (& work) are consuming my life. I'm loving the wedding planning & hating the job. 3 months more until our wedding day! I can't wait. Time is flying! I have tons of little things to do before now & then. The above picture is of my DIY wedding supplies. I've been DIYing my invites, aisle decorations, reception decor and more. As you can see I have a hard time answering people's question when they ask me what my wedding colors are. Who can commit to 2 or 3 colors? Not me!

The most important thing that has happened since I last wrote is that my nephew was born. He is so sweet & handsome. When I saw him a few minutes after his birth I couldn't believe my eyes. I was in awe of him. No other newborn has affected me in that way. He's amazing. I only wish that I could see him more. I've only seen him 3 times and he turned one month old on Friday. I really need to make a trip to Pasadena this week.

Anyway, I will try my best to keep up on this blog if at the very least once a week. Hopefully I will be able to fill you in on these last 3 months of craziness before we say "I DO!"

xoxo

P.S. Check out my wedding BIO that I use on TheKnot. It needs updating but it's kind of a wedding preview. Let me know what you think!

Here Comes The Bride!

I'm sorry for neglecting you for so long! Life has been busy! The new job doesn't allow for much blog time and every chance I get to go online I've been sucked into the bride sites. Stephen & I are getting married in late July which is relatively soon! Since we set a date I've been a very busy bride to be! There is so much to do from now until then and I at times I feel a little overwhelmed. Despite the stressful days I am having so much fun. I love all the little details of wedding planning. Although we're on a tight budget I have been lucky enough to find great deals & I haven't had to compromise too much. I can't wait to see how it all turns out. I'll be so happy to finally be married! I never thought I'd be a bride in the traditional sense (I always thought we'd end up going to Vegas & tying the knot) but I've fallen into the bride-2-be role just fine! ha-ha! I am far from a bridezilla but I am learning that certain aspects of the wedding planning process can make a girl go slightly crazy! I need to learn to cherish this time because I'll only be a bride once. I'm trying to let go & have fun with it. I'm still weary of the attention & boring people to death with endless wedding details. I know how people can be tough on brides & everyone has an opinion of how things should be done. So far so good. I hope in this process I can stay sane & be a happy & stress free bride-2-be! =)

In other news...

B. Bear, Baby B & Baby Sophia are almost here! Yippee for all the new babies!

Fell of my bike yesterday pretty bad. Still in pain. Yippee for helmets!

Yippee for Fridays!

Welcome 2008!

Hello dear friends. I am sorry I've been out of touch. So much has happened since my last post. I don't know where to start. Since I last wrote I left my job at Trevor. My last day was very sad! One of my bosses took the day off & the other had bronchitis so I was a little bummed about that. My co-workers took me out to a nice lunch & then four of us snuck out of the office & got pedicures down the street. I had so much fun on my last day which made it harder to say goodbye. I'm really missing my old job & my old routine. I know that the decision I made to leave Trevor was the right one but it's still been hard to swallow. Especially because people at the new place have been less then welcoming. I also feel like I took a step down in my position. I managed major projects at Trevor & now I'm stamping checks & annoying people when I ask questions. It's been tough to say the least. I shouldn't complain. I'm employed, I have an amazing commute & I should be thankful. I am thankful!

The holidays were memorable & I enjoyed spending time with Steph's & my family. I took so many photos & I have still yet to post them all on flickr. In other news...Stephen & I got engaged! Although, we've been together for awhile it was a complete shock! He proposed on December 30 under the pier at Huntington Beach. It was so special & so romantic! My ring is beautiful! I am so unbelievably happy! I'd like to get married sometime in late summer but things are still up in the air. We're trying to keep things very inexpensive but we still want to include all our family & friends. I have a few ideas up my sleeve. It's going to be a very DIY wedding! I'm trying to figure out how to have a casual, fun, yet elegant wedding for little money. This will be a challenge! I'm so excited!

I can't believe it's 2008! I can remember writing my first 2007 post. Time flies!!!

Holiday Craziness!

I broke the news on Tuesday! It was very hard for me but it went much better then I imagined. Everyone was so understanding and supportive. I was going to tell my boss on Monday but it was such a chaotic day & it just wasn't the right time. Everyone was a little shocked but they knew that it was only a matter of time. It's just so darn far! My last day is a week from today. It's bittersweet because I've really bonded with my co-workers these last few weeks. They're awesome people and I'm really going to miss them. Everyone here has the week between X-mas & New Years off (PAID!) & I just found out that the new job is making me work that week! The offices are closed but because last minute end-of-year gifts come in someone has to be there to process them...since I'm the newbie that will be me! =( Oh well! There goes all my holiday plans! Christmas is coming way too fast! I've barely done any shopping & I can't get Stephen to put the dang X-mas lights up! I'm about ready to get out the ladder & do it myself. There are so many dinners, parties, errands, traditions and obligations. I'm feeling stressed and I'm not even taking into consideration starting a new job! I so badly wish I could just get away for a bit. Last night I did some Christmas shopping and I ended up buying a couple things for myself! I have to stop doing that! I need to make a shopping list & stick to it! I have to make a To Do List. Oh Geez, I'm getting overwhelmed!!! I need to relax...

Busy!

Been busy busy busy...What else is new? Well I do have some news!!!...I got a job offer! Very close to home! It's about a 5 minute walk! The job itself is very similar to what I'm doing now - it pays slightly less, but I will reclaim at least four hours of my day! Right now I'm commuting almost 2 hours to work & 2 hours back. I do like my job & my co-workers & I'm feeling a huge amount of guilt for leaving them during their busiest time of year. I got the offer Friday night & I am planning to tell my boss & co-workers on Monday if all goes as planned! I'm so freaked out about how they are going to react. I know that I'm probably giving up certain aspects of my job that I love...but 4 hours of my life back is so worth it! Wish me luck and send your good vibes that they won't totally flip out when I give them the news! Yikes!!! I am having major anxiety about this life changing decision. I'm trying not to over think things. I know that in the long run this will be the best thing for me.

I have cut down on swaps lately but I joined a cool one where swappers come here to read my Blog. Soooo...Welcome Blog Love Swap-bot friends!!!

Among the stress of work, the job offer & the crazy Christmas season I dealt with a mini crisis last week. Lily went missing! She usually greets Stephen at the door when he's home from school but last Wednesday she was a no show. I went to look for her and she was no where to be found! We looked everywhere!!! Moved the bed, couches, tables and she wasn't anywhere. We called her and not a sound! I thought she may have escaped so Steph, Woody & I walked the neighborhood calling her name. At one point I saw what I thought was a dead animal in the road & I lost it! Stephen went ahead to investigate and luckily it was only a bag. I was so upset! When we got back in I let Woody wander around and he went right to the drawers in the laundry room. Stephen opened one of the drawers & there she was! I have no idea how she got in there! I don't remember closing any drawers! Anyway, she was safe and it was such a relief. I think it made me realize that although there will never be another Sammy, I am able to really love another kitty. Lily & I have really bonded since then. =) Woody & Lily are wonderful pets. Woody is such a mama's boy. He got he final set of shots today so I am looking forward to taking him out & hopefully he'll get over being such a scaredy pup.

I finally finished the book Sylvia recommended, The Lovely Bones. It was very emotional! I actually cried while reading it. There were a couple things I didn't like about the story, or things that I would have done different if I were the writer but all in all I liked it very much. I am waiting on pins & needles for the movie to come out! It was so thought provoking and I keep thinking about the concept of heaven. Very interesting!

I also got finished with a couple Netflix movies that friends recommended & here is what I thought...in a nutshell! LOL!

1408 : Great one man show. Almost gave me a heart attack. Scary with a blah ending.

Knocked Up: Am I the only one in America (other then Stephen) who thought this movie was lame? It was slow & it seemed like they were making up the lines as they went along. A few giggles but it wasn't fall on the floor hilarious like everyone said it was. 40 Year Old Virgin was way better!

Wolf Creek: Chilling, scary...OMG, I'm going to have nightmares. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The next few weeks are going to be insane but I will try my best to pop in & let you all know what's going on. I'm looking forward the last adventures of 2007 & the wild year of adventures in 2008. I'm excited! I can't believe this year went by so fast! I wish life would slow down a bit.

So true...

IT'S A BOY!!!

Look at my new nephew William Atticus! I can't wait to meet him!

I have gone Pro!

Flickr Pro! On Friday, Stephen surprised me with something better than flowers! A new 12.0 Mega Pixels camera! I love it! I’m still learning how to use it so bear with me & my slightly out of focus photos. I took some shots at The Day of the Dead festival on Friday & tons of the pets over the weekend. I just can’t get enough photos of their furry cuteness! Every time they snuggle up together I run to grab the camera. I’m having so much fun with them & they keep me company when Stephen is at school.

I am going to get a booth at an upcoming craft sale. I’m splitting the booth with my friend Dolores (EonsMomma on Swap-bot). This will save us some money on booth fees. The space is going to be limited but I probably won’t have a ton to sell anyway since I haven’t started making anything yet! The sale is only 3 weeks away!!! I better get going. I think I’m going to make pins, ornaments & some shadowboxes. Stephen is going camping with his cousins this weekend so I have a craft filled weekend planned. I'll post some photos of my creations.

Tuesday! Bleh! My least favorite day of the week...at least it's nearly over.

In Honor of Grandma

I remember...

-How she loved a cup of coffee with something sweet

-Her favorite spot on the couch - don't dare sit in her spot!

-Her couch exercises

-Playing Mexican Bingo with beans

-Going with her to the "Beauty Shop" in her friends basement

-Helping her make Tacos, with lots of pepper

-How she loved BBQ ribs

-How she'd laugh when she'd watch the Newlywed game & Bob Eubanks would say the word "Whoopee".

-Driving around with her in her yellow Nova, which smelled like gasoline

-Her Avon bubble bath & Skin so Soft

-Watching Day of Our Lives with her

-Her silver flower ring

-Her love for the color yellow

-Her idea to use Palmolive on her porch as a make shift slip-n-slide for me & Billy. LOL!

-Christmas and her dry, still on the cross, Douglas Firs, with clumps of tinsel

-Shopping with her at Big Buy market

-Her love for Whiskey Pete's & slot machines

-Making us be quiet & hide from her neighbor Julie when she'd come knocking

-Her old stories, especially the one about how she fought a lady in a laundry mat & ripped her shirt off (my Grandma was tough!)

-Her couch with the plastic cover

-The way she smelled, her giggle & how she loved getting "dolled up" for special occasions

R.I.P Grandma!!! I love you...

Halloween Candy Hangover

I'm so sad...Halloween is over! I didn't dress up (except for my light up pumpkin socks) but I had a great time anyway. I had a blast playing with the pets, eating pizza with Steph & Greg & handing out candy. We had more Trick-or-Treaters then last year & we came close to running out of candy. I had so much fun decorating the house, putting together treat bags & waiting for the kids to come. Halloween brings back so many great memories of being a kid. I love it!

I finished all my swaps & I am on a swapping hiatus for a few weeks - unless something intriguing pops up sooner. I posted some photos on Flickr of my recent sent & received swaps. I am awaiting 2 Dotee Dolls & 3 Frida ornaments. I can't wait to see what I get! It is the best feeling to come home from a long day at work to find a package waiting for me.

Tonight I am going to finish my Dia de los Muertos altar. I made 4 fake sugar skulls & I have been collecting little odds & ends to add to it. I'm really excited to see how it turns out. I love Dia de los Muertos. It's such a beautiful celebration of life. I saw the coolest DOD wedding cake on Flickr & I saved the photo because I want one just like it for my wedding (which will be in 2008 even though Stephen is dragging his feet!!! LOL!) I can't wait! Wedding 2008 or BUST! If I wait any longer I really will resemble the bride on top of that cake!

HaPpY HaLLoWeeN!

Love,
Woody
xoxo

Tuesdays Blow!

I've been on this never-ending quest to figure out how to manage my horrendous commute, work full time and still enjoy the things I love. It’s nearly impossible but I’ve been trying. I’ve started to wake early (well earlier then usual) to tend to my new little pets & the house. I spend my lunch hour reading or crafting. I zoom home (well not zoom since my commute can take up to two hours) make a quick frozen dinner, play with the pets, work on swaps, watch TV & try to spend quality time with Stephen when he’s home from school. Needless to say, I am exhausted and not really giving any of those things the full attention that they need. At least I am feeling somewhat accomplished. I stuffed a gazillion things into my weekend as usual. A BBQ, vet appointment, historical home tour (amazing), Peruvian food with the newlyweds (which was beyond delicious I should add), Target shopping, lunch with my honey & enjoying time with Lily & Woody(the sweetest fur babies). It was one of the best weekends I've had in so long...but now I'm feeling drained & tired. I was falling asleep and my desk so I thought I'd take a much needed break & accomplish another thing I love. This blog! Yes, I am guilty of blogging & slacking on the job! So what! I really hate Tuesdays. It's the worst day of the week. The weekend is a distant memory & Friday is still worlds away. Besides at my job (& previous job) Tuesdays always mean office meetings. Boy, do I despise office meetings...especially when ice breakers are involved. I am the anti-office worker and it's funny how I find myself stuck in a cubicle under a fluorescent light. Bleeeehh! At least, I am in one of the most unconventional office environment you'll come across. I still wish I was an artist with my own art studio. I think when I have a baby it is definitely something I will pursue. That's my dream, one of many!

Tomorrow is Halloween! I put together little treat bags for the Trick-or-Treaters. Last year we only got a handful of kids passing through trying to get to the historical district. I have 3 pumpkins ready for carving & hopefully they will bring us lots of kids. I just love Trick-or-Treaters because it was something I had so much fun doing. I can't wait to have kids & Trick-or-Treat vicariously through them! haha! Yes, I am one of those weird pet parents who likes to dress up pets. I just can't seem to find costumes small enough for them. Maybe I can come up with a cape or something. Anyway, I better get back to work! Happy Halloween Eve!

I love my new babies!

Finally, some time alone! I have the office to myself for another 30 minutes! Time to blog! haha...Things are FABULOUS (Do I sound WeHo enough for you?). We got our new puppy on Saturday. His name is Woody & he is so adorable! The first two days were difficult but little by little he seems to be adjusting. Lily pounced him a gazillion times the first few days & he would yelp every time. Now he bounces around and provokes her & now when she pounces him he fights back. He's smaller then her but I'm getting a little worried he might bite her too hard. She must like it because she keeps coming back for more. They roll around & chase each other. It's so cute! She tries to groom him but usually he tries to bite her tongue. It's funny! He sleeps in his little crate at night which I put on the bed & she sleeps right outside the door. The first night in his crate he cried & she sat by him until her stopped. Now he falls right asleep once he's in the crate. He's pretty good so far. I heard horror stories on the Doxie forums & I was slightly

panicked! I'm sure he'll get into lots of puppy trouble but I just have to be patient with him. He's still a baby & has so much to learn. Cats are easy...well easier!

I am a little behind on my swaps. The send by dates are quickly approaching & I haven't even started. I got done with my Skulls for the Dia de Los Muertos swap just in time. I love swapping but I wish I had more time to do it. I have 3 more to do & then I may take a temporary break so I can work on some crafts for a holiday sale. I will have to do one X-mas swap for sure. There are just way too many cool swaps on Swap-bot. I will post photos of my swaps on flickr shortly. I am banned from posting anymore photos until next month or until I upgrade. I will probably upgrade because I really enjoy flickr.

The other night I had a dream that my best friend (and neighbor) had a party & didn't invite me. I kept looking over the fence to see what was going on at the party. It looked like so much fun & all my other good friends were there. I was so sad...She recently found out she's pregnant. I think pregnancy is the real party I'm wishing to be invited to! Dreams say so much...I also had a dream that Trick-Or-Treaters came to my house & I didn't have any candy. I was running around the house in a panic getting canned food to put in their bags! LOL! I wonder what that one means? I also dreamt that I lived in a high rise & from my window I could see buildings collapsing from an earthquake or some disaster. It was scary! Maybe it had to do with all the fires raging. You feel insecure when you see people's lives going up in smoke! Sad & scary.

Spoiled!

October's Surprises!

I'm sorry to have left you all in suspense since my last post! I ended up going on the 2nd interview for the "dream job." I redeemed myself the second time around. I felt good about the interview and the feedback I received afterwards. I got a follow up e-mail requesting references so I thought for sure I had it in the bag! I was even slightly stressed just imagining how I would break the news to my boss. It felt like it was a sure thing & I never feel that confident after interviews! I was patiently awaiting the job offer. A few days passed, then a week, then a week and a half...Finally I got an e-mail saying she went with the other candidate but how great I am and that she wishes she could hire us both, blah blah blah. I have to admit I'm still really bummed about it. REALLY BUMMED!

Other then that waste of time...Life is good. Stephen had his surgery & it went well. I'm so happy & relieved!...We also got a new kitty! Can you believe it? I wasn't sure I wanted another cat or would be able to love another cat after Sammy. I will always love my Sammy & there will never be another cat like her. This little kitty is special in her own way. She is all Puuurrrsonality! LOL! She is a Tonk, so she is affectionate & smart. She demands attention! She's slightly different coloring then Sammy was as a kitten & she has this unusually fine hair that is slightly long & she puffs up into a ball when she's excited. I am so in love with her & we just met! LOL! I found a Tonk breeder in Georgia after striking out with a bunch of local breeders. They said they would have a Tonkinese Natural Mink available for adoption a few days after I e-mailed them! What perfect timing! She arrived at LAX on Friday. Stephen & I went to pick her up & we were met with a BIG surprise! There were TWO tonks in the carrier! I don't know exactly how it happened but the other kitten was supposed to go to Houston, TX. It was a big ordeal because we couldn't reach the breeder & we had no idea what to do with the little stowaway. We brought them both home & enjoyed 4 fun days with two kittens running around the house. I fell in love with both kitties & I was hoping the Houston family would change their mind about him & I could keep them both. No such luck! I had to send "The Little One" to Houston. I cried! I talked with his new owner & she is going to keep in touch. I hope she does. He's my kitties brother & I felt so bad for separating them. The Houston couple named him Fievel after Fievel Goes West. Very fitting! LOL! After throwing a few names around I decided on calling my kitty Lily (Tiger Lily)...Some other BIG news is that we'll be getting a Doxie puppy On Oct. 20th...That way these two can grow up together. My two little brownies. It's going to be an adventure...

Updates: Other then that I've been annoyingly busy at work. I have a ton of fun swaps this month & I'm trying to post photos of them regularly on Flickr. Halloween is in the air! I have my decorations up...too much fun! I love Halloween!!! oh, & if you don't already know....I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE AGAIN!!! Exciting!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC X 2!!!

OK, I think that's most of the updates.