"You're unmade by the light yet reborn"

Well I've caught a cold. I knew it had to come eventually. Ed had it about two-three weeks ago, the week after visiting home he was sick as a dog. And somehow it's been hidden in the house on some random doorknob or couch pillow or air particle and last night it got me. I've used this opportunity to slow down a bit and do all the house chores and reading I've been putting off because of wedding stuff. I have been rocking the wedding planning department and all the people helping me: Mom, Aunt Claire, Carolyne, the list goes on, they have been amazing this past week. Maybe it's because there are only two months left and everything is going into hyper drive, but the past three days I've woken up, had breakfast with Ed, then sat down at my computer/dining table that has now been requisitioned as my craft table, and not moved from that table until 1:30 to 2:30 while I lift weights at the gym. Then I return, shower, and immediately return to working at the table.

So even though I'm in no great shape to 'enjoy' the day, I'm catching up on a bunch of necessary things:

• Laundry. Laundry. Laundry. I'm beginning to think this is the first sign of things beginning to slip. I'm notorious for starting a load and forgetting it until Ed checks and sees all the clothes he needs that morning at 6am, still completely wet. I know, I can be awesome sometimes. 
• My neglected reading list (my GoodReads challenge says I'm only 4 books ahead of schedule - this is terrible considering the week leading up to the wedding and half of September I may not be reading at all!) Currently trying to work through The Angel's Game by Carlos Zafon Ruiz, but it's giving me trouble in terms of getting into it. I still have to read Feast of Crows (I know, I hear you giving me grief Mac), and I pulled a couple 'smart' books to read this time from the library - The Hidden Reality and The Optimism Bias. Finally finished Dianne Keaton's Then Again and it was fabulous and touching.
• Cutting up the rest of the bunting. (Aside - I'm not ready to talk about the disaster that was battling the sewing machine. I need to find a mentor in that department.) 
• Reviews of beauty products! So as of now I've only tried a couple...

For teeth: Arm & Hammer Whitening Booster ($3.67 at Amazon)

We're still in the throws of testing this product but so far, the results are pretty good. It's subtle, and in my hysteria to find some form of perfection I may end up trying other products, but for now I'm really happy with it. We love regular Arm & Hammer toothpaste so adding this on just makes it feel like it's twice as effective. I have noticed a difference within a week, but hopefully with further use I'll see something much more pronounced. Another plus, I was worried that my current problems with my teeth* would be exacerbated by the whitening but I've not had a single issue with sensitivity.

*Remember when I said I might need 3 root canals? Well it's looking highly probable. At least it's keeping me from eating as much/as fast! A+ wedding diet technique.

For skin: St. Ives Fresh Invigorating Scrub ($3.21 at Amazon)

I am in LOVE with this product. I had no idea... Don't ask why, I just assumed growing up that St. Ives was a fancy-pants product that I could not afford or was for grown-ups. I'm a huge sucker for advertising and product design even though I'm well aware it means nothing in terms of product quality, and this product's design just did not interest me as a teenager. I went in for my makeup test trial for the wedding while visiting home and the makeup artist, Allie, who was the sweetest, advised me to start a routine with a scrub. She said of all the products, a basic St. Ives scrub will do the trick every time. And boy was she right. It smells delicious. My skin feels amazing after using this. I have way fewer problems with dry spots and get a much more even application to my makeup and even moisturizer. I've tried scrubs before, most recently through Birchbox (which is one of my most favorite things in life*) I tried a sample of Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant.

This was alright... not tough enough for me, but if you have sensitive skin, I can see this being the answer to your prayers. It comes in a powder form you have to create a paste with before applying. I liked that it was so 'clean' in terms of it's ingredients... but it ended up just being a little too delicate of a scrub, too many of the grains dissolving into the paste instead of staying in tact to buff the skin. Also, the price is ridiculous. Maybe I would feel differently if I truly fell in love with the product... but 50 bucks compared to 4 bucks? I think I know I'll recommend time and time again.

*Side note about Birchbox - For those of us obsessed with products of all kinds, including those unattainably expensive kinds, this is the perfect answer (they make one for women and men now!). I've tried so many things now I never would have before and found a bunch of really fun things. It really runs the gamut, serums, lip gloss, sunscreen, vitamin additives, hair accessories, perfumes, nail polish, stick on nails & eye liners, the list goes on. You earn points for reviewing products, recommending friends, and purchasing products. These points add up to discounts. You also get free shipping on products from each month's current box of products. It's a fantastic program and I highly recommend it. And don't hesitate to mention me if you sign up ;)

Next time I'll write about trying to sing again and the uncomfortable feeling of recognizing how far from grace my voice has fallen.

"You runnin' around in circles, but you won't find no better than this"

So let's give a quick round up....

Father's Day was a wonderful trip up to Half Moon Bay suggested by Dad and Debbie. My first visit there was back in September after we first moved to the area, and I was not as impressed. It struck me as a long drag, crammed with parking and traffic, all leading to overloaded restaurants. This time around we explored south of that first visit's area, on main street and also Francis beach. Lovely is an understatement. Of course, as it is with all California beaches, the water temperature is approximately the-coldest-water-you've-ever-felt degrees. But the blue skies, the arc of the bay, the massive waves and footpaths winding along the carved cliff coastline, create the most intense feeling of living in a picture... It's like you've walked right into the "Visit California" ad's with all the movie stars. We had a nice sushi lunch and relaxed together, catching up.

That evening we met up with our friend's Lisa and Joe, and had a fantastic time. They covered so much of the 'to-do's' in San Francisco, it was kind of incredible. It's hard to describe how even as I'm starting to feel like living out here is home, we miss our friends. If only we could afford to transplant them all out here for the time being! Having dinner and drinks in the city with close friends puts such a refreshing spin on life here. Another thing we realized, well not realized - we're aware we just forget, is that it's quite nice having other people around to do things with. To his credit, Ed is truly a good sport about seeing movies like Twilight and Hunger Games and going to the library and participating in deep discussions on the pros and cons of the three houses the featured couple on House Hunters are considering. Lord knows, I'm sure Ed would greatly appreciate someone to run off into the wilderness and jump into his scuba diving, sky diving, or general wilderness insanity that I am not all that keyed up to do. It's a small luxury people probably take for granted. 

Sunday we made our way up to Oakland for a Scissor Sisters concert which, as the was the one in D.C., a hugely fun time. Fox Theater was the nicest venue I have ever been in. The seats had been removed, so maybe the seats are terrible and would change my opinion... but this stage was immense and flanked by giant gold statues with glowing eyes. The cut out indoor windows in the theater had this Moroccan flair, and the lighting design they had set up for that night was (of course) rainbow colored. The effect was so exotic and wild. The performance wasn't my favorite, but that may also be related to their current album not sinking it's hooks into me as deeply as the last album. All in all, an incredible weekend.

Other than that, life is really good. Everyday feels like a long wedding slog, it's amazing how the time races by when I'm working on all the details. I'm not sure how anyone with a job gets any wedding stuff done... I'm grateful I have time to do this because it is certainly saving a lot of money. NPR had a piece on the average price of weddings these days. I'm glad to say we're significantly beneath it, but I now have a full appreciation for how much the wedding business really screws you over with expectation. My favorite current example is the demand for a calligrapher and that labels (which we used) are tacky. One 'professional' opinion was that labels were impersonal. A very sensible bride replied with: how is paying a stranger to do it more personal? I agree sensible bride. I agree. If you have the money, if I had the money, it's great. Calligraphy is beautiful and if it's in the budget then that is awesome. But where do these 'professionals' get the nerve to guilt money-strapped brides into nonsensical expectations? The list goes on....

Current wedding planning highlights include:

1. THE INVITATIONS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY SENT (This is huge. I was already a few weeks late of the 'deadline' to send them out)

2. I have all the paper products and they are about 50% completed

3. We have a photographer! I'm still filling out the contract but unless I get hit by a rogue comet, her name is Debi Parker and I knew from the moment I saw her photographs she's exactly what I wanted (Also she's was an incredibly lovely person to talk to on the phone, check her out! debiparker.com)

4. I hand printed thank you cards to use when all is said and done for guests and vendors (Made while watching Melancholia - ironic I know)

5. DJ is almost in hand

6. My wonderful Uncle John has agreed to be the officiant (and I could not be more excited) 

It's almost the 2 month mark and I'm feeling pretty good. And now my favorite part of wedding preparation begins! Girly experimentation with beauty products! I'll post on that next time, so any reader not interested in my ranting and raving about the greatest moisturizer/teeth-whitener/exfoliant/serum are welcome to skip the next post. :)

"If I could be wasting my time..."

Oh Maryland you feel like a visit a lifetime away already. Crazy to think I won't be back again until the week before the wedding! Which is also right around the corner. When was someone going to tell me this? So many contracts and knick knacks to sign and create.... I've started on the wedding guest book quilt. I decided the worst I could do was cut too many squares or make them too ragged, and well, a patchwork quilt is a patchwork quilt so I need to suck it up and just cut. Invites are almost ready to be sent out (so sorry for the delay guys, I know they were supposed to be out by the start of the month), just waitin' on one last piece and they'll be out the door. Bunting is also being cut out as we speak... I had my first dress fitting in Silver Spring... which was good and bad. Good because my dress fits perfectly and always has and only needs minor adjustment in the bustline so I don't end up flashing everyone... bad because I had kinda hoped to lose more weight even though that isn't necessary in the slightest. Ah well... still have another 2 1/2 months (um, what?!) Ed's working on plans for the games and photobooth we're building. It's coming together slowly, and I have more moments of panic these days but c'est la vie. Nothing here is unanticipated.

The MD visit was a good one. Way too short. I've missed my family a lot and it was so nice seeing them and seeing friends. Thanks to everyone for coming out, I know there was bad weather and bad health and heavy drinking and flight delays and chaos in general, but Ed and I really appreciate everyone taking time out of their schedules to hang out with us and also put this crazy wedding together. You've no idea how much we miss you all and appreciate your support. And also spending a night with Omi reminds me that I am no longer the partier I used to be. I was the one saying uncle and calling it a night :)

That all being said, I'm not sure if Ed felt the same, but boy did I feel out of place. It's strange that being away from a place for a year, doing something new and different, starting your own little family (no, am not pregnant), can so change what you consider home. Maybe I said it last time I visited too, that California and my little apartment with Ed feels like home more than anything now, but this was the first visit where I actually felt odd being there in MD. A sort of not-belonging? Hard to describe... but very strange and kind of sad.

Coming back home was not exactly a picnic, I was massively hungover (terrible way to fly) from a great send off with friends. And poor Ed was sick. And now we're both sick, though he is certainly Patient Zero and suffering the most. So instead of getting down to business I've been laid up reading. Finished Fifty Shades of Grey and Sarah's Key and The Year We Left Home and I've started in on The Angel's Game. Feels good to be reading so much again. I seem to go in phases.

Weight loss and fitness... well... I've sorta stalled there. On the bright side I didn't gain a SINGLE POUND while visiting home. That's right, take THAT vacation time. I even ran while in MD and that pretty much made me feel like a winner. :) Being sick however has really kicked my butt so I've been slacking, only doing Jillian Michaels videos for 20 mins a day. My eating is just fine, I'm not putting on any weight, but I ain't losin either. I can and will do better, it's a work in progress. I'm still so proud I'm doing it on my own and can fully own this as my own personal choices and hard work. Not that I would turn down a genie if one showed up... ;)

Last note, it's been getting WARM here on the west coast. Holy moly... 90 degrees yesterday and probably the same today. This weekend for Father's Day we're taking a trip to Half Moon Bay to meet Dad and Debbie for some lunch and beach time. It'll be really good to see more family and to get out and enjoy this life out here.