~brad paisley
Matt and I are feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. Our wedding is in THREE weeks. in twenty two days and less than an hour, our ceremony will commence. and I absolutely can't wait for it to get here.
our house is littered with boxes and scraps of paper and fabric. I have been sewing and cutting and rolling and who knows what else! though the process is a bit crazy, I really think it'll be worth it. :)
I need a suggestion of what to do for our guest book. I have some ideas, but I know that I want to do something that we can put on a shelf and display and SEE. I have no interest in doing an actual book of any sort--I think they are super cute, but I know that Matt and I will rarely take the time to look through it.
Maybe I will just play around with it this weekend. I was considering painting a flower on a canvas and asking people to sign the petals. (and having my bridesfolk sign beforehand so people would get the idea).
but I don't know....
suggestions?
I am sure I will figure something else.
Our plans for this evening got canceled--which makes me kind of happy, honestly! Though I was looking forward to the double date, I'm also pleased for the down time! AND this weekend is Earth Hour--I haven't gotten to tell you about it like I normally would, but all you have to do to participate in it is this:
tomorrow night, at 830pm, turn off all unnecessary lights. if you're feeling really dedicated, turn off ALL your lights. maybe sit outside. or inside with some candles. maybe just keep watching your movie, but make sure your lights are all off. including the one in the bathroom or on your front porch.
why?
because together we can make a difference.
together we can use less energy and stop using up all of our natural resources.
and together we can make a change for the better.
from their site:
On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations. Learn more about how Earth Hour began, what we’ve accomplished, and what is in store for 2010.
check it out.
then tomorrow, turn off your lights.
and make a statement about wanting our world to still be in good shape when our grandchildren and great-grandchildren and great^8-grandchildren are living on it.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
we've decided we're going to have to eighty-six the thirty-six once we get to thirty-seven.
chew on that for a minute.
chewing?
okay.
so, yesterday was Matt and my 3 year anniversary. here's one. and two. and this? this is three. :)
Matt likes to give things that represent something. This time, he chose 36. 3x12=36. :) He gave me practical things, like kleenex packets and supercute cocktail napkins. He gave me some gorgeous flowers, a card that says silly things when you open it and some junior mints. And some pajama pants. And 20 double A rechargeable batteries--which I am super excited about! But most importantly, he gave me love. and time with him. and that is all I could have asked for in the world. :)
We went out to dinner at Brixx because, sadly, that Uno's we visited on our first date is now closed for business. As a matter of fact, it closed last sunday. And as of yesterday at 4pm, it is now open as a Mason's Chophouse. I have no idea if they're any good, but I am sure we will find out. We did our usual at Brixx--splitting a salad and a pizza--and also signed up for their newest MBA (Master of Beer Appreciation) program. AND I got to have the seasonal New Belgium beer--Mighty Arrow. Pretty yummy pale ale!
We came home and opened gifts and watched Smallville together (SO appropriate--we watched it after he proposed, too!) and then went to sleep.
Oh, but not before we had this super delicious amazing cupcake. My dearest friend and gal o' honor (just kidding, maid of honor) Jennifer gave it to us to celebrate. It was this chocolate guinness deliciousness that I didn't even remember to take a picture of--but BOY was it GOOD! She said it was also a test run for a month from now! EEKS! A.MONTH.FROM.NOW. !
ahem, anyway! It was SO scrumptious that even Gobi and Hazel were vying for a piece of it. I shared the teeeeensiest bit of icing with them, and they ate it right up and wanted more! So good! A wonderful way to cap off a great anniversary celebration. :)
oh, and about eighty-sixing the thirty-six once we get to thirty-seven...we talked about it, and though we will always recognize St Patty's day, for the sake of our future kiddos we will be re-starting the clock on our 37th monthiversary, which is the day we'll get married. We can always add 37 and remember. But we'll start over then to avoid confusion. :D which if you're saying "duh!" well--that's how you do things. it's not what we had intended, but it's what we're gonna do :)
and ps: a heartfelt thanks to matt's parents for being his inspiration for our monthiversary celebrating! they're at somewhere in the 480s for their monthiversaries! (sorry, too rushed to count it all out!) but anyway--cute, huh?
chewing?
okay.
so, yesterday was Matt and my 3 year anniversary. here's one. and two. and this? this is three. :)
Matt likes to give things that represent something. This time, he chose 36. 3x12=36. :) He gave me practical things, like kleenex packets and supercute cocktail napkins. He gave me some gorgeous flowers, a card that says silly things when you open it and some junior mints. And some pajama pants. And 20 double A rechargeable batteries--which I am super excited about! But most importantly, he gave me love. and time with him. and that is all I could have asked for in the world. :)
We went out to dinner at Brixx because, sadly, that Uno's we visited on our first date is now closed for business. As a matter of fact, it closed last sunday. And as of yesterday at 4pm, it is now open as a Mason's Chophouse. I have no idea if they're any good, but I am sure we will find out. We did our usual at Brixx--splitting a salad and a pizza--and also signed up for their newest MBA (Master of Beer Appreciation) program. AND I got to have the seasonal New Belgium beer--Mighty Arrow. Pretty yummy pale ale!
We came home and opened gifts and watched Smallville together (SO appropriate--we watched it after he proposed, too!) and then went to sleep.
Oh, but not before we had this super delicious amazing cupcake. My dearest friend and gal o' honor (just kidding, maid of honor) Jennifer gave it to us to celebrate. It was this chocolate guinness deliciousness that I didn't even remember to take a picture of--but BOY was it GOOD! She said it was also a test run for a month from now! EEKS! A.MONTH.FROM.NOW. !
ahem, anyway! It was SO scrumptious that even Gobi and Hazel were vying for a piece of it. I shared the teeeeensiest bit of icing with them, and they ate it right up and wanted more! So good! A wonderful way to cap off a great anniversary celebration. :)
oh, and about eighty-sixing the thirty-six once we get to thirty-seven...we talked about it, and though we will always recognize St Patty's day, for the sake of our future kiddos we will be re-starting the clock on our 37th monthiversary, which is the day we'll get married. We can always add 37 and remember. But we'll start over then to avoid confusion. :D which if you're saying "duh!" well--that's how you do things. it's not what we had intended, but it's what we're gonna do :)
and ps: a heartfelt thanks to matt's parents for being his inspiration for our monthiversary celebrating! they're at somewhere in the 480s for their monthiversaries! (sorry, too rushed to count it all out!) but anyway--cute, huh?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree?
um, maybe I should be an architecture photographer. like, in life.
because three of the four times I've gotten a ribbon? yep, you guessed it--for my architecture photos! including today!
this photo got honorable mention in architecture!!
fun facts:
this was in new york city.
I took this from a moving vehicle.
with a point and shoot.
while we drove down west street.
right after we drove through the holland tunnel.
on the day we got engaged.
:)
because three of the four times I've gotten a ribbon? yep, you guessed it--for my architecture photos! including today!
this photo got honorable mention in architecture!!
fun facts:
this was in new york city.
I took this from a moving vehicle.
with a point and shoot.
while we drove down west street.
right after we drove through the holland tunnel.
on the day we got engaged.
:)
"alllllll the pretty girls on a saturday night!"
~fun.
right, so...hi there. long time no post. I know. I know. I have been sick. 1
um, so, yeah. the last weekend of february I went to LA. I need to post about that.
and then the next weekend I had a LOT of awesome ladies and one awesome guy hang out with me to celebrate my bachelorette!
there are many, many pictures. most of which are not for public consumption :) but fortunately, some are.
here's all the girls
and some of the pics that were captured on my camera...
fun facts of the night:
I got
-enough lingerie that I could probably wear a new pair of underwear every day for a MONTH!
-a free Triangle Belgian beer
-a candom (which is a koozie that rolls on like a condom) for She's Out of My League
-a tshirt for Matt, for the movie She's Out of My League
-four plastic cups for She's Out of My League
-buttons to give to my friends for She's Out of My League
-a shot called choke a b*tch that nearly made me vomit on the spot
-a pair of socks
and assorted other craziness.
It was awesome!!! I was kiiiiiinda nervous because someone accidentally told me something I wasn't supposed to know--and though I stopped them right away, the part I did hear made me think I was going to get roasted that night. Which, though there aren't that many ridiculous stories of me, might've been highly embarrassing. I have been roasted once, in college, and I gotta tell ya, it isn't fun, even if your stories aren't all that crazy. In any case, stressed Carrie=anxious Carrie=not rational Carrie.
However!!!!
Of course my friends are way too cool to roast me! Silly Carrie! Instead they got my girlfriends to share funny or cute or silly stories about us. Stories about adjectives at softball games and one-legged men and guinness and baby boys and when matt and I met and pirouettes and the answer to the question: "ice cream or beer?" It was awesome! I had to guess who wrote the story, and then was given a card of something I had to do at a bar. Those cards are responsible for some shenanigans, for sure, including that free Triangle Belgium beer!
they also asked matt a bunch of questions and taped the question and answer to gifts around my house. my girlfriends had to ask me questions and if I got it right I got the gift! the funniest one was about what animal I would be, according to matt.
his answer: a fraggle, lives out of the sun and is constantly bursting into song or an owl, symbol of intelligence and more known for being out when there is no sun or a cat, always wants to take a short nap and picky about what they eat or a polar bear, white in appearance, always cold, and not something you want to piss off or a butterfly, beautiful and attracted to flowers
ha!
there was also a sweet question about where he saw us in 20 years. in a house, probably with two cats (unfortunately) and with me a little sad and matt consoling me because our first child had gone off to college. it still makes me a little teary to think about that one!
after visiting the two bars we came back to my house, hung out for a little bit, and then went to sleep. and in the morning I woke up ridiculously early but was NOT hung over, which I consider an accomplishment. I even made people breakfast burritos in the morning. And we had coffee from my scary coffee pot, which will be gone from my home ASAP.
I'm not at liberty to divulge the little I know about Matt's bachelor party, BUT, I do get to show you a picture of us both on Sunday! are we cute or what?
all in all=AMAZING SUCCESS! I have such incredible friends! And they are so creative!! Can you tell I had a great time? :)
right, so...hi there. long time no post. I know. I know. I have been sick. 1
um, so, yeah. the last weekend of february I went to LA. I need to post about that.
and then the next weekend I had a LOT of awesome ladies and one awesome guy hang out with me to celebrate my bachelorette!
there are many, many pictures. most of which are not for public consumption :) but fortunately, some are.
here's all the girls
and some of the pics that were captured on my camera...
fun facts of the night:
I got
-enough lingerie that I could probably wear a new pair of underwear every day for a MONTH!
-a free Triangle Belgian beer
-a candom (which is a koozie that rolls on like a condom) for She's Out of My League
-a tshirt for Matt, for the movie She's Out of My League
-four plastic cups for She's Out of My League
-buttons to give to my friends for She's Out of My League
-a shot called choke a b*tch that nearly made me vomit on the spot
-a pair of socks
and assorted other craziness.
It was awesome!!! I was kiiiiiinda nervous because someone accidentally told me something I wasn't supposed to know--and though I stopped them right away, the part I did hear made me think I was going to get roasted that night. Which, though there aren't that many ridiculous stories of me, might've been highly embarrassing. I have been roasted once, in college, and I gotta tell ya, it isn't fun, even if your stories aren't all that crazy. In any case, stressed Carrie=anxious Carrie=not rational Carrie.
However!!!!
Of course my friends are way too cool to roast me! Silly Carrie! Instead they got my girlfriends to share funny or cute or silly stories about us. Stories about adjectives at softball games and one-legged men and guinness and baby boys and when matt and I met and pirouettes and the answer to the question: "ice cream or beer?" It was awesome! I had to guess who wrote the story, and then was given a card of something I had to do at a bar. Those cards are responsible for some shenanigans, for sure, including that free Triangle Belgium beer!
they also asked matt a bunch of questions and taped the question and answer to gifts around my house. my girlfriends had to ask me questions and if I got it right I got the gift! the funniest one was about what animal I would be, according to matt.
his answer: a fraggle, lives out of the sun and is constantly bursting into song or an owl, symbol of intelligence and more known for being out when there is no sun or a cat, always wants to take a short nap and picky about what they eat or a polar bear, white in appearance, always cold, and not something you want to piss off or a butterfly, beautiful and attracted to flowers
ha!
there was also a sweet question about where he saw us in 20 years. in a house, probably with two cats (unfortunately) and with me a little sad and matt consoling me because our first child had gone off to college. it still makes me a little teary to think about that one!
after visiting the two bars we came back to my house, hung out for a little bit, and then went to sleep. and in the morning I woke up ridiculously early but was NOT hung over, which I consider an accomplishment. I even made people breakfast burritos in the morning. And we had coffee from my scary coffee pot, which will be gone from my home ASAP.
I'm not at liberty to divulge the little I know about Matt's bachelor party, BUT, I do get to show you a picture of us both on Sunday! are we cute or what?
all in all=AMAZING SUCCESS! I have such incredible friends! And they are so creative!! Can you tell I had a great time? :)
Thursday, March 04, 2010
signs I should probably sleep more:
-in the past two hours I have said winter when I meant summer. I said Tuesday instead of Saturday. I was unable to effectively communicate that I feel like I have a sinus infection.
-yesterday I sent an email to my future brother in law and sister in law. er, um, intended to. instead I sent it to my future father in law and sister in law. oopsie. granted, they have the same names, but this is like the third time I made that mistake.
-this morning I picked up the same gray shirt three times. each time thinking "oh, maybe this is it!" yep, the same WRONG shirt each time. hence me wearing light blue today.
-I came thiiiis close to setting my alarm for PM. I also stepped on both Gobi and Hazel last night.
and, unrelated to sleep: I find myself wishing very, very often that I had a cute, lightweight, medium-to-charcoal gray scarf. I thought etsy would help me with this. I've yet to find one. maybe ruffled/ruched/bunched? suggestions welcome and appreciated. :)
-yesterday I sent an email to my future brother in law and sister in law. er, um, intended to. instead I sent it to my future father in law and sister in law. oopsie. granted, they have the same names, but this is like the third time I made that mistake.
-this morning I picked up the same gray shirt three times. each time thinking "oh, maybe this is it!" yep, the same WRONG shirt each time. hence me wearing light blue today.
-I came thiiiis close to setting my alarm for PM. I also stepped on both Gobi and Hazel last night.
and, unrelated to sleep: I find myself wishing very, very often that I had a cute, lightweight, medium-to-charcoal gray scarf. I thought etsy would help me with this. I've yet to find one. maybe ruffled/ruched/bunched? suggestions welcome and appreciated. :)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I don't have a wedding inspiration board...
but I do have some ideas that have been floating around in my head. :)
I want our wedding to be fun. And eco-friendly. And be like a party and not like a stuffy, formal to-do. I want it to be colorful and vintage, old-fashioned and modern, country and fancy at the same time. And I think we're gonna hit the mark spot-on. And I can't wait!
I took these three of these pictures intending to put together an "inspiration board." That never really happened. The 4th picture, the one of the flower, I took at Renee's house almost exactly a year ago. (actually, like a year and two days ago!) I decided that I wanted to share them with you, because they make me happy.
and check out that glass! I loooooove pretty glass. and some of those pieces have special places in my heart--like the compote we got in alabama, or the center one that came from renee's wedding, or the little brighter green dish that belonged to my granny. Everything in that picture except, of course, the beer bottles, reside in my china cabinet, which is probably my favorite piece of furniture in my whole house. :)
anyhoo, pretty pictures for your wednesday.
I want our wedding to be fun. And eco-friendly. And be like a party and not like a stuffy, formal to-do. I want it to be colorful and vintage, old-fashioned and modern, country and fancy at the same time. And I think we're gonna hit the mark spot-on. And I can't wait!
I took these three of these pictures intending to put together an "inspiration board." That never really happened. The 4th picture, the one of the flower, I took at Renee's house almost exactly a year ago. (actually, like a year and two days ago!) I decided that I wanted to share them with you, because they make me happy.
and check out that glass! I loooooove pretty glass. and some of those pieces have special places in my heart--like the compote we got in alabama, or the center one that came from renee's wedding, or the little brighter green dish that belonged to my granny. Everything in that picture except, of course, the beer bottles, reside in my china cabinet, which is probably my favorite piece of furniture in my whole house. :)
anyhoo, pretty pictures for your wednesday.
Monday, February 22, 2010
"I'm so excited, I'm so scared!"
~saved by the bell.
It's okay, no diet pills, heavy caffeine intake, over-exercising or the like here. but that IS how I feel about my wedding.
I am not anxious about the part involving marrying Matt. I'm pretty dang excited about that :) But I am worried that, say, my granny will be having a bad day during that week and take it out on me. Or that at the last moment I'll realize we forgot something very important. Or that my Oklahoma allergies will flare up.
you'll notice that these are all things entirely out of my control. and it's not like I'm sitting over here biting off my nails and freaking out--but I'm just kind of worried. I'm not even worried about the weather--if it rains, it rains. If it does, we get married in the barn. If it doesn't, we get married by the lake. Our tent has sidewalls, it's all good. But I can't prepare myself for emotional onslaughts or broken favors or allergy attacks. So in 54 days, please send good vibes my way. :)
Also, I need a suggestion--I need to find someone to serve as a kind of coordinator that day. I had someone, but now they are unable to make it. And I have a backup, but she's not totally comfortable with that role. Really, I just need someone to tell the food people where to put the food, and the boyscouts where to put the chairs. And, um, yeah, that's probably it. I'm working on a detailed "list" of where everything should be, but really I just need someone else to be in the know so I don't have to think about it that day. I also don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on a day-of coordinator (and wouldn't know who to go to, anyway). Ideas? Suggestions? I just don't want to spend the whole day answering questions.
anyhoodle. now that I've gotten the scared part out...here are my exciting things:
1. Tomorrow my KD gals are throwing me a shower. I am SO excited! I love them so much!! And it is always refreshing and uplifting to spend time with my sisters. :)
2. I go to California on FRIDAY! It's SJG's birthday, and his one birthday request was for me to be there. yeeehaw!
3. the following weekend is my bachelorette! I am kind of nervous about getting my house in order, but all in all, I am EXCITED! There are going to be 20-some-odd of us, and people are coming in from Oklahoma, Virginia, Georgia and California! Woohoo! It should be a TON of fun! And I will get to see George and Tonya AND we are going to see Alice in Wonderland on Sunday. Win, win, win!
4. Matt and I finally booked our tickets for Tulsa. I'm there Tuesday night-Monday morning! (Anyone want to meet for dinner on Tuesday?) And Matt gets there Wednesday and also leaves Monday. Double bonus--when I went to book the tickets were $25 less than they had been when I reserved them!
5. Two weekends after that is our St. Patty's Day themed shower, and I am really excited about that too! and how cute is it that it's going to be St. Patty's Day themed because that's when we met? Speaking of which, earlier that week we will celebrate 3 years of awesomeness. :)
6. A week and a half after that we'll have our engagement pictures. The ones that we won. SO cool! SO looking forward to it. I'm getting my hair styled that day (the lady who did it for me this weekend ROCKS), and we are going to be CUTE! And our photographer is totally amazing. Truth be told, I'm also really excited that she's from California because it means she and I aren't "competing" for the same clients. I mean, not that I'd poach clients or anything, but it's kind of nice that she isn't having to worry that I'll steal her location or whatever.
7. and then? then it will be APRIL! And Easter! And then we leave for Tulsa, get our license and get hitched! I am excited about all of the little details we'll have, and how much fun out wedding will be. That's our number one priority. I cannot believe it's only 54 days away! :)
It's okay, no diet pills, heavy caffeine intake, over-exercising or the like here. but that IS how I feel about my wedding.
I am not anxious about the part involving marrying Matt. I'm pretty dang excited about that :) But I am worried that, say, my granny will be having a bad day during that week and take it out on me. Or that at the last moment I'll realize we forgot something very important. Or that my Oklahoma allergies will flare up.
you'll notice that these are all things entirely out of my control. and it's not like I'm sitting over here biting off my nails and freaking out--but I'm just kind of worried. I'm not even worried about the weather--if it rains, it rains. If it does, we get married in the barn. If it doesn't, we get married by the lake. Our tent has sidewalls, it's all good. But I can't prepare myself for emotional onslaughts or broken favors or allergy attacks. So in 54 days, please send good vibes my way. :)
Also, I need a suggestion--I need to find someone to serve as a kind of coordinator that day. I had someone, but now they are unable to make it. And I have a backup, but she's not totally comfortable with that role. Really, I just need someone to tell the food people where to put the food, and the boyscouts where to put the chairs. And, um, yeah, that's probably it. I'm working on a detailed "list" of where everything should be, but really I just need someone else to be in the know so I don't have to think about it that day. I also don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on a day-of coordinator (and wouldn't know who to go to, anyway). Ideas? Suggestions? I just don't want to spend the whole day answering questions.
anyhoodle. now that I've gotten the scared part out...here are my exciting things:
1. Tomorrow my KD gals are throwing me a shower. I am SO excited! I love them so much!! And it is always refreshing and uplifting to spend time with my sisters. :)
2. I go to California on FRIDAY! It's SJG's birthday, and his one birthday request was for me to be there. yeeehaw!
3. the following weekend is my bachelorette! I am kind of nervous about getting my house in order, but all in all, I am EXCITED! There are going to be 20-some-odd of us, and people are coming in from Oklahoma, Virginia, Georgia and California! Woohoo! It should be a TON of fun! And I will get to see George and Tonya AND we are going to see Alice in Wonderland on Sunday. Win, win, win!
4. Matt and I finally booked our tickets for Tulsa. I'm there Tuesday night-Monday morning! (Anyone want to meet for dinner on Tuesday?) And Matt gets there Wednesday and also leaves Monday. Double bonus--when I went to book the tickets were $25 less than they had been when I reserved them!
5. Two weekends after that is our St. Patty's Day themed shower, and I am really excited about that too! and how cute is it that it's going to be St. Patty's Day themed because that's when we met? Speaking of which, earlier that week we will celebrate 3 years of awesomeness. :)
6. A week and a half after that we'll have our engagement pictures. The ones that we won. SO cool! SO looking forward to it. I'm getting my hair styled that day (the lady who did it for me this weekend ROCKS), and we are going to be CUTE! And our photographer is totally amazing. Truth be told, I'm also really excited that she's from California because it means she and I aren't "competing" for the same clients. I mean, not that I'd poach clients or anything, but it's kind of nice that she isn't having to worry that I'll steal her location or whatever.
7. and then? then it will be APRIL! And Easter! And then we leave for Tulsa, get our license and get hitched! I am excited about all of the little details we'll have, and how much fun out wedding will be. That's our number one priority. I cannot believe it's only 54 days away! :)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
why I don't like february. aka ten years ago today
sorry in advance for the melancholy, folks.
so, if you haven't caught on, or haven't been reading for a while, you might not know that I don't like february. I never really thought about the month as anything other than cold and the month o' valentine's day until ten years ago. And now, particularly on this day, I remember my father. and his passing.
I could write an entire novel full of unfortunate errors and well meaning actions and just plain old horrible recollections, but that's not the point. Dwelling on the past won't make it go away. Those wounds have scarred over and since scar tissue is even stronger than skin, I won't be breaking into them. I remember my dad as someone well-meaning and who wanted to do his best for his children, but didn't have the capacity to do it. And I'm certain the beginning early-onset Alzheimer's wasn't helpful. But I remember, and I KNOW that his heart was in the right place.
When he passed away he had already been kind of living on "borrowed time." During my senior year he got really really sick and was ultimately put on life support. I was his "next of kin" and therefore supposed to sign the papers to take him off. (he had a DNR and was put on a ventilator and I don't even know what else before they could ID him). Eighteen-year-olds should not have to make decisions like that. I waived my rights and transferred power to my Aunt Candi, who left him on despite his wishes. He got worse and was actually declared dead, but when they put him on the gurney his heart started beating again. He had a toe tag and everything. But he lived for a year and two months after that!
In January and February of 2000 my father had moved close to campus to "be near me." Except to me that really felt like "annoy the heck out of me." He would call. He would show up at the entrance to my dorm. He would get upset when I couldn't or wouldn't call him back. I met him for dinner a couple of times, always at a public place and always somewhere cheap because I would inevitably end up paying. We went to Wendy's a lot. When he passed away I'd seen him about three and a half weeks before, and we'd eaten at Wendy's. I made my boyfriend at the time come with me. He had called me four days earlier and I hadn't returned his call yet.
All this makes it sound like maybe I shouldn't miss him, and most of the time I just remember the good things and don't actually find myself wishing he was still here--I just wish I could've told him a few things. But sometimes I really, really do. The first time I ever genuinely wished he were still here with all my heart was when I got married before. It wasn't that I wanted him to walk me down the aisle or give a toast. I wanted him to dance. Because MAN could he cut a rug! When I was younger we used to hang out while he practiced. I will never hear "Old Time Rock and Roll" without thinking of him. Which perhaps as a little tribute, we'll have to play at our wedding reception. :) But anyway, when it came time for the father-daughter dance, I realized how much I wished my Daddy could've been there dancing with me. It still makes me tear up thinking of it.
Now, ten years later, I'm "officially" educated and a mortgage-payer and I've really come into my own, so to speak, and I feel like I see him all the time. I see him in my stubbornness, I see him in my loud nature, I see him in the way I can chat up a complete stranger.
and it makes me smile.
So I guess today I just wanted to remember my father, and be grateful for some of the traits he gave me (and remind myself that even the less desirable ones come in handy sometimes). And be thankful. Thankful that I knew him, thankful that I know he loved me the very best he could, and thankful for his influences in my life and the lessons he taught me. Like how it's my choice to be angry, I can't blame that one someone else. And how if you call yourself the same thing enough times you will become it (which is why he refused to allow Anna to call herself stupid). And how it's okay to be a little mean when you play the game, because though the "it's how you play the game" is totally the most important part, winning is pretty awesome. :)
I think I'll end on the positive note. and be thankful that february is almost over. :)
so, if you haven't caught on, or haven't been reading for a while, you might not know that I don't like february. I never really thought about the month as anything other than cold and the month o' valentine's day until ten years ago. And now, particularly on this day, I remember my father. and his passing.
I could write an entire novel full of unfortunate errors and well meaning actions and just plain old horrible recollections, but that's not the point. Dwelling on the past won't make it go away. Those wounds have scarred over and since scar tissue is even stronger than skin, I won't be breaking into them. I remember my dad as someone well-meaning and who wanted to do his best for his children, but didn't have the capacity to do it. And I'm certain the beginning early-onset Alzheimer's wasn't helpful. But I remember, and I KNOW that his heart was in the right place.
When he passed away he had already been kind of living on "borrowed time." During my senior year he got really really sick and was ultimately put on life support. I was his "next of kin" and therefore supposed to sign the papers to take him off. (he had a DNR and was put on a ventilator and I don't even know what else before they could ID him). Eighteen-year-olds should not have to make decisions like that. I waived my rights and transferred power to my Aunt Candi, who left him on despite his wishes. He got worse and was actually declared dead, but when they put him on the gurney his heart started beating again. He had a toe tag and everything. But he lived for a year and two months after that!
In January and February of 2000 my father had moved close to campus to "be near me." Except to me that really felt like "annoy the heck out of me." He would call. He would show up at the entrance to my dorm. He would get upset when I couldn't or wouldn't call him back. I met him for dinner a couple of times, always at a public place and always somewhere cheap because I would inevitably end up paying. We went to Wendy's a lot. When he passed away I'd seen him about three and a half weeks before, and we'd eaten at Wendy's. I made my boyfriend at the time come with me. He had called me four days earlier and I hadn't returned his call yet.
All this makes it sound like maybe I shouldn't miss him, and most of the time I just remember the good things and don't actually find myself wishing he was still here--I just wish I could've told him a few things. But sometimes I really, really do. The first time I ever genuinely wished he were still here with all my heart was when I got married before. It wasn't that I wanted him to walk me down the aisle or give a toast. I wanted him to dance. Because MAN could he cut a rug! When I was younger we used to hang out while he practiced. I will never hear "Old Time Rock and Roll" without thinking of him. Which perhaps as a little tribute, we'll have to play at our wedding reception. :) But anyway, when it came time for the father-daughter dance, I realized how much I wished my Daddy could've been there dancing with me. It still makes me tear up thinking of it.
Now, ten years later, I'm "officially" educated and a mortgage-payer and I've really come into my own, so to speak, and I feel like I see him all the time. I see him in my stubbornness, I see him in my loud nature, I see him in the way I can chat up a complete stranger.
and it makes me smile.
So I guess today I just wanted to remember my father, and be grateful for some of the traits he gave me (and remind myself that even the less desirable ones come in handy sometimes). And be thankful. Thankful that I knew him, thankful that I know he loved me the very best he could, and thankful for his influences in my life and the lessons he taught me. Like how it's my choice to be angry, I can't blame that one someone else. And how if you call yourself the same thing enough times you will become it (which is why he refused to allow Anna to call herself stupid). And how it's okay to be a little mean when you play the game, because though the "it's how you play the game" is totally the most important part, winning is pretty awesome. :)
I think I'll end on the positive note. and be thankful that february is almost over. :)
Friday, February 19, 2010
beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
or in this case, Hazel. :) she freaking loves this little torn up slightly furry magenta thing formerly known as a mouse-shaped cat toy. I was cleaning things out recently and found this in the container with some of my warmer-weather shoes, and hazel has been going nuts over this toy ever since. I mean, clearly she loved it before (it already looked like this) but she has been playing fetch and playing fetch and playing fetch and entertaining herself with it. it is pretty cute.
and speaking of pretty cute: for valentine's matt cooked me dinner, we drank strawberry champagne and we watched Love Actually. And after the movie, while we watched smallville, I edited photos. Matt also got me THREE things of Chocolate. One of them is making a cameo in the picture of Hazel's toy! But anyway, while we watched smallville, things looked kind of like this:
Check out the Gobes--he came down off his usual perch on the back of the couch and sat ON my arm. It was pretty adorable until my arm started falling asleep. But he was SO comfy. And snuggly. And warm. And I liked it. :)
and then I when I got up Matt captured something else pretty adorable. see hazel and Gobi, standing guard outside of the restroom door? Yep, they were waiting on me, and they just stood there, waiting until I came out to cuddle some more. It's like I've got two little shadows, and it makes me smile :)
oh yeah, and speaking of things that make me smile:
1. new business cards and marketing material!! sorry if you're seeing these for the second time--they were on my photography blog too. I have really enjoyed using the ones that bak made me a few years ago, but I finally got through all 500 of them, and it was time for ones with accurate info :) I am also quite pleased because I designed them all by myself. :)
2. matt.
oh, wait, you want more elaboration, huh? well, Matt and I took a trip to Ikea on our way back from Atlanta to see Mike and Renee Superbowl Weekend, (and we got this awesome shelf in walnut, and it now resides in our living room!), and Matt was suuuuuper patient. Like, super-dee-duper amazingly patient. Even when it took half an hour to get some fabric cut. And even when I wanted to look at frames after that. He totally wins a gold medal. Anyway, so we're waiting in the check-out line, looking at all the "buy me! buy me!" items, and we see these.
we look at them. we look at each other. we realize we are both thinking the same thing. we buy them immediately and declare that it might be four of the best dollars we've ever spent.
and later that night at lara and kevin's superbowl party, we had the pleasure of putting them to use. :)
and speaking of pretty cute: for valentine's matt cooked me dinner, we drank strawberry champagne and we watched Love Actually. And after the movie, while we watched smallville, I edited photos. Matt also got me THREE things of Chocolate. One of them is making a cameo in the picture of Hazel's toy! But anyway, while we watched smallville, things looked kind of like this:
and then I when I got up Matt captured something else pretty adorable. see hazel and Gobi, standing guard outside of the restroom door? Yep, they were waiting on me, and they just stood there, waiting until I came out to cuddle some more. It's like I've got two little shadows, and it makes me smile :)
oh yeah, and speaking of things that make me smile:
1. new business cards and marketing material!! sorry if you're seeing these for the second time--they were on my photography blog too. I have really enjoyed using the ones that bak made me a few years ago, but I finally got through all 500 of them, and it was time for ones with accurate info :) I am also quite pleased because I designed them all by myself. :)
oh, wait, you want more elaboration, huh? well, Matt and I took a trip to Ikea on our way back from Atlanta to see Mike and Renee Superbowl Weekend, (and we got this awesome shelf in walnut, and it now resides in our living room!), and Matt was suuuuuper patient. Like, super-dee-duper amazingly patient. Even when it took half an hour to get some fabric cut. And even when I wanted to look at frames after that. He totally wins a gold medal. Anyway, so we're waiting in the check-out line, looking at all the "buy me! buy me!" items, and we see these.
we look at them. we look at each other. we realize we are both thinking the same thing. we buy them immediately and declare that it might be four of the best dollars we've ever spent.
and later that night at lara and kevin's superbowl party, we had the pleasure of putting them to use. :)
Monday, February 15, 2010
seeking your opinion...
It's time for my company's annual photo contest! I have always found your feedback so very helpful--would you mind helping me out again? I get to enter 5 images. This year I seem to be tending towards the "misc" category. There are actually 5 possible categories--well, 6 really, but 5 I qualify to enter. People, Nature, Landscape, Architecture and Misc.
Would you please tell me which one(s) you like best? Feel free to say 1 or 7 or any number you like! I really appreciate your help!
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16
Oh yeah, and in case you are curious--I felt that if I was actually hired and paid to do the work, it wasn't appropriate for me to enter it in the contest. It's just not in the spirit of the event!
I will be placing my order on Thursday, so if you have a moment before then I'd appreciate it! thanks, friends!
Would you please tell me which one(s) you like best? Feel free to say 1 or 7 or any number you like! I really appreciate your help!
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18
19 20
21 22
Oh yeah, and in case you are curious--I felt that if I was actually hired and paid to do the work, it wasn't appropriate for me to enter it in the contest. It's just not in the spirit of the event!
I will be placing my order on Thursday, so if you have a moment before then I'd appreciate it! thanks, friends!
Friday, February 12, 2010
"don't, don't you worry, about the atmosphere , or any sudden pressure change, cause i know that it's starting to get warm in here and things..."
are starting to get strange.
~andrew bird
my friend sjg put up this link on his twitter. it's full of cartoons mocking al gore and the "theory" or global warming. and it frustrates the heck out of me.
dear people of the world who, I am assuming, don't ever bother to read the fine print:
(or for that matter, anything but headlines). Or, assuming you did read it, or didn't care to read it, or just don't know...well...Global warming does NOT mean that we are going to have 365 days of hot hot summer every year. It does not mean we won't have seasons. It does not mean it will not get cold.
As a matter of fact? The reason it's so important that we do what we can to stop global warming is actually quite simple--we have gotten our eco-balance all out of whack. Record highs and record snows all in a year, hmm? It's like if you're playing jenga and you slowly take away all but one of the blocks from the bottom 5 rows. yeah, yeah, it's gonna balance for a while. and then it's going to sway some. maybe everything will rotate one way or the other, away from the original orientation.
and then the tiniest nudge is going to be what brings down the house.
With this in mind, the cartoons are actually pretty funny :)
love,
Carrie
ps: this one is one of my favorites. (And the source is listed on the bottom of the comic)
~andrew bird
my friend sjg put up this link on his twitter. it's full of cartoons mocking al gore and the "theory" or global warming. and it frustrates the heck out of me.
dear people of the world who, I am assuming, don't ever bother to read the fine print:
(or for that matter, anything but headlines). Or, assuming you did read it, or didn't care to read it, or just don't know...well...Global warming does NOT mean that we are going to have 365 days of hot hot summer every year. It does not mean we won't have seasons. It does not mean it will not get cold.
As a matter of fact? The reason it's so important that we do what we can to stop global warming is actually quite simple--we have gotten our eco-balance all out of whack. Record highs and record snows all in a year, hmm? It's like if you're playing jenga and you slowly take away all but one of the blocks from the bottom 5 rows. yeah, yeah, it's gonna balance for a while. and then it's going to sway some. maybe everything will rotate one way or the other, away from the original orientation.
and then the tiniest nudge is going to be what brings down the house.
With this in mind, the cartoons are actually pretty funny :)
love,
Carrie
ps: this one is one of my favorites. (And the source is listed on the bottom of the comic)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
"whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul."
~horatio spafford
I have been feeling pretty freakin' emotionally overwhelmed recently. Not oh-my-gosh-there-aren't-enough-hours-in-the-day overwhelmed, but like there just keeps on being thing after thing that is upsetting or frustrating or hurtful.
and it is totally getting the best of me.
and yeah, yeah, blah blah my problems are small in the grand scheme yada blah. I know that. but as I explained to someone else (on a very different topic) it's like when your arm is bruised and someone touches it and hurts. farrrr more than it would normally. because you are already bruised. yep, that.
so instead of trying to talk myself into thinking about the grand scheme of things, or whatever, I will just remember "it is well, with my soul."
on an unrelated-ish note (except that it's all the lenten music that got me thinking...)--I am seriously considering giving up the word "like" for Lent. As in "I was like, blah blah blah." we'll see. I've just noticed myself saying that more and I don't like it!
oh, and last fun story. guess who has two thumbs and got a prescription for an epi pen today? yep, this kid!
I got my first vial of allergy drops (for under-the-tongue use!) and with them came a prescription for an epi pen! woohoo!
oh wait and one more. guess who FINALLY refunded my money. yep, the lady who sold me this. two months after I bought it, one month after it arrived and three weeks after I returned it to her, I FINALLY have my money back. minus shipping charges, which I think is pretty crappy considering that she mis-listed the dress and I'm out on shipping twice, but fine, whatever. I am just relieved to have a dress to wear that fits (I bought one, I think I mentioned that!) and glad to be done with the other lady. whew!
tomorrow's post will have pictures. :)
I have been feeling pretty freakin' emotionally overwhelmed recently. Not oh-my-gosh-there-aren't-enough-hours-in-the-day overwhelmed, but like there just keeps on being thing after thing that is upsetting or frustrating or hurtful.
and it is totally getting the best of me.
and yeah, yeah, blah blah my problems are small in the grand scheme yada blah. I know that. but as I explained to someone else (on a very different topic) it's like when your arm is bruised and someone touches it and hurts. farrrr more than it would normally. because you are already bruised. yep, that.
so instead of trying to talk myself into thinking about the grand scheme of things, or whatever, I will just remember "it is well, with my soul."
on an unrelated-ish note (except that it's all the lenten music that got me thinking...)--I am seriously considering giving up the word "like" for Lent. As in "I was like, blah blah blah." we'll see. I've just noticed myself saying that more and I don't like it!
oh, and last fun story. guess who has two thumbs and got a prescription for an epi pen today? yep, this kid!
I got my first vial of allergy drops (for under-the-tongue use!) and with them came a prescription for an epi pen! woohoo!
oh wait and one more. guess who FINALLY refunded my money. yep, the lady who sold me this. two months after I bought it, one month after it arrived and three weeks after I returned it to her, I FINALLY have my money back. minus shipping charges, which I think is pretty crappy considering that she mis-listed the dress and I'm out on shipping twice, but fine, whatever. I am just relieved to have a dress to wear that fits (I bought one, I think I mentioned that!) and glad to be done with the other lady. whew!
tomorrow's post will have pictures. :)
Friday, February 05, 2010
today I have consumed
1 granola bar.
1 to-go cup of coffee.
3.5 glasses of orange juice. (I couldn't get enough!)
1 bowl of wayne's.
1 container o' yogurt.
1 can of original coca-cola.
3 gaiam bottles of water
and a 100 calorie pack of sour patch kids.
I do not usually eat like this. I'm kind of grossed out by today's menu. But at the same time, I feel like I might just scream at the next person who asks me to do something for this proposal. sooooooo I will just be thankful that I have eaten, because otherwise I do think I would've become a really scary monster. just fyi.
1 to-go cup of coffee.
3.5 glasses of orange juice. (I couldn't get enough!)
1 bowl of wayne's.
1 container o' yogurt.
1 can of original coca-cola.
3 gaiam bottles of water
and a 100 calorie pack of sour patch kids.
I do not usually eat like this. I'm kind of grossed out by today's menu. But at the same time, I feel like I might just scream at the next person who asks me to do something for this proposal. sooooooo I will just be thankful that I have eaten, because otherwise I do think I would've become a really scary monster. just fyi.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
oh yeah, my pantry
on new year's day I went on a little cleaning kick. also known as "I attacked my pantry." this is what it looked like. things falling over, digging though to get what we needed and basically a wreck. we'd just shut the door when people came over and pretend like it didn't exist.
but I had had ENOUGH! soI took out everything, I checked all the expiration dates, I sorted by type (baking, dinner, canned fruits, extra staples, etc) and then put it all back in.
It is WAY more functional now! And I can SEE things and FIND them.
Carrie=happy.
:)
but I had had ENOUGH! soI took out everything, I checked all the expiration dates, I sorted by type (baking, dinner, canned fruits, extra staples, etc) and then put it all back in.
It is WAY more functional now! And I can SEE things and FIND them.
Carrie=happy.
:)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(happy)^5
My friend Nicole tagged me in a blogger game on her Stepmom Blog.
She changed the rules a little (to 5 things instead of 10!) so I am keeping it! Shorter=better.
A. List 5 things that make you happy.
B. Try to do at least one of them today.
C. Tag 5 bloggers that brighten your day. (Tag!! You're it!)
D. For those 5 bloggers who get the award, (should you choose to participate) you then link back to my blog and create your own "makes you happy" list.
1. I know this is sappy but hugs from Matt make me happy. We give each other lots of hugs. It always make my day better!
2. Fruit. I am a sucker for it. Fresh is best, but the frozen blueberries and strawberries in my freezer are pretty amazing too!
3. Taking pictures. duh. :)
4. Checking things off my to-do list(s). [Yes plural. ]
5. Spending time with my good friends.
And I'm adding a 6th, which is sleeping for more than 8 hours!!
And you know what? Apparently today is gonna be a better day than I realized!
1. I should get to see Matt tonight. And therefore receive said hugs.
2. I just ate some blueberries.
3. In an hour I'll be doing headshots for a local company!
4. I blogged on my photography blog, blogged on this blog and called the lady about my receipt. I think that means I've checked off THREE things today.
5. gurdas and I are having dinner after choir.
6. I slept for 8.5 hours last night!!
so, anyone can do it, but I am specifically tagging a few people whose blogs I enjoy a lot! and I wouldn't blame you if none of you did it since, um, yeah october-december I got tagged to do like three things and did exactly none of them, oopsie!
1. jackie.
2. blaze.
3. karen.
4. kat.
5. melissa.
She changed the rules a little (to 5 things instead of 10!) so I am keeping it! Shorter=better.
A. List 5 things that make you happy.
B. Try to do at least one of them today.
C. Tag 5 bloggers that brighten your day. (Tag!! You're it!)
D. For those 5 bloggers who get the award, (should you choose to participate) you then link back to my blog and create your own "makes you happy" list.
1. I know this is sappy but hugs from Matt make me happy. We give each other lots of hugs. It always make my day better!
2. Fruit. I am a sucker for it. Fresh is best, but the frozen blueberries and strawberries in my freezer are pretty amazing too!
3. Taking pictures. duh. :)
4. Checking things off my to-do list(s). [Yes plural. ]
5. Spending time with my good friends.
And I'm adding a 6th, which is sleeping for more than 8 hours!!
And you know what? Apparently today is gonna be a better day than I realized!
1. I should get to see Matt tonight. And therefore receive said hugs.
2. I just ate some blueberries.
3. In an hour I'll be doing headshots for a local company!
4. I blogged on my photography blog, blogged on this blog and called the lady about my receipt. I think that means I've checked off THREE things today.
5. gurdas and I are having dinner after choir.
6. I slept for 8.5 hours last night!!
so, anyone can do it, but I am specifically tagging a few people whose blogs I enjoy a lot! and I wouldn't blame you if none of you did it since, um, yeah october-december I got tagged to do like three things and did exactly none of them, oopsie!
1. jackie.
2. blaze.
3. karen.
4. kat.
5. melissa.
pressurize not propel.
I have a genuine appreciation for handy-dandy oil that can be sprayed on pans and cookie sheets and the like. It is SO easy. It makes less of a mess and uses WAY less cooking oil. Makes Carrie happy.
So, for a while now I've been happily going along trying different sprays--usually whatever was on sale--opting for organic or "good for you" oils or whatever just to see if something became my favorite.
and then.
Over Christmas my niece-to-be Bridget and my mother-in-law-to-be Rosemary and I were making Sausage Balls for the family. (thank you, Nicole, for the recipe. yum!) And when we got to the spray-down-the-cookie sheet part Rosemary was so excited to show me the Misto. They don't use it very often, she explained, but she thought I'd like it and brought it out special just for me.
and she was right. we bought one three days later.
So, what is this "misto" contraption, you ask? Well, it's basically a bottle that you pour oil in, pressurize it and voila! --a fine oil mist is available for you at the press of a button. It cost us like ten whole dollars (or was it 15) at bb&b, though I'm sure it's sold elsewhere.
reasons I like it:
1. see this? it is the list of ingredients on my organic pam. see that very last item on the list? yep, that'd be propellant. makes you just want to eat that stuff right up.
now, my dear friend google and my other friend goodsearch tell me it might be nitrous oxide (which isn't scary) or it might be some other stuff. I don't know and I don't care. I have an alternative and I KNOW what's going into it.
2. this, in my opinion, is WAY more eco-friendly. even if the propellants are totally innocuous, it's still superior. if I take reasonably good care of this misto thingie it'll be in my kitchen for years to come. so that's only ONE container, not, oh, 2ish per year. Plus, I can fill it with the oil of my choice (bonus!) and I don't have to drive to the store to get more for muuuuuch longer.
and? it's cute :)
I am SO GLAD Rosemary showed me this! I already had far too much fun making sausage balls with bridget (she was a HUGE help) but this was icing on the cake!
So, for a while now I've been happily going along trying different sprays--usually whatever was on sale--opting for organic or "good for you" oils or whatever just to see if something became my favorite.
and then.
Over Christmas my niece-to-be Bridget and my mother-in-law-to-be Rosemary and I were making Sausage Balls for the family. (thank you, Nicole, for the recipe. yum!) And when we got to the spray-down-the-cookie sheet part Rosemary was so excited to show me the Misto. They don't use it very often, she explained, but she thought I'd like it and brought it out special just for me.
and she was right. we bought one three days later.
So, what is this "misto" contraption, you ask? Well, it's basically a bottle that you pour oil in, pressurize it and voila! --a fine oil mist is available for you at the press of a button. It cost us like ten whole dollars (or was it 15) at bb&b, though I'm sure it's sold elsewhere.
reasons I like it:
1. see this? it is the list of ingredients on my organic pam. see that very last item on the list? yep, that'd be propellant. makes you just want to eat that stuff right up.
now, my dear friend google and my other friend goodsearch tell me it might be nitrous oxide (which isn't scary) or it might be some other stuff. I don't know and I don't care. I have an alternative and I KNOW what's going into it.
2. this, in my opinion, is WAY more eco-friendly. even if the propellants are totally innocuous, it's still superior. if I take reasonably good care of this misto thingie it'll be in my kitchen for years to come. so that's only ONE container, not, oh, 2ish per year. Plus, I can fill it with the oil of my choice (bonus!) and I don't have to drive to the store to get more for muuuuuch longer.
and? it's cute :)
I am SO GLAD Rosemary showed me this! I already had far too much fun making sausage balls with bridget (she was a HUGE help) but this was icing on the cake!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
you want me to put saltwater where??
I'll be honest with you. At the beginning of my serious sinus troubles, when my doctor told me to get some saline for my nose, my first thoughts were "what the heck--you want me to put saltwater where--that sounds totally gross--surely you jest."
Uh, yeah.
I started off easy. With some saline spray in a little bottle. You just squirted it up in there and it wasn't overwhelming and then you'd need to blow your nose. Nothing exciting or involved. But helpful. I went through one-two of these on a weekly basis, it seemed. I also learned that the Ocean brand spray was soooooo worth extra $$. The generics were seriously sub par.
Then, as I saw my bank account dwindling I googled "make your own nasal saline," got directed to this and found out what a neti pot was. I spent $15 and bought the squeeze bottle one. It seemed more like what I was already used to. Little did I know! Turns out that it filled up your whole nose, and it kind of freaked me out. I hung onto it and tried something less scary. And waited for my next doctor appointment to ask him about it.
I also learned about the pressurized version of the pre-made saline. The pressurized version REALLY makes a difference. But it's like $7 a bottle and creates a lot of waste. I talked to my doctor and he said they were all good options, but I should try the squeeze bottle again because it could really do wonders for me. I listened. I liked it better after I got over the weirdness of the sensation.
I also bought a neti pot.
Also from neilmed, using the same solution as the squeeze bottle. Really, it seemed like a gentler way of doing things--maybe very good for days where my nose was sore or I was congested and didn't want to shoot the liquid up my nose. So I spent another $15 and got the neti pot kit. and hooooooo buddy, did I use that a lot.
so, now I have a neti pot, a squeeze bottle and sometimes a nice little collection of saline squeeze bottles and the pressurized saline.
and then I as introduced to the navage system. now, I'm gonna tell you this thing is EXPENSIVE. it is a contraption, not a super-simple item. And before I bought it I had to write them an email asking about their rinses--because you use a new bottle every time you use it. They assured me that they were developing an alternative that didn't require the shipping of something dissolved in water, and they told me my neilmed packets would likely work just fine but would void the warranty. Luckily I got it on a supersale, and I have certainly gotten my money's worth.
the pros:
-the premade squeeze bottle is portable.
-the pressurized bottle really does an amazing job, especially if you're congested.
-the neti pot really cleans things out and is gentle
-the squeeze bottle cleans even better than the neti pot!
-the navage pulls a vacuum on your head and really gets stuff out--wow!
the cons:
-the premade squeeze bottle creates a lot of waste and not much bang for your buck.
-the pressurized bottle also creates a lot of waste and sometimes won't stop flowing when you release. also expensive.
-the neti pot is not always awesome if you're already stuffed up.
-the squeeze bottle cleans is better than the neti pot if you're already stuffed up, but still not as good as the pressurized bottle or navage.
-the navage creates a lot of bottles to recycle, takes up quite a bit of space comparatively speaking, and costs quite a bit more than any of the other options. I only paid $39 plus shipping when I got it on a super-duper-duper sale, and even then. yikes. plus, to keep the cost low and the waste low too, I voided the warranty by using the saline solution packets.
my assessment: they all have their place.
In my opinion--the most eco-friendly and pocket-friendly options are, far and away, the neti pot or the squeeze bottle. both of them use little tiny dry packets and you fill up the bottle at home, so there's no shipping of water from one place to another. and they are both about $15 for the bottle/pot plus 50 packets of the saline mix. I spend $10 three times a year or so to get new packets of the mix.
And I think depending on your situation, one of the other options might be a better fit.
But most importantly? Whichever one you choose--I think everyone should use them. I think that's the most eco-friendly option of all. Because sinus rinses are a preventative measure, and ultimately lead to fewer sinus issues and less medicine consumed--which in the grand scheme of things makes the world a much better place :)
Uh, yeah.
I started off easy. With some saline spray in a little bottle. You just squirted it up in there and it wasn't overwhelming and then you'd need to blow your nose. Nothing exciting or involved. But helpful. I went through one-two of these on a weekly basis, it seemed. I also learned that the Ocean brand spray was soooooo worth extra $$. The generics were seriously sub par.
Then, as I saw my bank account dwindling I googled "make your own nasal saline," got directed to this and found out what a neti pot was. I spent $15 and bought the squeeze bottle one. It seemed more like what I was already used to. Little did I know! Turns out that it filled up your whole nose, and it kind of freaked me out. I hung onto it and tried something less scary. And waited for my next doctor appointment to ask him about it.
I also learned about the pressurized version of the pre-made saline. The pressurized version REALLY makes a difference. But it's like $7 a bottle and creates a lot of waste. I talked to my doctor and he said they were all good options, but I should try the squeeze bottle again because it could really do wonders for me. I listened. I liked it better after I got over the weirdness of the sensation.I also bought a neti pot.
Also from neilmed, using the same solution as the squeeze bottle. Really, it seemed like a gentler way of doing things--maybe very good for days where my nose was sore or I was congested and didn't want to shoot the liquid up my nose. So I spent another $15 and got the neti pot kit. and hooooooo buddy, did I use that a lot.so, now I have a neti pot, a squeeze bottle and sometimes a nice little collection of saline squeeze bottles and the pressurized saline.
and then I as introduced to the navage system. now, I'm gonna tell you this thing is EXPENSIVE. it is a contraption, not a super-simple item. And before I bought it I had to write them an email asking about their rinses--because you use a new bottle every time you use it. They assured me that they were developing an alternative that didn't require the shipping of something dissolved in water, and they told me my neilmed packets would likely work just fine but would void the warranty. Luckily I got it on a supersale, and I have certainly gotten my money's worth.the pros:
-the premade squeeze bottle is portable.
-the pressurized bottle really does an amazing job, especially if you're congested.
-the neti pot really cleans things out and is gentle
-the squeeze bottle cleans even better than the neti pot!
-the navage pulls a vacuum on your head and really gets stuff out--wow!
the cons:
-the premade squeeze bottle creates a lot of waste and not much bang for your buck.
-the pressurized bottle also creates a lot of waste and sometimes won't stop flowing when you release. also expensive.
-the neti pot is not always awesome if you're already stuffed up.
-the squeeze bottle cleans is better than the neti pot if you're already stuffed up, but still not as good as the pressurized bottle or navage.
-the navage creates a lot of bottles to recycle, takes up quite a bit of space comparatively speaking, and costs quite a bit more than any of the other options. I only paid $39 plus shipping when I got it on a super-duper-duper sale, and even then. yikes. plus, to keep the cost low and the waste low too, I voided the warranty by using the saline solution packets.
my assessment: they all have their place.
In my opinion--the most eco-friendly and pocket-friendly options are, far and away, the neti pot or the squeeze bottle. both of them use little tiny dry packets and you fill up the bottle at home, so there's no shipping of water from one place to another. and they are both about $15 for the bottle/pot plus 50 packets of the saline mix. I spend $10 three times a year or so to get new packets of the mix.
And I think depending on your situation, one of the other options might be a better fit.
But most importantly? Whichever one you choose--I think everyone should use them. I think that's the most eco-friendly option of all. Because sinus rinses are a preventative measure, and ultimately lead to fewer sinus issues and less medicine consumed--which in the grand scheme of things makes the world a much better place :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
"put a big red ribbon on it and deliver it to your door and you know what to do with it, right? all right."
~the refreshments
(and, a special thank you to jessie for making me want to listen to them today!)
so, updates, updates...
-matt and I have made about 85% of the table signs but we still need to get frames and spray paint them. it took less than two hours.
-we are about 1/3 of the way done on our favors.
-by next tuesday we should be 80% done with the silverware.
-we've booked a hotel, made our website, figured out about the marriage license and even completed pre-marital counseling.
I think we're pretty good to go. I am kiiiiinda freaking out about the dress thing, but I keep reminding myself:
1. some very generous friends and family have offered me theirs
2. if push comes to shove there's an option that would work at JCrew. and Target, of all place.
3. I am lucky that lady agreed to take the dress back!
so, yeah. I have wedding on the brain. serious wedding on the brain. it's kind of invading every bit of my life--my sleep, for instance. night before last I had a dream that Matt and I were on the way home from the mountains and there was a blockade and they made everyone go into this building and wash their hands with this certain soap/liquid/whatever. I have no idea what it was. but Matt did it and his hands were find and his ring was too (apparently we were already married). but I did it and it turned my ring black-ish and my diamond yellow/brown and we couldn't get it off and in my dream the ring wasn't the one I am wearing now, but anyway, bizarre! even good ol' trust dreammoods didn't know what to tell me.
last night I had a dream about dresses. which by the way I am terrified of looking for!! and I don't really recall the dream and I am definitely, definitely okay with that :)
let's see, what else...
I've recently developed an obsession with vintage tablecloths (I look for new ones pretty much every single day. thankfully I have been talking myself out of buying them. mostly.)
I am sneezing like a mad woman. Seriously, I might try to tally tomorrow. I would bet I've sneezed at least, oh, 30-40 times today. I've had 6-7 sneezing fits, ranging from 3 sneezes to a good five or six consecutive sneezes. I'm having my allergies re-tested on friday and can't take my dear old zyrtec or, um, any other sinus stuff, really, until then. I'm also not having beer (I avoid it when my allergies flare up) and trying like hell not to actually get sick while waiting for the two hours of needles and then the sweet relief of benadryl and allergy medicine.
:)
until then, it's n@sonex and using sinus irrigation. I have multiple options, by the way (three "systems" and then at least two other things) and I've been meaning to blog about them, their relative awesomeness AND their relative (apparent to me) eco-friendliness. perhaps tomorrow.
oh yeah, and I'm having a GIVEAWAY on my photography blog. chiggity-check it out! I reached my 100th client earlier this month and I'm celebrating that awesomeness!!! please go comment on there or on my photography facebook site!
and, um...yep. that's kind of it. I'm definitely alllllll over the place. like, in life. hence the lack of blogging. or, um, anything other than wedding planning, working and photo editing :) I have a few more milestones I need to get through (find dress. order invites. order blank labels. reserve tables and chairs.) and then I think I will feel much, much better. plus, hopefully by then I can quit having people hurt my feelings. I figure the closer we get to our wedding the less time people will have to be sh!tty. it's really only a very small number of people, and if you're reading this it pretty much can't be you, but yeah. getting the feeling some folks only think about themselves. and that is all I should say :)
so.
hopefully tomorrow: sinus-ee-eco-friendly-ee post.
hopefully by sunday: carrie has found a dress!
hopefully soon: we can start talking about other things. like, y'know, my cats. or earth hour. or books I've read (which so far this year= none.)
love love.
(and, a special thank you to jessie for making me want to listen to them today!)
so, updates, updates...
-matt and I have made about 85% of the table signs but we still need to get frames and spray paint them. it took less than two hours.
-we are about 1/3 of the way done on our favors.
-by next tuesday we should be 80% done with the silverware.
-we've booked a hotel, made our website, figured out about the marriage license and even completed pre-marital counseling.
I think we're pretty good to go. I am kiiiiinda freaking out about the dress thing, but I keep reminding myself:
1. some very generous friends and family have offered me theirs
2. if push comes to shove there's an option that would work at JCrew. and Target, of all place.
3. I am lucky that lady agreed to take the dress back!
so, yeah. I have wedding on the brain. serious wedding on the brain. it's kind of invading every bit of my life--my sleep, for instance. night before last I had a dream that Matt and I were on the way home from the mountains and there was a blockade and they made everyone go into this building and wash their hands with this certain soap/liquid/whatever. I have no idea what it was. but Matt did it and his hands were find and his ring was too (apparently we were already married). but I did it and it turned my ring black-ish and my diamond yellow/brown and we couldn't get it off and in my dream the ring wasn't the one I am wearing now, but anyway, bizarre! even good ol' trust dreammoods didn't know what to tell me.
last night I had a dream about dresses. which by the way I am terrified of looking for!! and I don't really recall the dream and I am definitely, definitely okay with that :)
let's see, what else...
I've recently developed an obsession with vintage tablecloths (I look for new ones pretty much every single day. thankfully I have been talking myself out of buying them. mostly.)
I am sneezing like a mad woman. Seriously, I might try to tally tomorrow. I would bet I've sneezed at least, oh, 30-40 times today. I've had 6-7 sneezing fits, ranging from 3 sneezes to a good five or six consecutive sneezes. I'm having my allergies re-tested on friday and can't take my dear old zyrtec or, um, any other sinus stuff, really, until then. I'm also not having beer (I avoid it when my allergies flare up) and trying like hell not to actually get sick while waiting for the two hours of needles and then the sweet relief of benadryl and allergy medicine.
:)
until then, it's n@sonex and using sinus irrigation. I have multiple options, by the way (three "systems" and then at least two other things) and I've been meaning to blog about them, their relative awesomeness AND their relative (apparent to me) eco-friendliness. perhaps tomorrow.
oh yeah, and I'm having a GIVEAWAY on my photography blog. chiggity-check it out! I reached my 100th client earlier this month and I'm celebrating that awesomeness!!! please go comment on there or on my photography facebook site!
and, um...yep. that's kind of it. I'm definitely alllllll over the place. like, in life. hence the lack of blogging. or, um, anything other than wedding planning, working and photo editing :) I have a few more milestones I need to get through (find dress. order invites. order blank labels. reserve tables and chairs.) and then I think I will feel much, much better. plus, hopefully by then I can quit having people hurt my feelings. I figure the closer we get to our wedding the less time people will have to be sh!tty. it's really only a very small number of people, and if you're reading this it pretty much can't be you, but yeah. getting the feeling some folks only think about themselves. and that is all I should say :)
so.
hopefully tomorrow: sinus-ee-eco-friendly-ee post.
hopefully by sunday: carrie has found a dress!
hopefully soon: we can start talking about other things. like, y'know, my cats. or earth hour. or books I've read (which so far this year= none.)
love love.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
more pretty things
I've been playing with the manual settings on my camera. I usually shoot in program or aperture mode, but I've been doing more and more in manual--because if you have the TIME, it is amazing what manual can do!
so, I shot some of the residents of my china cabinet in the lovely morning light a few days ago. starting from top left, going clockwise...
1. that's the compote we bought in selma, alabama. man, that was a fun time!
2. my granny gave me this. it's a snowglove of Tulsa. See the little golden driller and the Tulsa skyline? is that too cool for school or what?
3. that lovely tray and punch cup? that is a gift from george & tonya! when we were in augusta tonya and I went antique shopping and I saw those and she said "shower present!!!" I got the set of 6, but they had two other sets of 8. I kind of wanted to buy them all, but I couldn't justify it!!
4. another snowglobe that sits safely in my china cabinet. this is of new york city, see the statue of liberty! also a gift from my granny--when I was 15 she took Anna and me to the northeast. We went to NYC, to parts of new jersey, to see the liberty bell and visit the smithsonian. I saw "The King and I" with Lou Diamond Phillips and we went to the Rainbow Room and I got my first manicure and I saw the Air & Space Museum and LOVED it. Seeing that snow globe makes me smile every.single.time.
5. mooooooo cow creamer. I bought this 'cause I thought it was adorable and hilarious. (and see my frankoma elephant mugs behind?) this creamer? also feature on rory and lorelai's table on gilmore girls!
6. It is probably a bad sign that I'm starting to forget where things came from. but that shot glass on the left is from katie & taylor--they brought it back from ireland for me! the blue compote is from our stop in vermont on antique row or whatever they call it. {I should probably blog that trip, huh? show of hands, who wants me to finally get around to doing that?} and that blue glass bird and green glass dish are both pieces my granny gave me!
7. this is not in my china cabinet! but I liked it. it's another picture of the paper flowers I made :)
something more substantial soon. apparently right now all I really want to talk about is things that are pretty :)
so, I shot some of the residents of my china cabinet in the lovely morning light a few days ago. starting from top left, going clockwise...
1. that's the compote we bought in selma, alabama. man, that was a fun time!2. my granny gave me this. it's a snowglove of Tulsa. See the little golden driller and the Tulsa skyline? is that too cool for school or what?
3. that lovely tray and punch cup? that is a gift from george & tonya! when we were in augusta tonya and I went antique shopping and I saw those and she said "shower present!!!" I got the set of 6, but they had two other sets of 8. I kind of wanted to buy them all, but I couldn't justify it!!
4. another snowglobe that sits safely in my china cabinet. this is of new york city, see the statue of liberty! also a gift from my granny--when I was 15 she took Anna and me to the northeast. We went to NYC, to parts of new jersey, to see the liberty bell and visit the smithsonian. I saw "The King and I" with Lou Diamond Phillips and we went to the Rainbow Room and I got my first manicure and I saw the Air & Space Museum and LOVED it. Seeing that snow globe makes me smile every.single.time.
5. mooooooo cow creamer. I bought this 'cause I thought it was adorable and hilarious. (and see my frankoma elephant mugs behind?) this creamer? also feature on rory and lorelai's table on gilmore girls!
6. It is probably a bad sign that I'm starting to forget where things came from. but that shot glass on the left is from katie & taylor--they brought it back from ireland for me! the blue compote is from our stop in vermont on antique row or whatever they call it. {I should probably blog that trip, huh? show of hands, who wants me to finally get around to doing that?} and that blue glass bird and green glass dish are both pieces my granny gave me!
7. this is not in my china cabinet! but I liked it. it's another picture of the paper flowers I made :)
something more substantial soon. apparently right now all I really want to talk about is things that are pretty :)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
"[I] fell victim to one of the classic blunders..."
~the princess bride
note: pardon the posting, un-posting and re-posting. for a hot minute there it looked like I might be stuck with this, but now all is well. though she did mis-measure, we all make mistakes, and the lady does get two thumbs up for customer service!
um, well, sort of.
so, this? this is NOT my wedding dress. isn't it lovely? and awesomely vintage? and wouldn't it be just darling as a wedding dress? if you said yes, then you have two eyeballs and know me well.
but.
despite the very, very clear typing on the post saying that this dress had a 38 inch bust, it actually does not. no, not even a little. as a matter of fact, it doesn't even have a 36 inch bust. nope, nope, it's more like 34. because a 34 inch bust is for someone who is, oh, a 32 B. Which I clearly am not.
and you know what? if it had *said* that? I never, ever would've purchased it.
so, this is NOT my wedding dress. and my classic blunder? going through the entire mental process of "do I need to lose weight? should I try to fit in this dress? do I want to spend the next 3 months starving myself and working out like a mad person? should I reconsider creating some sort of 'wedding diet?'"
and the answer to all of these questions is the same: no. absolutely not.
soooooo. I am going to go actual wedding dress shopping and *try* not to be snippy with the employees who suggest buying a dress a size smaller to encourage me to diet, or who want me to wear the value of a small honda on my torso for, oh, 8 hours. I am pretty bummed about this--especially since I really, really wanted a vintage dress--but alas, 3 months is not a ton of time, and I just don't know that I'll be able to find a vintage one in time.
on the plus side? now I know it's definitely not "me" it really is that the dress was mis-measured. and I can also show y'all the picture of the pretty dress. and I can now say that I know for sure that I want either a strapless dress or a vneck dress. And that I prefer strapless.
positive thoughts, icing and silver lining, Carrie. positive thoughts, icing and silver lining.
and bah humbug.
note: pardon the posting, un-posting and re-posting. for a hot minute there it looked like I might be stuck with this, but now all is well. though she did mis-measure, we all make mistakes, and the lady does get two thumbs up for customer service!
um, well, sort of.
so, this? this is NOT my wedding dress. isn't it lovely? and awesomely vintage? and wouldn't it be just darling as a wedding dress? if you said yes, then you have two eyeballs and know me well.
but.despite the very, very clear typing on the post saying that this dress had a 38 inch bust, it actually does not. no, not even a little. as a matter of fact, it doesn't even have a 36 inch bust. nope, nope, it's more like 34. because a 34 inch bust is for someone who is, oh, a 32 B. Which I clearly am not.
and you know what? if it had *said* that? I never, ever would've purchased it.
so, this is NOT my wedding dress. and my classic blunder? going through the entire mental process of "do I need to lose weight? should I try to fit in this dress? do I want to spend the next 3 months starving myself and working out like a mad person? should I reconsider creating some sort of 'wedding diet?'"
and the answer to all of these questions is the same: no. absolutely not.
soooooo. I am going to go actual wedding dress shopping and *try* not to be snippy with the employees who suggest buying a dress a size smaller to encourage me to diet, or who want me to wear the value of a small honda on my torso for, oh, 8 hours. I am pretty bummed about this--especially since I really, really wanted a vintage dress--but alas, 3 months is not a ton of time, and I just don't know that I'll be able to find a vintage one in time.
on the plus side? now I know it's definitely not "me" it really is that the dress was mis-measured. and I can also show y'all the picture of the pretty dress. and I can now say that I know for sure that I want either a strapless dress or a vneck dress. And that I prefer strapless.
positive thoughts, icing and silver lining, Carrie. positive thoughts, icing and silver lining.
and bah humbug.
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