...you've got to do a mindless post like this.
What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Eating supper. And it was very yummy. :)
Last restaurant you went to? A seafood place up in Rural Hall. Coronet something or other...
Did you have an exciting last weekend? Last weekend? Hmm...I think it was kind of busy, but not terribly exciting.
Have you ever crawled through a window? Yup.
Where were you at 1AM Sunday morning? In my bed sound asleep, I believe.
Last person you texted? My mom.
Do you like yourself? No. I hate myself, I'm going to go listen to emo music and cry. No, I'm okay. lol What a weird question.
Have you ever dyed your hair? Yep! Red! It looked funny though.
Are you wearing a necklace? No. I own dozens of necklaces and hardly ever wear them. I should start wearing them I guess....but not to work, because the baby would pull on them. Ack.
Is there anything in your past that you'd like to try again? What? And do differently? Probably not. Something I'd just like to experience again? Anything really exciting that caused an adrenaline rush would be fun to do again.
How's your heart lately? Still beating I think....though I really can't feel it at the moment. Odd. My hands must be numb or something. But I'm still breathing. :D
What is your relationship status? Hehehe..... Sorry, not sure why that made me laugh. Single.
Look behind you, what do you see? My bedroom wall with a Chinese Checkers board hanging on it.
How many rooms does your house have? 7 or 8.
Have you ever worked in a food place? Nope, and I wouldn't want to!
Who and where was the last concert you went to? Well...like, a holiday concert? Or a *real* concert? *whispers*....Clay Aiken. 6 years ago at the coliseum here in Winston.
Any summer plans for 2009? Isn't the summer almost over? No. I think we are actually going to go see my cousins for Thanksgiving though!!!
What did you eat for lunch today? Lunch...eep....trail mix and a piece of coconut cream pie! :/ I ate breakfast late.
What's on your schedule for tomorrow? Church, potluck, and then watching "Fireproof" with my friends.
The last song you heard? I....hmm. I have no clue. Last song going through my head:
That guy's songs are pretty cool, by the way.
How do you feel about abortions? Feel? Hate.
How often do you drive? Usually at least once a week.
Do you know anyone that is currently locked up? I don't think so...
Do you think you are humble? Yeah, see, this is one of those questions...."Yeah! I'm humble! So very, very humble!!...oh wait..." Um, I could be more humble.
Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Tuesday! In a BLT. Yum!!!
Ever ordered from an infomercial? Oh yeah, see, I've got this Shamwow (it's great for washing the cats), and these hair clips? $19.99 for three! And this slicing, dicing, chopping thing...it will even slice the Shamwow! No, of course I haven't ordered anything from infomercials. :D
Have you ever requested a song on the radio? Nope.
Do you hate the last girl you were talking to? I don't remember the last girl I was talking to...but if I talked to her then I don't hate her.
When is the last time you took a nap? This afternoon. Unintentionally. I lay down for a moment and fell asleep.
Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Hmm...probably the guy from the Civitas institute who was calling to make sure Dad got some flier about something. They're very thorough over there, I must say.
To text you? My dad. To wake me up this morning.
What are you listening to? The Twitter song I just posted.
Something interesting happen lately? Probably...but I don't remember! :D
What were you doing at 8:00 this morning? Well, about a half hour after eight I was swallowing sinus medicine and Tylenol to deal with the awful stabbing pain over my right eye.
Do you chew on your straws? Very rarely.
Who was the last person you rode in the car with that was under 21? Last person who was driving? Or riding with me in my car? Caryn or Tiffany then.
Do you have curly hair? Occasionally and slightly. If it wants to curl.
Is there anyone who doesn't like you because of something you didn't do? That took some re-reading....hmm. Not that I know of, but there could be.
Where did you go today? Nowhere. Outside briefly.
Are you a heavy sleeper? 90% of the time, yes...very heavy sleeper.
When was the last time you hand washed the dishes? All of them? We have a snazzy Bosch dishwasher to do that. Otherwise...I washed some pans last night probably.
Who were the last people you ate with? My family.
Do you have college plans? Yes, no, maybe...not really. I don't know. Not four year college plans anyway. And anything else would have to fit around my work schedule, which seems to have expanded......
Are you mad at anyone right now? No, I don't think so.
What is your favorite flavor of jelly? Apple butter. I'm not a big jelly fan....strawberry, I guess.
Tell me the last dream you remember having. I had three crazy dreams in one night last week, but I don't remember them now!
Did you meet anybody new today? Nope.
Do you say aim or a-i-m? I don't.
When was the last time you talked on aim? Well, chat on Facebook is the only one I use....and I haven't talked to anyone for a while. So I don't know.
Would you dance to the taco song? The what?
Have you ever counted to 1,000? I don't know....if I did I don't remember.
Have you ever been in a castle? No, but it would be fun!
Do you have a cell-phone? Yep.
Can you use chop sticks? If I'm allowed to use them like skewers, yes, I could manage them. :)
Ever have cream puffs? Yes.
Ever walked into a wall? Uh-huh. :/ I've hit my shoulders on walls a lot, and I've skated into a wall.
Are you sarcastic? Hehe. :)
Where was your profile picture taken at? What is my profile picture right now? Oh....at my friends' house, lying on the couch.
Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? I'm not sure that I *hate* anybody. Possibly. I do dislike more than three people though.
What is your favorite animal? Uhhh...how about cats?
Can you hula hoop? Last time I tried (years ago!) I couldn't at all! I might be able to now though...I don't know. Haven't tried and I don't have a hula hoop, so I'll have to get back to you about that.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
People get ready....
I heard Eva Cassidy's music first when the figure skater Michelle Kwan skated to Eva's version of Sting's "Fields of Gold".
After hearing that, I bought a couple of Eva Cassidy's CDs, and found this song as well:
But then, there's also a version of "People Get Ready" sung by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck. And it's completely different...in fact, it looks like they can tell it's just not working and is coming out cheesy. :D People get ready...for...eighties hair!
After hearing that, I bought a couple of Eva Cassidy's CDs, and found this song as well:
But then, there's also a version of "People Get Ready" sung by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck. And it's completely different...in fact, it looks like they can tell it's just not working and is coming out cheesy. :D People get ready...for...eighties hair!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Jeans, chocolate chip cookies...and a cat
So, I had a full day yesterday: shopping to do, an eye doctor appointment, and then getting together with a couple of my friends before they leave.
Among other places, I went to Goodwill...and found this napkin holder. It makes me laugh, though I'm not sure why. :)
I also bought some more jeans because I've got way too many pairs with holes in them. And once again, I discovered that only expensive jeans fit me really well. Of the three I got, the pair that fit me best are Calvin Klein brand. :/ Sheesh...good thing there's Goodwill I guess, because I wouldn't want to pay full price for those or any other expensive brand.
Then I looked several places for Dad's birthday gift, and finally gave up and ordered it from Amazon. It's supposed to be here by the 11th or 12th; hopefully it will be!
Oh, and I went to Petsmart and didn't get a little orange and white kitty named Charlie, though I was very tempted to. We really don't need more cats (two is plenty!), but it would be nice to have a boy cat again, they're so much more affectionate. I did buy our cats some more cat food though. :) ooh, heya!!! I was actually able to get the picture off my phone by emailing it to myself!
Then last night after I got back from the eye doctor and picking Dad up, a couple friends and I went out for supper and to see a movie, so that was fun.
By the way, does anyone have a good soft chocolate chip cookie recipe? I want to make soft chocolate chip cookies (as close as I can get to the ones from Costco, if possible) but I can't seem to get any that come out soft. I finally got some that look alright anyway. Our standard recipe is the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, but those always come out looking awful when I make them. They taste perfectly fine, but they're all wrinkled. Weird. Anyway, the ones I made last week came out nicely, but still not soft.
I know the kind from Costco probably have some sort of ingredient that makes them soft (I'm trying to remember what was in them that sounded like it was probably what made the difference...I can't remember). All the other ingredients are normal things though, so maybe I should look at the label on a package when we go there tonight, and write down the ingredients.
Among other places, I went to Goodwill...and found this napkin holder. It makes me laugh, though I'm not sure why. :)
I also bought some more jeans because I've got way too many pairs with holes in them. And once again, I discovered that only expensive jeans fit me really well. Of the three I got, the pair that fit me best are Calvin Klein brand. :/ Sheesh...good thing there's Goodwill I guess, because I wouldn't want to pay full price for those or any other expensive brand.
Then I looked several places for Dad's birthday gift, and finally gave up and ordered it from Amazon. It's supposed to be here by the 11th or 12th; hopefully it will be!
Oh, and I went to Petsmart and didn't get a little orange and white kitty named Charlie, though I was very tempted to. We really don't need more cats (two is plenty!), but it would be nice to have a boy cat again, they're so much more affectionate. I did buy our cats some more cat food though. :) ooh, heya!!! I was actually able to get the picture off my phone by emailing it to myself!
Then last night after I got back from the eye doctor and picking Dad up, a couple friends and I went out for supper and to see a movie, so that was fun.
By the way, does anyone have a good soft chocolate chip cookie recipe? I want to make soft chocolate chip cookies (as close as I can get to the ones from Costco, if possible) but I can't seem to get any that come out soft. I finally got some that look alright anyway. Our standard recipe is the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, but those always come out looking awful when I make them. They taste perfectly fine, but they're all wrinkled. Weird. Anyway, the ones I made last week came out nicely, but still not soft.
I know the kind from Costco probably have some sort of ingredient that makes them soft (I'm trying to remember what was in them that sounded like it was probably what made the difference...I can't remember). All the other ingredients are normal things though, so maybe I should look at the label on a package when we go there tonight, and write down the ingredients.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Now this I have a problem with...
On Facebook you can click "like" on someone's status, or comment, or note, or picture. Just about anything. It's nice in some situations where you want to show that you appreciate whatever it is without saying "Haha!", "Cool!", or "Wow!" again...or whatever other one word would fit the situation...unless it really requires that...sometimes it does. The other alternative being to not say anything at all and simply enjoy it and laugh to yourself. But what's the point in that? Shouldn't someone know that you like what they wrote?
But on a blog? Someone took the time to write a whole post. There's a place to comment. Do we have to cut out that form of interaction? It's part of the fun of blogging, to actually hear what people think about what you wrote, and what they have to add to it. I don't even mind a "Haha, that's funny!" comment. It's still a comment, it's multiple words. But now there's this: http://buzz.blogger.com/2008/11/reactions-easily-engage-your-readers.html
"With Reactions, readers can easily respond with one click, increasing feedback on posts."
Okay...so you might get more feedback. (Anonymous though...) But I like real comments. I don't mind "like" on Facebook, but I don't want it invading my blog. And it's not going to, because I'm not going to add it. :D
But on a blog? Someone took the time to write a whole post. There's a place to comment. Do we have to cut out that form of interaction? It's part of the fun of blogging, to actually hear what people think about what you wrote, and what they have to add to it. I don't even mind a "Haha, that's funny!" comment. It's still a comment, it's multiple words. But now there's this: http://buzz.blogger.com/2008/11/reactions-easily-engage-your-readers.html
"With Reactions, readers can easily respond with one click, increasing feedback on posts."
Okay...so you might get more feedback. (Anonymous though...) But I like real comments. I don't mind "like" on Facebook, but I don't want it invading my blog. And it's not going to, because I'm not going to add it. :D
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Just a few more thoughts
Because the weddings ideas post seems to have gone over amazingly well. :D No snarky comments from relatives even...I'm shocked. ;)
I saw this article the day after I wrote the last post, which reminded me of one other wedding apparel expense. Bridemaids' dresses and whatever the groom and groomsmen are going to wear...and does it have to be tuxes? Well, for the groom, I mean. Sure, if my future husband wants to wear a tux, I'd be fine with it, but it seems a little unnecessary. I would think most guys would be perfectly happy to just wear a regular suit, right?
Bridesmaids dresses...hmm. Not sure about that one. A lot of it would depend on who I picked for bridesmaids probably. In general though, I wouldn't expect them to have to have identical dresses, just the same color perhaps? Which might be just as difficult...unless I went with black. In which case I would shock both my grandmothers, and possibly my parents.
As far as whether you should spend a lot (or a decent amount) on a wedding because it's only one day, or not spend much on it because it's only one day, I think there's a balance somewhere in the middle. Yes, it is a very special day, and you want it to be nice, and memorable, and you want it to not just be thrown together and coming across simply as a means to an end that unfortunately has to involve fluffy dresses and cake. :) On the other hand, I'm not big on flashy stuff, or all the little fiddly things that have to accessorize a wedding. Nor should it be such a big deal that it stresses everyone involved and overshadows the fact that you're getting married. You don't want people to come see your "wedding" you want them to see you get married. So yeah, somewhere in the middle there. A simple wedding, with meaning behind it, after all weddings are symbolic.
I'm happily pleased to see that I'm not the only girl who has her wedding dress already too. :D Or, at least a possible dress, leaving open the possibility of changing our minds. I wish I could remember how much I paid for mine, but I bought it, oh...probably about four years ago. Since that was before I started working, I doubt I would have paid much for it. Somewhere between $30 and $50 maybe. It's a vintage Gunne Sax brand dress (70's maybe?), ivory/cream lace, and I just found the same one online on some vintage clothing website that sold for $150. I know I didn't pay that much! No, it's not white, but I don't really feel like wedding dresses have to be white...and I look equally pale and washed out in cream or white, so it's a no-win situation. :) Although if it was a spring or summer wedding...I might want white...and short sleeves...hmm. I guess I can hope fall would work out...I like fall best anyway.
I was looking at some of the modest wedding dress sites and I really didn't find a whole lot that I liked better. And they were all expensive! Most wedding dresses are too frilly. Yes, I know, they're supposed to be. But I'm not a really frilly sort of girl. Feminine clothes, yes; frilly, no. And no, lace isn't always frilly.
And I know where it would be neat to have the wedding, provided there weren't too many people to squish in...but if there were I'm sure there are lots of pretty churches around here. Moravian churches usually look nice. Outdoors, like Jessica said, sounds kinda nice, but fraught with peril as well. :D Rain, heat, cold...I like the outdoors, but not so much when I'm dressed up. lol
Anyway, just a few other thoughts I had...and it made me realize that a lot of this stuff would have to be rethought and possibly revised when the time comes. I try to be accommodating...I wouldn't want to have a whole list of totally inflexible plans that I shoved on everybody. Hmm, in general I'm flexible about things, I guess. I have ideas, but they can change...and if it's an opinion or idea that won't change for whatever reason (plain stubbornness or belief) you'll know. :)
Which reminds me of something else I was thinking of the other day (and I can't remember if I've said this before, it's sounds vaguely familiar) but I think we woman (or I at least) tend to change our opinion more often than men because we state our opinion more quickly. Or our first opinion anyway. Then after more thinking about it, we may change our minds, and state a differing opinion. On the other hand...guys are fairly quiet until they have their opinion set and then they state it (if they see fit), as opposed to going off on a tangent about something and then changing their mind the next day. So by the time they've stated their opinion it's firmly fixed as their opinion....at which point they will loudly give it to you. Or quietly, depending on the guy. And I have experience with both among my family... And I'm sure this doesn't hold true for all men, or all women, but it seems like in general that's how it works. (I'm thinking I said this to someone, or on here before...hopefully to someone, so I'm only repeating myself once.)
And now I'm rambling. Ask me tomorrow if my opinion changed. ;)
Hey! It's a month till my birthday! Yikes.
I saw this article the day after I wrote the last post, which reminded me of one other wedding apparel expense. Bridemaids' dresses and whatever the groom and groomsmen are going to wear...and does it have to be tuxes? Well, for the groom, I mean. Sure, if my future husband wants to wear a tux, I'd be fine with it, but it seems a little unnecessary. I would think most guys would be perfectly happy to just wear a regular suit, right?
Bridesmaids dresses...hmm. Not sure about that one. A lot of it would depend on who I picked for bridesmaids probably. In general though, I wouldn't expect them to have to have identical dresses, just the same color perhaps? Which might be just as difficult...unless I went with black. In which case I would shock both my grandmothers, and possibly my parents.
As far as whether you should spend a lot (or a decent amount) on a wedding because it's only one day, or not spend much on it because it's only one day, I think there's a balance somewhere in the middle. Yes, it is a very special day, and you want it to be nice, and memorable, and you want it to not just be thrown together and coming across simply as a means to an end that unfortunately has to involve fluffy dresses and cake. :) On the other hand, I'm not big on flashy stuff, or all the little fiddly things that have to accessorize a wedding. Nor should it be such a big deal that it stresses everyone involved and overshadows the fact that you're getting married. You don't want people to come see your "wedding" you want them to see you get married. So yeah, somewhere in the middle there. A simple wedding, with meaning behind it, after all weddings are symbolic.
I'm happily pleased to see that I'm not the only girl who has her wedding dress already too. :D Or, at least a possible dress, leaving open the possibility of changing our minds. I wish I could remember how much I paid for mine, but I bought it, oh...probably about four years ago. Since that was before I started working, I doubt I would have paid much for it. Somewhere between $30 and $50 maybe. It's a vintage Gunne Sax brand dress (70's maybe?), ivory/cream lace, and I just found the same one online on some vintage clothing website that sold for $150. I know I didn't pay that much! No, it's not white, but I don't really feel like wedding dresses have to be white...and I look equally pale and washed out in cream or white, so it's a no-win situation. :) Although if it was a spring or summer wedding...I might want white...and short sleeves...hmm. I guess I can hope fall would work out...I like fall best anyway.
I was looking at some of the modest wedding dress sites and I really didn't find a whole lot that I liked better. And they were all expensive! Most wedding dresses are too frilly. Yes, I know, they're supposed to be. But I'm not a really frilly sort of girl. Feminine clothes, yes; frilly, no. And no, lace isn't always frilly.
And I know where it would be neat to have the wedding, provided there weren't too many people to squish in...but if there were I'm sure there are lots of pretty churches around here. Moravian churches usually look nice. Outdoors, like Jessica said, sounds kinda nice, but fraught with peril as well. :D Rain, heat, cold...I like the outdoors, but not so much when I'm dressed up. lol
Anyway, just a few other thoughts I had...and it made me realize that a lot of this stuff would have to be rethought and possibly revised when the time comes. I try to be accommodating...I wouldn't want to have a whole list of totally inflexible plans that I shoved on everybody. Hmm, in general I'm flexible about things, I guess. I have ideas, but they can change...and if it's an opinion or idea that won't change for whatever reason (plain stubbornness or belief) you'll know. :)
Which reminds me of something else I was thinking of the other day (and I can't remember if I've said this before, it's sounds vaguely familiar) but I think we woman (or I at least) tend to change our opinion more often than men because we state our opinion more quickly. Or our first opinion anyway. Then after more thinking about it, we may change our minds, and state a differing opinion. On the other hand...guys are fairly quiet until they have their opinion set and then they state it (if they see fit), as opposed to going off on a tangent about something and then changing their mind the next day. So by the time they've stated their opinion it's firmly fixed as their opinion....at which point they will loudly give it to you. Or quietly, depending on the guy. And I have experience with both among my family... And I'm sure this doesn't hold true for all men, or all women, but it seems like in general that's how it works. (I'm thinking I said this to someone, or on here before...hopefully to someone, so I'm only repeating myself once.)
And now I'm rambling. Ask me tomorrow if my opinion changed. ;)
Hey! It's a month till my birthday! Yikes.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Green and guides and wedding ideas
But not guides for "going green". And no, I'm not getting married, that wasn't an announcement. But I have ideas.
Oh...actually, this isn't green, this is black and red. I got a new cell phone, in fact, we all three got new cell phones, and since they are all exactly the same, we ordered the ones that came with a free skinit.com decal/skin thingy. I finally picked mine out, and this is what I decided on. It's perhaps a bit loud, but I really was having a hard time picking one and I like black and red.
I'll get used to it. I didn't really want a pink phone last time, but I got used to having it.
This is green! Green tissue paper I salvaged from one of Colin's birthday presents. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but it's green...surely I can find something to use it for! :)
More green. There aren't as many nice green dishes and kitchen utensils available as there used to be; a lot of things are avocado green now, which is not the green I like. But I found these cutting boards at Costco and the casserole dish at Homegoods.
Boundlessline.org recently published (online or as pdf files anyway, I think the hard copies are still to be published) A Girl's Guide to Marrying Well and also A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well. (pdf links, both of those.) Here's the blog post about the girl's version.
The Girl's Guide is very good...a lot of it is articles that I've seen before on Boundless, but I think there is extra material as well. (I haven't read the guy's guide yet, and yes, girls can read it too. :D But like the girls guide, I recognize a lot of articles that I've read on the blog.) I recommend the two guides, though the name makes me laugh. I've read so many old novels that the phrase "marrying well" immediately makes me think of marrying a rich man or woman. :) Which, I assure you, is NOT what the guides are advising. ;) Well, there is stuff about guys being able to provide for a family, but that's not quite the same.
This reminds me of a discussion we had the other night while my grandparents were over here for Colin's birthday. We got started talking about wedding cakes, and dresses, and how much all that stuff costs if you get whatever is trendy to get. (Poor Colin...he finally interrupted with "Isn't this cake good?!!")
Apparently the average wedding cost in the US is $20,ooo-something. $20,000??!!! Insanity. And really unnecessary. I guess we got started talking about this because we were talking about the cake from Costco. You can order a sheet cake, (or half-size sheet cake, whatever that was that we got Colin) for $17. And you can get it with ivory icing with roses on it and everything. I really think that's what I'll do when I get married, unless there's some reason I feel I need to get a traditional wedding cake. But I think it would be a lot more convenient to have flat cakes like that (easier to cut for one thing), and SO much cheaper. Wedding cakes cost outrageous amounts, and these Costco cakes taste as good, or better than most wedding cakes.
So there's really no reason for cake to be expensive. Catering? Meh. I don't think I've tasted any catered food yet that I was really impressed with. Depends on your situation perhaps, but in our church, the ladies would probably be willing to help make food. And once again, it would taste better.
Even if you did end up paying to have various things done for you, there are just so many unnecessary and overpriced elements of the "standard" wedding. One of my second-cousins got married recently, and I'm not sure what all she did for her wedding, but I know she was planning on it being very frugal.
Wedding dress? Well, I've heard of women getting them while they're on sale for $100 or something, which is fairly reasonable. But I've also heard the other end of the scale...expensive designer dresses and another expensive dress for the reception. A wedding dress could be sewn at home, if you have the skills for that (sounds like a bit of nightmare to me actually, even though I do sew...all that fabric.) :D But it could be done, or you could buy a dress on eBay, or some other place if you want a vintage dress, or don't mind a modern but used dress.
Anyway, rant and wedding ideas over. Obviously, I don't want what counts as a typical wedding these days. I might end up conceding some things depending on what my future in-laws expect, but I kinda doubt it. :p I don't care if my relatives are shocked by things not being traditional, and chances are I'll marry someone equally...I'm blanking on an adjective...the only thing I'm coming up with is anarchistic. Heh.
Oh...actually, this isn't green, this is black and red. I got a new cell phone, in fact, we all three got new cell phones, and since they are all exactly the same, we ordered the ones that came with a free skinit.com decal/skin thingy. I finally picked mine out, and this is what I decided on. It's perhaps a bit loud, but I really was having a hard time picking one and I like black and red.
I'll get used to it. I didn't really want a pink phone last time, but I got used to having it.This is green! Green tissue paper I salvaged from one of Colin's birthday presents. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but it's green...surely I can find something to use it for! :)
More green. There aren't as many nice green dishes and kitchen utensils available as there used to be; a lot of things are avocado green now, which is not the green I like. But I found these cutting boards at Costco and the casserole dish at Homegoods.
Boundlessline.org recently published (online or as pdf files anyway, I think the hard copies are still to be published) A Girl's Guide to Marrying Well and also A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well. (pdf links, both of those.) Here's the blog post about the girl's version.
The Girl's Guide is very good...a lot of it is articles that I've seen before on Boundless, but I think there is extra material as well. (I haven't read the guy's guide yet, and yes, girls can read it too. :D But like the girls guide, I recognize a lot of articles that I've read on the blog.) I recommend the two guides, though the name makes me laugh. I've read so many old novels that the phrase "marrying well" immediately makes me think of marrying a rich man or woman. :) Which, I assure you, is NOT what the guides are advising. ;) Well, there is stuff about guys being able to provide for a family, but that's not quite the same.
This reminds me of a discussion we had the other night while my grandparents were over here for Colin's birthday. We got started talking about wedding cakes, and dresses, and how much all that stuff costs if you get whatever is trendy to get. (Poor Colin...he finally interrupted with "Isn't this cake good?!!")
Apparently the average wedding cost in the US is $20,ooo-something. $20,000??!!! Insanity. And really unnecessary. I guess we got started talking about this because we were talking about the cake from Costco. You can order a sheet cake, (or half-size sheet cake, whatever that was that we got Colin) for $17. And you can get it with ivory icing with roses on it and everything. I really think that's what I'll do when I get married, unless there's some reason I feel I need to get a traditional wedding cake. But I think it would be a lot more convenient to have flat cakes like that (easier to cut for one thing), and SO much cheaper. Wedding cakes cost outrageous amounts, and these Costco cakes taste as good, or better than most wedding cakes.
So there's really no reason for cake to be expensive. Catering? Meh. I don't think I've tasted any catered food yet that I was really impressed with. Depends on your situation perhaps, but in our church, the ladies would probably be willing to help make food. And once again, it would taste better.
Even if you did end up paying to have various things done for you, there are just so many unnecessary and overpriced elements of the "standard" wedding. One of my second-cousins got married recently, and I'm not sure what all she did for her wedding, but I know she was planning on it being very frugal.
Wedding dress? Well, I've heard of women getting them while they're on sale for $100 or something, which is fairly reasonable. But I've also heard the other end of the scale...expensive designer dresses and another expensive dress for the reception. A wedding dress could be sewn at home, if you have the skills for that (sounds like a bit of nightmare to me actually, even though I do sew...all that fabric.) :D But it could be done, or you could buy a dress on eBay, or some other place if you want a vintage dress, or don't mind a modern but used dress.
Anyway, rant and wedding ideas over. Obviously, I don't want what counts as a typical wedding these days. I might end up conceding some things depending on what my future in-laws expect, but I kinda doubt it. :p I don't care if my relatives are shocked by things not being traditional, and chances are I'll marry someone equally...I'm blanking on an adjective...the only thing I'm coming up with is anarchistic. Heh.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Colin's birthday
Colin's birthday was yesterday...he's eight now!
Cake, which we actually got from Costco rather than baking at home. *gasp*
Colin with Grandma and Grandpa:
Colin got a bike...which he asked for, but didn't think he'd actually get. Thus the shocked look:
Shirt I got for Colin...it has a chameleon on it:
Crazy gyroscopic top...it lights up and looks like a flying saucer. It's rather mesmerising:
Some sort of water-shooting thing. It's basically a big syringe.
Colin, looking rather like the panda from "Kung Fu Panda":
Anyway, that was fun! :) Dad and I got home from work last night to find Colin bouncing off the walls with excitement. He wouldn't stop talking, and he was planning where everyone was going to sit, and when Mom said she was going to go change clothes he started telling her what she should wear. I think he was just a little happy about his birthday. ;)
After opening presents and having cake, Colin finally calmed down...at which point the chocolate, sugar, and caffeine I had consumed kicked in and I was the one who was hyper and didn't get to bed until about one in the morning. :D
Cake, which we actually got from Costco rather than baking at home. *gasp*
Colin with Grandma and Grandpa:
Colin got a bike...which he asked for, but didn't think he'd actually get. Thus the shocked look:
Shirt I got for Colin...it has a chameleon on it:
Crazy gyroscopic top...it lights up and looks like a flying saucer. It's rather mesmerising:
Some sort of water-shooting thing. It's basically a big syringe.
Colin, looking rather like the panda from "Kung Fu Panda":
Anyway, that was fun! :) Dad and I got home from work last night to find Colin bouncing off the walls with excitement. He wouldn't stop talking, and he was planning where everyone was going to sit, and when Mom said she was going to go change clothes he started telling her what she should wear. I think he was just a little happy about his birthday. ;)
After opening presents and having cake, Colin finally calmed down...at which point the chocolate, sugar, and caffeine I had consumed kicked in and I was the one who was hyper and didn't get to bed until about one in the morning. :D
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Work: why it's worth it
Originally I was planning on titling this something like "Things that made me say 'Aww...' this weekend", but since that was a couple weekends ago now, it would have to be "Things that made me say 'Aww...' the weekend before last"...which only leaves you stuck on the "weekend before last" part and wondering why it needed to be so specific. But moving on...
First thing that made me say aww and start sniffling was when my friend was telling Mom and I about her class she'd been teaching. Jess is (or rather, was...since she's headed to med school this fall) an ESL teacher, and along with her normal classes teaching Spanish-speaking people, she had been given a few weeks long class of Burmese students to teach. Her class consisted of middle-aged women who had been in some sort of "camp" and were now over here because of religious persecution. Jess had no idea what religion that was (apparently the main religion over there is Buddhism, so it could have been anything not agreeing with that), but that's why they were over here, and she had to teach them enough everyday English so they could function, when they had no written language even. To make a long story short, her classes went very well, but what she was telling us about was how she was trying to explain to them about the 4th of July. She wanted to make sure they understood that nothing was being bombed, but rather that Saturday was a celebration. So she was working on that...the days of the week and explaining July 4th when one of her students said, "And...Sunday...go to church?" So she said yes, Sunday is when you go to church. The student asked her, "Teacher go to church?" To which she replied, "Yes! I go to church, I love Jesus!" And she said she saw the woman's eyes light up and she started talking to all the other ladies excitedly in their language and then she turned back to Jess and indicating all the other students, explained that they too loved Jesus. Such a great story!
The second thing that day that made me (and several other people) say "aww" was when a friend was asking my mom how she and Dad met. So Mom was telling them about it...and most of it I knew already, that Dad was friends with my uncle Jim and so she'd known him for a long time, but then after my uncle got married, Dad still kept hanging around. But then she was saying that they went on some sort of church trip and she was feeling bad on the way back so she just lay down on the bus seat to sleep, and Dad was in the seat in front of her and turned around and covered her up with his coat. *cue the "aww-ing"* Apparently he told her later that he felt like he needed to take care of her. How sweet! That's one thing I want in a husband, someone caring and compassionate. Not a wimp...a man can be caring and compassionate and still manly. :D
And finally....and what my title refers to, I was thinking how tough work can be sometimes. Both my regular nannying job, and babysitting as well. Kids don't always behave. Big surprise there, huh? I knew that of course, and I think it's probably good for me to have to deal with fussy kids. But despite the tough days, it's fun (especially with my regular job) to see kids growing up. It's just such a thrill when the baby recognizes me and wants me to pick her up, and tries to talk, or asks for things, or gives kisses and hugs back. I find that especially adorable. :)
So despite it all, this is what makes it worth it:
Note: We got stuck in the rain...and that's why we look a little damp and stringy-haired. :)
First thing that made me say aww and start sniffling was when my friend was telling Mom and I about her class she'd been teaching. Jess is (or rather, was...since she's headed to med school this fall) an ESL teacher, and along with her normal classes teaching Spanish-speaking people, she had been given a few weeks long class of Burmese students to teach. Her class consisted of middle-aged women who had been in some sort of "camp" and were now over here because of religious persecution. Jess had no idea what religion that was (apparently the main religion over there is Buddhism, so it could have been anything not agreeing with that), but that's why they were over here, and she had to teach them enough everyday English so they could function, when they had no written language even. To make a long story short, her classes went very well, but what she was telling us about was how she was trying to explain to them about the 4th of July. She wanted to make sure they understood that nothing was being bombed, but rather that Saturday was a celebration. So she was working on that...the days of the week and explaining July 4th when one of her students said, "And...Sunday...go to church?" So she said yes, Sunday is when you go to church. The student asked her, "Teacher go to church?" To which she replied, "Yes! I go to church, I love Jesus!" And she said she saw the woman's eyes light up and she started talking to all the other ladies excitedly in their language and then she turned back to Jess and indicating all the other students, explained that they too loved Jesus. Such a great story!
The second thing that day that made me (and several other people) say "aww" was when a friend was asking my mom how she and Dad met. So Mom was telling them about it...and most of it I knew already, that Dad was friends with my uncle Jim and so she'd known him for a long time, but then after my uncle got married, Dad still kept hanging around. But then she was saying that they went on some sort of church trip and she was feeling bad on the way back so she just lay down on the bus seat to sleep, and Dad was in the seat in front of her and turned around and covered her up with his coat. *cue the "aww-ing"* Apparently he told her later that he felt like he needed to take care of her. How sweet! That's one thing I want in a husband, someone caring and compassionate. Not a wimp...a man can be caring and compassionate and still manly. :D
And finally....and what my title refers to, I was thinking how tough work can be sometimes. Both my regular nannying job, and babysitting as well. Kids don't always behave. Big surprise there, huh? I knew that of course, and I think it's probably good for me to have to deal with fussy kids. But despite the tough days, it's fun (especially with my regular job) to see kids growing up. It's just such a thrill when the baby recognizes me and wants me to pick her up, and tries to talk, or asks for things, or gives kisses and hugs back. I find that especially adorable. :)
So despite it all, this is what makes it worth it:
Note: We got stuck in the rain...and that's why we look a little damp and stringy-haired. :)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Oh...hi!
Ha...so my "blog" is sending me messages. It apparently misses me. It also apparently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and.......uses a Mac???? ....I mean, yeah, of course my blog does, but I didn't realize its...er, secretary, did.
I also didn't realize how long it had been since I posted though! I thought it had only been a few weeks, but it's almost been a month. Um...oops?
Well, what have I been doing? I'll try to keep it brief, even though recapping posts seem to be all I'm doing lately.
Oh yeah, the big thing we have been doing? Taking out the old cabinets and counter top in the kitchen and replacing them. I think I mentioned that the ice maker line leaked, so we had a soggy, moldy cabinet to replace, and it turned out to be a good deal to just replace all the cabinets. And the counter top, while we were at it. So we did that. (I say that like it was so easy...) Well, it wasn't really, really hard, but we ran into a few difficulties. They ordered the cabinets online, so Dad had to put them together, and then we had to install them, and then the two counter top pieces had to be glued together...and then installed. Putting that big piece on the counter took Dad, Mom, and myself to get it up there....and possibly Colin too, though I don't remember. And now my right shoulder hurts from that. I need to go easy on it, and do some exercises, and hopefully I didn't permanently injure it. :/
But fitting all the cabinets in took some doing. For one thing, the walls are not square, so a cabinet could be up against a wall on the bottom or top and have a big gap on the other end. And the studs are unevenly placed in some spots, or the cabinets just didn't line up with them conveniently, so we had to use toggle bolts to attach them, which meant extra drilling and work for those cabinets. But, we got it all done, and it looks very nice! (I'm afraid I don't have any finished photos yet.)
I do, however, have fireworks photos from the 4th. Or as many as I was able to take before my camera battery died. :(
Streetlight!
I also decided to participate in a monthly art postcard thing that my friend Amanda arranged. It's going to be kind of a challenge for me, because I don't do a whole lot of art on paper. The idea is that you draw/paint/whatever on a blank postcard and send one to a different person each month, and a different person sends you one each month as well. I'm looking forward to it, and I have a feeling I may be doing a little more research about art and such. :) I don't really know a whole lot about art, I just know what I like. ;) Speaking of which....
I also didn't realize how long it had been since I posted though! I thought it had only been a few weeks, but it's almost been a month. Um...oops?
Well, what have I been doing? I'll try to keep it brief, even though recapping posts seem to be all I'm doing lately.
Oh yeah, the big thing we have been doing? Taking out the old cabinets and counter top in the kitchen and replacing them. I think I mentioned that the ice maker line leaked, so we had a soggy, moldy cabinet to replace, and it turned out to be a good deal to just replace all the cabinets. And the counter top, while we were at it. So we did that. (I say that like it was so easy...) Well, it wasn't really, really hard, but we ran into a few difficulties. They ordered the cabinets online, so Dad had to put them together, and then we had to install them, and then the two counter top pieces had to be glued together...and then installed. Putting that big piece on the counter took Dad, Mom, and myself to get it up there....and possibly Colin too, though I don't remember. And now my right shoulder hurts from that. I need to go easy on it, and do some exercises, and hopefully I didn't permanently injure it. :/
But fitting all the cabinets in took some doing. For one thing, the walls are not square, so a cabinet could be up against a wall on the bottom or top and have a big gap on the other end. And the studs are unevenly placed in some spots, or the cabinets just didn't line up with them conveniently, so we had to use toggle bolts to attach them, which meant extra drilling and work for those cabinets. But, we got it all done, and it looks very nice! (I'm afraid I don't have any finished photos yet.)
I do, however, have fireworks photos from the 4th. Or as many as I was able to take before my camera battery died. :(
Streetlight!
I also decided to participate in a monthly art postcard thing that my friend Amanda arranged. It's going to be kind of a challenge for me, because I don't do a whole lot of art on paper. The idea is that you draw/paint/whatever on a blank postcard and send one to a different person each month, and a different person sends you one each month as well. I'm looking forward to it, and I have a feeling I may be doing a little more research about art and such. :) I don't really know a whole lot about art, I just know what I like. ;) Speaking of which....
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