Clicking heels and heading home

At the end of May, Tanner flew to Cincinnati to join me on the 18 hour drive home to Texas.  I'm not sure it ever felt like I was *really* moving, even after we were driving away with a car full of my possessions.  I purposefully didn't make a HUGE deal about leaving because I was already sad about it.  My roommates and I had a little Sunday afternoon party that was a great chance to spend time with friends before moving but it all felt more like a 'see you later' than a 'goodbye forever'.  I fell hard for Cincinnati and the people that it brought into my life and I know that I'll find my way back for visits in the future!  

My snow covered home.  

I moved from Texas to California and from California to Ohio with only that which would fit into my car.  I did have some things still in San Diego with Connor which made the second trip a bit more do-able but once again I found myself with just enough overflow that I needed reinforcements in moving my possessions.  I weighed every option.  Shipping on Amtrack.  A moving Pod.  Renting a truck and pulling my car.  Burning everything and starting new.  But each of these options cost much more than I was willing to spend.  Much much more.  In the end, I left a few furniture pieces behind, shipped 5 small boxes, and stuffed every square inch of my car to make things work.  I was sad to leave the furniture behind, especially a fantastically cool headboard that was given to me as a gift (thanks Mike!!) but in the end, its just stuff and life goes on.  To ensure that everything would fit just right, I made Tanner do a 'practice pack' the day before we moved to make sure I had mailed the right amount of boxes.  He was a good sport.  And if you ever need an EXPERT packer, he's got the tetris box packing game down to a science.

I became an amateur expert in Cincy Beer offerings

The drive itself was rather uneventful, which when your car is pushing 180,000 miles is a very lovely thing.  There were lots of stops for gas, lots of pod casts, and lots of snacks consumed.  We stopped in Memphis for a late lunch/early dinner on Beale street but found it to be rather unimpressive (and a bit icky) in the harsh daylight.  I'm sure in cover of darkness, its a fun place to bar hop and listen to music when you become distracted by the glitz of the neon lights.  About 60 miles from  the Texas/Arkansas border, we found a last minute deal on a $35 hotel room for the night with the magic of technology and happily rested hour heads from the long day.  We continued on in the morning, happy that the sketchy inhabitants of the hotel did not decide to raid my car for glitter or size 9 women's shoes.  The most tedious part of the trip was hitting every small town in Texas but when we saw Buc-ees in the distance, I knew we were almost home.  I also got very excited about following a Blue Bell truck for a while because, as my out of state friends know, I have an unnatural attachment to and pride for to the best ice cream in the country.  But finally, we made it home and I was able to revel in the homey-ness with a Shiner Bock Beer on my parents back porch.

I made Tanner take this photo on our road trip.  He rolled his eyes but complied to my crazy request anyways.

I've been gone for almost three months and I still think about Cincinnati almost every day.  I had a good life there and wonderful friends to share it with.  I miss knowing all the great restaurants and bars, I miss my running group, and I miss the familiarity of my home of two years.  We're settling in to Houston slowly but I'm not sure any city will every have my heart the same way Cincy did.

The "Pig" has flown!

The alarm went off at 4:30am and I surprised myself by waking right up.  I knew I must have been excited because I didn't even hit the snooze button.  I was up, I was ready!  Just like my first day of middle school, I had set out my outfit, shoes, socks, race fuel, and water belt.  Really, I don't know why I don't do that every day, even that early, I managed to get ready and wait by the door in record time.

{I LOVED my "Feetures" socks on race day!  Not only were they neon yellow but they had some extra cushion so I barely felt any pain in my 'toe tips', something I'd been struggling with during my training!}

{This is my SUPER DUPER excited/scared face...and maybe my scary get out of my way face?)

My running partner Heather met me at my house and we rode to the race together.  We decided to park in Newport, just across the river from the race starting line.  We got free parking, it was easy to park before and leave after, and is DEFINITELY something that I suggest.  We had plenty of time to walk over, loosen up the muscles, use the restroom, and find our corral (the fenced in area where our pace group met)

The starting line!  I was starting to get even more excited at this point.  There was a bit of a slow down getting into our corral because they were checking everyone as they entered to make sure they were in the right place.  I appreciate that they were trying to keep the different paced runners apart, but it did slow things down a LOT.  With so many anxious runners, that wasn't the best idea.  This really was the only downside to the whole morning, so really, its quite minor!

Of course, Heather and I had to get a pre-race photo!  I made matching teal sequin headbands for race day to match our outfits.  Yep, even running can be sparkle fabulous.  I had multiple people ask if I would decorate my shoes with sparkles...I might just have to do that for my next race :)

 I was a little worried about the weather the week leading up to the race.  There was rain predicted and temps in the 50s which could have been much worse than it was.  Luckily, I was done with my race by the time it started really raining and getting chilly.

Overall, I am really happy with my race.  At about mile 6, Heather and I split up and I was on my own for the rest of the miles.  I loved seeing all of the posters and on lookers, the crowds were simply fantastic!  I even had a few fans along the miles and it was SUCH a huge boost to see them.

 Uh....yeah....these pictures taken by Kyle were just too hilarious not to share.  Go ahead, get a good laugh, I've earned it.  This was right before mile 12....I think I was hitting a deliriously happy point in the race.

I had my very own sign!!!  Thanks Kayla and Kyle!!!!!

 By mile 9, right when I hit the downhill portion of the race, I realized that I wasn't going to hit my "B Goal"of finishing in under 2 hours  that I set up for myself in my pre race post.  I was really disappointed at first.  I'm a bit more competitive that I like to think sometimes and not reaching a goal that I set for myself was a bummer.

And then I (figuratively) slapped myself around and decided that I was insane.

The hardest part of this whole event was that I had spent months training in below freezing temperatures running over 200 miles on my own two legs all over Cincinnati.  I had built up endurance and speed from a 9:50 pace in my last race to a 9:24 pace in this one.  Thats a huge jump!  By the time I got to the final 1/2 mile stretch (the most grueling part of the whole. entire. race. thanks to the straightaway) I was focused on pulling on every tiny bit of reserve I had left to finish as fast as I could, goal be damned.  And I did.

After 13.1 miles, around 1000 feet of elevation, and approximately a bajillion steps, I finished in 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 23 seconds.  That put me in the top 20% of my age group (and yes I know this because I did the math myself...don't judge me!) and I'm truly thrilled with it!

I just love the little flying piggy!!

Heather finished right behind me and ran a new personal best time!!  I'm SO sad that my moving will take me away from running with her.  There is so much value in having someone to run with, to push you, and I'm so grateful for her friendship.  Its oh-so fitting that the bridge behind us made the photo.  We probably ran across it over 20 times during our training runs and though it may no look like it, it has a wicked arch to it!!

I'm so proud of my growing little collection of medals.  I'm already hoping to train for another Half Marathon sometime in the next year and I've got my eye on the Houston Marathon in January....niiiiiice and FLAT :)  

Have you thought about picking up running or a competitive sport?  If you haven't done it yet, what is holding you back? Is there anything that would push you into trying?

My Very First Half Marathon: The Flying Pig in Cincinnati

I truly cannot believe that I just finished my final training run before my very first Half Marathon this weekend!  I had several friends that trained for the Flying Pig Marathon/Half Marathon last year and I was in awe of their accomplishment.  After running a 14K (almost 9 miles) in September after only a month's training (see also: not the brightest idea ever), I knew soon after that I was mentally ready to attack a 1/2 myself.

Pre Race: Lynn and I are ready to tackle the Hudepohl 14k, my longest distance ever at that point. (September 2012)

A big part of my decision to sign up for the 1/2 was my friend Lynn.  She ran it last year and she was my inspiration for running the Hudepohl 14k.  She had nothing but glowing reviews for the Bob Ronker's Training program so it was an easy choice to begin my journey with them.  Bob Ronker's is a local running store that offers coach-led training programs for all kinds of races, especially 1/2 and full marathons.  The group meets twice a week, tuesday or wednesday and saturday or sunday, and each run is mapped out and led by coaches for the different pace groups.  I found the running group was helpful for several reasons.  First, I loved that they had all of my training mapped out.  If I attended the group each week and ran once on my own, I knew I'd be ready when race day came.  Second, I greatly appreciated the coaching.  From being able to ask questions and advice to having someone to follow to keep my pace, the coaching was invaluable for this newbie runner.  Finally, I love that I feel part of the running community.  I met a wonderful running partner (shout out to Heather!!) and I knew that each time I showed up, I'd be pounding the pavement with a huge group of fellow runners who were going through the same thing.  Its such an interesting unspoken community...maybe because for most of us, we are competing against ourselves rather than each other.  I'm just as impressed with the runner who can run a 5 minute mile as I am with the run/walker who's biggest goal is to cross the finish line.

Post Race: My first medal and a time much faster than we'd dreamed of!  I felt my first runner's high, and I was hooked.

Half Marathon Training Stats:
I used an App called RunKeeper to log (most) of my runs and its SO amazing to look back and see how far I've come!

January Miles: 37.8
February Miles: 42.6
March Miles: 52.7
April Miles: 69.5

Total Miles: 205.7

The race is this Sunday in lovely (but hilly!!) Cincinnati and I can barely contain my excitement!  I've worked my butt off (literally!!) and I. CAN'T. WAIT. TO. RUN.  The first 4 miles are relatively flat with the exception of two bridges and then we hit the big up hill climb from 5-9ish.  The last few miles are mostly down hill--thank goodness!--and I'll really be able to let my legs fly to the finish.

Half Marathon Goals:
Even though this will be my first race at this distance, I've got some pretty specific goals in mind.  I'm pretty insanely competitive with myself so these are the goals I've worked out based off of my training:

Goal A: Finish
---This is sort of a gimme goal for me, but hey, its my first race, so lets go with it!!

Goal B: Finish in 2 hours (9:09/minute pace)
---I think this goal is definitely attainable but it will require a lot of concentration, reserving my energy going up the hilly middle section, and cooperative weather.

Goal C: Finish in under 2 hours
---This is icing on the cake.  I may not hit it this race, but I've already been thinking about how I want to improve my time in races in the future!


I'll be back with an update after I fly with the Pig!!

Our Venue: Welcome Hall

It didn't take long for us to decide on the reception venue for our wedding.  The choices in Brenham are  somewhat limited, especially if you are looking for a place with built in character.  I've known for a while that I wanted my wedding to be in one of the amazing old dance halls in the outskirts of town (aka the country).  We were able to secure our date at Welcome Hall, located in the community of Industry, Texas, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Welcome Singing Hall was originally located in Welcome, Texas (named for its hospitality, ya'll) but was later moved to its current location in Industry.  I assume that it was built in 1899 based off of the date over the door (duh).  This can only mean that there have been 114 years of killer dances, thousands of cans and bottles of good ol' Texas beer consumed, and a whole heck of a lot of celebrating.

About 11 miles outside of town (yes, we really do classify 'going into town'), the hall is fronted by a Farm to Market road (yes, thats really what its called) and surrounded by pasture and a few cows.  It is perfectly peaceful and quite magical and I love that we'll have such and intimate and remote setting for our celebration.

Though this hall is only 10 minutes from my childhood home, I don't have any memories of ever visiting.  This meant that the first time I saw it (after booking it almost 2 months before) was this past weekend.  We went early morning and it was a bit cloudy outside so when we walked in, the windows cast the most beautiful glow throughout the room.  I was smitten.

The green (!) shutters line both sides of the walls and we've got our fingers crossed that we'll be able to keep them open all evening at the reception to bring a bit of the outside ambience in.  One of my favorite features are the benches that line the wall.  I love to imagine the shy girls sitting along the wall waiting for the cute boy to take her hand and lead her to the dance floor.  Or the person who danced so hard they simply had to grab a cold beer and take a break before they could get out there and dance some more.  I'm a bit of a romantic...can't you tell?

Of course, what is a dance hall without a huge stage?!  I was a bit ambivalent about having a band vs a DJ early on, but I'm SO excited that we'll have a live band.  I've got high expectations for a lot of dancing....We provide the 'liquid courage' and I have no doubt that our guests will show us their best moves!

I'm also excited for the potential for the outside deck space.  A built in bar (one window for California themed drinks and one for Texas of course) and plenty of space to hang out under the stars but still be close to the action.  Perfect for the non-dancers (though there may not be many in this group!) to hang out and get some fresh air.

While there are quite a few perks to this big empty space, there are certainly some challenges we will need to get over.  First, it is a big. empty. space.  There is a TON of character in the building itself, but we certainly have a challenge in making it feel like the forest fairyland I have in my mind (yep, fairies, ya dig?).  I've got some big ideas and some very crafty family and friends so I feel confident that we will be able to make the transformation happen.  Also, unlike a ballroom or hotel, there is no venue coordinator so coordinating everything is up to us.  We will work with our caterer to determine the layout of food and tables in relation to the dance floor but I already have a to-scale map that I made so i can start moving miniature tables around.  I'm the daughter of an engineer and there is no denying the excitement I get out of that activity.  Finally, the bathrooms.  I feel like I should just warn our guests in advance.  They are...rustic, to say it kindly.  Along with the good kind of charm comes the questionable kind of charm I suppose.  I'm sure we'll add in some nice touches to make it a little more on the side of 'good charming' and hope for the best.  But, this is my official warning.

There were many reasons I wanted a Texas wedding (instead of a So-Cal wedding) and this hall is one of them.  The shell of the building is incredible and even more I can't wait to put my own style on the overall design with the help of the amazing Missy at Moosefeathers!

My mom has a great (or rather terrible) story about having to pull down children's artwork from walls and sweeping and mopping her Church Hall for her own reception just hours before the ceremony.  Do you have any wedding disaster stories to share?

God must think I'm *hilarious*

You've heard the adage...
"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans"

Well, apparently I'm pretty stinkin' hilarious.  After thinking so for over a month, we found out on Tuesday afternoon that we WON'T be moving to Austin after all.  Instead, Connor will be moving to his current company's headquarters located in Houston.  While we're a little bummed that we won't get to help keep Austin weird (that's their slogan if you didn't know!), there is no doubt that this will be a great move for us.  Rather than work from home as was the plan for Con in Austin, he'll be in a big office getting to meet people, work on different projects, and just be exposed to the company more in general.  He has a lot of respect for the way his company is run and I'm very happy that he'll be continuing his career with them.

Not wanting Connor to have all the fun, I'll be making a pretty big career shift as well.  After over 10 years in the theater, I'm looking to move to a career in event planning (among other things).  I have LOVED my time at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.  I always get comments from people who say, "what a cool job!" and in all truth, it really is.  I get to design and create every day while working with incredible artists on inspiring projects.  My co-workers are just lovely and I'm so proud of the work we do.  At the same time....there are some downsides to my job.  I work with incredibly toxic materials every day.  While I do take many precautions when using dyes, paints, and glues, there is still a level of exposure that cannot be good for my body.  I also miss working at events, something I haven't done since college.  I love the rush of making sure everything is just right, working with people in a high paced environment, and making personal connections with people every day.  I spend a lot of time sitting at my craft table in my own little world (which is nice, don't get me wrong) but I miss being out and about as well.  I think the project management aspect of working in the theater will transition nicely into Event Planning and I'm very much looking forward to where I might land next!

Our move will take place Mid-June and though I'm terribly sad to leave Cincinnati, I'm so thrilled that I'll get to put Texas license plates back on my car and be a card (or rather drivers license) carrying member of the greatest state in the Country!



Have you ever had big plans that took a 360?  Any Houstonians out there who have some advice on what to do/where to live?  Let me know in the comments!

OMG Its time to shop for wedding dresses!

One would think that with my background in Costume Design, I'd have a huge advantage in finding my wedding dress.  I'm beginning to think that is terribly wrong.  I helped a friend fit a wedding dress on her future sister in law a few days ago and I was asking the bride's advice on finding dresses.  She had some great things to say: don't judge it on the hanger, try on everything even if you don't think you'll like it, etc.  I then mentioned something about finding a dress that would fit with our reception venue and how it needed to feel like the ethereal rustic style I was going for.  She looked at me like I was a bit nuts.

via Ruffled

Apparently not EVERY bride-to-be analyzes every part of her wedding to help determine what her wedding dress should look like.  Lesson learned.  From my perspective, this wedding dress is my ultimate costume, the most influential dress I'll ever wear up until this point in my life (and, lets face it, probably ever unless Connor reveals that he's secretly a Californian Prince and we're going to live in a castle...then maybe not.)  So, now that you are all dying to know how I'll ever find a dress of such epic proportions, here's how I've STARTED the process of finding a beautiful dress (notice I didn't say THE dress...I don't believe in that only one dress in the entire world that would work business).

via Ruffled

(The dress in the first two photos are of a dress that I actually bought on ebay and tried on b/c I loved it so much!  After a weekend of shopping in big stores, we'll see how it stacks up!!)

via

Pinterest really has been my best friend in this entire process.  All of my girlfriends who got married before me are quite jealous that they didn't have access to such a wealth of inspiration and truly, I can't imagine how they designed their weddings without it.  When I started my wedding Pinterest account, I made a board for "wardrobe", dresses, veils, headpieces, shoes, and anything else I might wear in reference to the wedding.  I didn't look for a specific style of dress to pin, I just waded through pages and pages of pins.  If I liked it, I pinned it, easy as that.  The real fun part was going back and looking through all of the images.  There was definitely a theme that I didn't even realize I was attracted to!  Illusion Lace backs, long elegant lines, soft tulle, a vintage flair....I had identified all of the elements of my perfect dress without even stressing about it! 

via 100 Layer Cake

All this time, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about the elements of our wedding day and how this dress (and myself of course!!) will fit in.  A church wedding that leads into a rustic dance hall reception can be a tricky combination.  The first is classic and reverent, the second is earthy and fun!  The combination of a late fall wedding plus the use of gold in the decor PLUS my red hair/freckles/fair skin call for a warm white dress rather than a pure, cool white.  In an effort to be somewhat modest I'd really like to avoid wearing a strapless dress, though regardless of that, I am just more attracted to sleeve details anyways.  There will be a live band at the reception playing rocking music so one more thing to consider is the danceability of the dress.  Girl's gotta get her groove on.  And finally, I need a little sparkle.

So, after all that, I'm left with this list of Loves and Hates:

OMG I love:

Lace...especially beautiful back details

warm, golden white

tulle, silk, lace

one shoulder or cap sleeves

fit and flair or long and drapey silhouette

sparkle!

vintage meets contemporary

unique

Please stay away from:

strapless

bad satin

gigantic skirts

poofy mermaid silhouette

pick ups

Justin Alexander 8651

Via

I'm waiting in the airport now to fly to Houston to meet up with my mom, my future mother in law, and two local bridesmaids to try on dresses on Friday!!  Saturday and Sunday we will be in Brenham meeting with vendors and making a few more decisions about the wedding!  I'm quite blessed that I'll have both Moms there to help out, its going to be a very busy weekend!!

via 100 Layer Cake

So which one is your favorite? Any dress that you think I MUST have?  What was YOUR list of requirements when you went dress shopping?  I love hearing dress stories, please share yours below!!

Photographer Love

After my roommates came home with the most beautiful engagement photos, I have to admit that I was pretty jealous.  They were all so beautiful and I was sad that I wouldn't be able to use their photographer because I loved his style!  Alas, Pierre-olivier Photography is out of Southern California so I had little hope.

Fast forward a few weeks and a lot of research in finding my own photographer for our Texas wedding.  I was finding photographers that I loved but non in my price range.  While I FULLY believe that a stellar photographer is worth the investment, I do have a budget that I'm sticking to.  After talking with Pierre, I realized that we really could make things work with him traveling to Brenham and stay within budget, I did a happy dance!

A few weeks after our engagement, we met up with Pierre at Stone Brewery and World Bistro to take engagement photos.  I wanted a location that was unique but also represented something that Connor and I enjoy together, craft beer.  With a Texas wedding, it was important to me to represent California in a big way and Stone Beer is certainly a huge part of Souther California Beer culture.

Connor and I were both nervous but we jumped right in with private access to the actual brewery floor!! (Side note: there was an extra charge by the brewery but we all agree that it was totally worth it!  We had an employee follow us around but not bother us and we got to roam around and as long as we weren't touching stuff, it was like a playground for adults.)  After about 45 minutes in the brewery we were thirsty so of course, it was time for a beer break!  We both enjoyed hanging out with Pierre, learning more about him and his background and (hopefully) he was able to get to know us a little better as well.

(top L to bottom R) Making googly eyes in front of barrel aging beers, hanging out in an empty 18 wheeler ready to be loaded, playing with mini kegs, sneaking behind the kegs for a kiss.

We spent the next bit of time walking around the grounds of the Brewery which are in Escondido, California, just north of San Diego.  The brewery has done an amazing job of making itself a destination with a top notch restaurant and tap room, tours, and reception area.  I'm a big fan of greenery so the outdoors-y photos are some of my favorites.

Can we talk about those doors behind us?  So much pretty!!  And the little secret garden path? So sweet!!

Once again, it was time for a beer break (can you sense a trend here??) and setting up the shots for our Save the Dates!  Before coming out to San Diego, I created pint glasses with "Connor and Megan are getting married" and "November Sixteenth Twenty Thirteen" etched into them.  It is a delicate but  not difficult process but I LOVE how they turned out!  We poured our beer into the glasses and Pierre found the perfect backdrop right behind our table.  I love how the idea worked out and now we have custom glasses to commemorate the day!!

The sun finally went down and our day was nearly over but Pierre pulled out a great surprise...like any good photographer, he just happened to have a stash of sparklers with him!!  Since I was little, I've LOVED sparklers, all the pretty sparkly light without all of the big boom of regular fireworks.  We finished our session with sparkler writing and I love how they turned out.

I really couldn't have asked for a better experience and better photos.  They are unique and fun and so very 'us'!  I'm looking forward to seeing Pierre in a few months at my roommates wedding and again when he joins us in Texas in November!!!

You can see more of his work HERE!