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!

{distracted} is an understatement

To say that I have been distracted from life around me the past 2 months is a bit of an understatement.  The weeks before Connor proposed, I actually lamented to him that I was a bit bored.  I had run out of 'projects'...and if you know me well, you will know that I always have a few projects in the queue waiting to be completed.  After the proposal though, life went to 125 speeding miles per hour: a wind in my hair, bugs in my teeth, don't even bother stepping on the brakes kind of speed.  All of a sudden, life was all about wedding planning!!  Which was really perfect because this was the ultimate project for me...crafts, organizing, researching, creating, and food!  Woo hoo!!  And my super mom and I jumped right in.  Within 3 weeks we had the church, the hall, caterer, florist, theme, photographer, and honeymoon set.  And its *possible* that I had a secret Pinterest account (this was before they created secret boards!) that was all things wedding that might have helped out a bit with the vision.  After all of that came Engagement Photos in San Diego less than a month after our engagement since I already had a trip planned to see Connor.  And then the photos were done so I was able to design our Save the Dates.  And they were printed really fast so I was able to address and stamp them all tonight.  In two weeks I'll head to Texas where I'll meet up with my mom and future mother in law to dress shop, meet with the caterer, florist Missy, and see the hall.

A huge part of me wishes the wedding was in 2 months instead of 7 months...we are both just ready to get the show on the road.

Of course, in the midst of all of the wedding excitement, Connor and I find out that we will be moving back home to Texas!  This is hugely exciting as I'll be close to my family again for the first time in almost 7 years.  This is hugely terrifying because I'll be changing careers in order to make the move and we'll have very little time to apartment hunt in a brand new city before we make the move.  Jokes on me for complaining about being bored!

Oh, and lets not forget that on top of my regular job, I'm co-designing costumes for a production of Go Dog, Go! at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.  Its SUCH a fun show and I've loved working with my co-designer but the timing laughable.  I had no idea when I accepted the job last summer that all of this would be happening simultaneously.  Hilarious, really.

And finally, to top it all of with a nice juicy cherry, I'm in the final month of training for the Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon!!  This little training adventure has been such a great experience for me.  Each week that we run a longer distance is just so exciting, to see my pace drop as the miles increase.  I'm shooting for a 9 minute/mile pace (but hoping for a bit faster).  I run once on my own and twice with a running group coordinated by a local Running Equipment Store.  The group runs are pre-planned so I just get to show up and run with  my pace group.  This is my third 9+ mile race but the first one that I'll be truly trained for thanks to the running group.

I will be leaving Cincinnati in late May and Connor will be following behind in mid June.  I'm going to be terribly sad to leave Ohio (words I NEVER thought I'd utter) and I know Connor feels the same way about San Diego.  The one thing getting me through the next 2 months being away from my fiance and facing all of these distractions is knowing that this next move finally brings Connor and I together.  Forever.  foooorrrrreeevvvvvveeerrrr.

Can't. Wait.

Have you ever 'accidentally' overbooked yourself?  Am I insane for running a half marathon in hilly Cincinnati?  Do you have a magic way to move myself and my possessions to Texas for me?  Leave me a comment and let me know!!!

Registry Race Results

When we originally planned my end of February trip to San Diego, it was to be centered around a nice relaxing camping trip and time with a few friends.  Once the engagement happened, there was suddenly a great need to get as many items crossed off the list as possible while we were in the same city!  And, let me tell you, there was a huge list of things to do.  Connor was SUCH a trooper and we ran all over San Diego (I think we drove over 200 miles in 3 days) completing our tasks.  One of the biggest things I hoped to get done was working on our registry.  I knew that the next time we'd be in the same city long enough to do this would be way too close to the wedding so it was crucial--at least to my wedding planner brain.

Connor and I really are building our home from nothing, unless you count our mismatched college hand-me-down dishes and Ikea pan, so registering was a bit overwhelming at first.  Neither of us has ever furnished an entire home, always using second (or third) hand housewares or living in a furnished home.  Not knowing where we even wanted to register, and hoping to keep it to three locations, we did a walk through of Macy's, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Crate and Barrel, Macy's, and Sears before we narrowed it down to the first three.

I knew Connor would love the clean modern aesthetic of Crate and Barrel so we started there.  Sure enough, he fell in love with a fun set of white square shaped plates and we were on our way!  He informed me that any food looks fancy if its on a square plate and, well, who am I to argue?  As you can see he was a big fan of the scan gun.  I did manage to scan a few things but I left most of the fun to him.

This is a man with a plan

We also successfully "finished" registries at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond which was a huge weight off my mind.  We had a bit of a 'scan now, think later' sort of attitude because of our time crunch.  It was quite handy to go back to the websites and make changes after we had time to think things through.   Target was the only store with an actual 'gun' (major criteria for Connor) but beyond that, all three locations were accommodating, easy to use, and fun.

Registry Race Results According to Megan:

Oddest thing on registry: Rice Cooker.  Connor has lived in a house with one for years and his life won't be complete unless he has one.  My mom looked over the registry and made a comment that there was something that she thought sort of odd but did not say it by name.  I knew it was this.  Later on she mentioned the rice cooker and I had to laugh.  Yes, its odd, but I is His biggest 'want' so I couldn't say no.

Most difficult item to choose: Bedding. We both have such different tastes when it comes to...everything...but this was extra tricky.  He likes neutrals and no pattern.  She likes color, prints, and texture. Went with a nice textured charcoal duvet that we can accent later with other (fun loud) colors and prints.  A nice compromise I think.

Most excited about: KitchenAid Mixer in Cobalt.  I've been the baker in the family since I can remember and I always coveted my mom's stand mixer.  Though Connor was nudging me towards a 50s Sky Blue color, in then end I've settled on a nice Cobalt that makes me smile every time I think about it.

What a beaut'

Longest Analyzation: Who knew coffee makers were so complicated?!  We are very casual coffee drinkers though I very much enjoy tea daily and coffee on the weekends.  We chose a Keurig model but it took us about 20 minutes of comparing to come to that conclusion.  

I have to say, overall, we had a really great experience.  It would have been nice to spread it all out over a few weeks, but I'm so glad we got to do it together.  There was lots of high fiving when we agreed on something and a bit of lobbying when we didn't.  

If we can live our lives high-fiving (and sometimes lobbying) I think we'll be alright.

Did you register for any crazy items?  Did you even register? Who started this tradition anyways (though I feel like I should give THEM a high five)?  How many times a week will Connor cook rice?

Whirlwind trip #1

When I moved to Ohio 1 1/2 years ago, I know there would be sacrifices. A long distance relationship is more than just missing your significant other, it means a lot of flying back and forth between cities. Lucky for me, that means I get to visit San Diego several times a year! I'm in the airport now, tapping away this post on my phone excited about seeing my fiancé (won't ever get tired of saying that!) in 7 hours. 7 hours seems like nothing compared to 7 days or 7 weekends so I'm very excited about this.

Before the engagement, this weekend was going to be a camping trip in the mountains and lots of relaxing. Now it is all about engagement photos, celebrating with family and friends, and registering!!! I we may be apart until early June so it is important to get these things done now (according to the bazillions of to-do lists found on the internets)

So, we'd love your help!! Married or just a professional wedding guest, tell me your dos, don'ts, loves, hates, advice and suggestions about wedding registry. Favorite stores, best value, most used and never taken out of the box items are all welcome. Come on...you know you want to give your opinion!!!

Thanks friends!!
See you soon, San Diego!!

Setting the date

After being together for 4 1/2 years, Connor and I had often talked about getting married.  He knew I didn't want a terribly long engagement partly because I am just ready to marry him and partly because I knew with too much time to plan the wedding, I'd go a bit crazy.

At dinner the night of the proposal, I cautiously brought up the question of when we might want to get married.  I wasn't sure that he'd go along with my moderately short engagement plan so I wanted to be careful...no reason to rock the boat 2 hours into the big night!  Luckily he told me that he assumed it would be this fall sometime, to my relief.  Because I knew the proposal was coming, I happened to take a peek at the Texas A&M Football schedule so see what we might be contending with in Brenham.

For those of you hiding under a rock, in the last year Football at A&M has become a thing.  A REALLY BIG thing.  So much of a big thing that I know many people who attend every game, who tailgate with the best of them, and who would not be pleased to miss a home game in what should be one of the biggest seasons ever.  My hometown of Brenham is about 50 miles from College Station where I attended Texas A&M from 2003-2007.  Because of the MASSIVE influx of visitors for the game, hotels in Brenham often get booked up on game weekends since it is a relatively easy drive.  For those two reasons I knew we had to pick a weekend that did not conflict with a Home game.

This left:
September 28...too soon.
October 12...I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding in San Diego that weekend.
November 2...a home game but its against UTEP...the game most Aggies would possibly give up but alas, its the opening weekend of hunting season and my Dad put a stop to that.
November 23...away vs. LSU, I'd have a watch party instead of a wedding.
Then we are getting close to December and I didn't even want to mess with that.

So that left November 16, 2013.  Its a bye week for Fightin' Texas Aggie Football.  A match made in heaven.

That leaves us with 8 1/2 months, not too short, not too long, I think it will be just right!



Did you have drama trying to save the date for you wedding?  Or did you just have a huddle of groomsmen in the back corner listening to their respective sporting event?

The Proposal

The big night came and went and I've been an engaged girl for 11 days....its still fun and I'm still smiling like a big ol' goof when I look down at the beautiful ring on my hand.  I'm getting ahead of myself, though, so I'll start from the beginning.

If you haven't yet...I highly suggest starting with the first three parts of the epic proposal saga:
Part 1: An OOPS of Epic proportions
Part 2:  When life gives you lemons...go shopping
Part 3:  T-24 Hours

Thursday, February 7th was the longest day EVER.  I was waking up early all week (I have no idea why, ha!) and Thursday was no different.  I knew I had a full day of work to get through before the big event so I purposefully planned to have a project that would take me the whole day and would keep me focused and zen! It worked, the day flew by, and before I knew it, I was getting ready!  I was originally supposed to be ready by 6 but (as I later found out) Connor's plane was delayed in Chicago so that was pushed back until after 7.  Of course I was ready by about 5:30 so there was lots of pacing and thinking and re-touching.  Finally Erin said it was time to go so with a leg warmer as a blindfold, off we went to the top secret location!

Erin managed to throw me off on our way to the location but once we started driving up some big hills, I was pretty sure I knew where we were!  The BEAUTIFUL Alms Park in Cincinnati.  It was dark by the time I arrived but I've included two photos of what it looks like in the daylight.

This is the place he was waiting for me.  The compass rose was surrounded by candles and rose petals. Facing the other way is a beautiful view of the Ohio river and downtown in the background which sparkled in the dark.

A view from above...the lower area is where it all happened!

I have visited this park several times and Connor and I actually visited here the last time he was in Cincinnati.  We even stood in the spot where the proposal took place.  Its lovely any time of year and I'll happily visit again!

It was so wonderful to see Connor in front of me when the blindfold was taken off.  Being in a long distance relationship with him makes every time I see him incredibly special, this night especially.  I sort of expected him to start talking (I mean, this was his deal after all!) but there was definitely a minute of awkward small talk that still makes me laugh a little bit.  I was thinking, "Uh...I think this is where you say nice stuff" and finally he started in on a very sweet little speech.  I don't remember much of it but I'm pretty sure he called me the "Apple of his eye" which is great because he has beautiful blue eyes.  He got down on one knee, said my full name, and asked me to be his wife.  I think I might have had a tear in my eye but I really just had a huge smile on my face.  Of course it was dark when he opened the ring box so he ran over and grabbed his phone to shine a light on it.

THAT was the moment I got emotional.  Connor took everything I had ever said about what I would love in a ring and presented me with the most beautiful ring I had ever laid my eyes on.  He listened.  He worked (really) hard to make sure it would be something that I would love (and I do!).  I'm proud to wear it because it is beautiful but I'm even more proud because it means that I get to marry my best friend!!!!  Still love saying it!


The ring gets a whole post to itself but I've had lots of requests for this, so here it is!!

After the proposal, Connor pulled out his computer and started showing me a video that he had put together.  Remember that Facebook message I mistakenly got?  It was a request for pictures and videos to share with me after the big event.  We got through the first five minutes of it when his computer had a hiccup and he announced that we had dinner plans and needed to go! (Sidenote: we did finally finish the video the next morning and it was really incredible to watch 20 minutes of the most important people in my life congratulating us on our engagement.)

We called my parents on the way to dinner and I think my mom was as excited that the proposal happened as she was that she didn't have to keep it a secret any longer.  We were headed to Metropole at the 21C Hotel in Cincinnati for dinner and to stay there for the night.  Dinner was really lovely.  Our food was fantastic and we had a sweet little table for two.  It was so fun to hear about his side of the story, learn about the ring, his asking my parents (which he did on December 28th, my birthday, when we were in Texas), and start talking about when we wanted to get married.

Just after I commented on how lovely it was that we were having such a nice, leisurely dinner, he looked down and realized that we were going to be late for the final event of the evening.

To finish off the night, Connor walked me to Igby's, a new bar around the corner.  When we walked in,  we had 15 of my wonderful friends waiting to celebrate our engagement with us!  It was a really wonderful way to end the night!  (Thanks everyone for joining us!!)

The rest of the weekend was filled with staring at my hand, giggling over calling each other 'fiance', phoning family and friends, posting to Facebook to make it officially official, and smiling from ear to ear.  My wonderful roommates gave us a bottle of champagne and a wedding magazine (that was for me, though Connor got a good laugh by looking through it!) so we got to toast to our future before my fiance had to head back to California.

We have already begun the fun of planning our wedding and I plan on sharing much of the adventure on the blog!  I'm living in Ohio, Connor is in California, and we're planning our wedding in Texas so having something to share with friends and family across the country is important to me.  I'm even hoping that Connor will be making an appearance with some posts as he's a fantastic writer and I think the male's perspective would be an interesting addition to a typical wedding blog.

T-24 Hours!!

Part 1: An OOPS of Epic Proportions
Part 2: When life gives you lemons...go shopping

Part 3 of this little proposal saga:

My dress is steamed, my nails are polished and glittery, and my bag will soon be packed (because I was informed tonight that I needed an overnight bag!! Eeek!!).  The last week has both flown by and taken an eternity all at the same time.  I still have a day of work to get through but with a belated birthday lunch with my coworkers and some quiet time painting fabric, I have high hopes that the day will go quickly.  As of now, after work I'll come home, get in an easy run (and hopefully blow off some steam!) and get all gussied up.  My roommate asked me if I'd be ok wearing a blindfold in the car which means I'm being taken to a secret location for the big event.  I still have no idea where we'll be going, and really, I don't even care.  I can't wait to see Connor's face, to hug him, to see the beginning of the rest of our lives together unfold.  Apparently, since the great mishap, there have been many changes of plans between Connor and my amazing roommates.  I'm really looking forward to all of the behind the scenes stories, I know they've all worked really hard to make this weekend special for Connor and I.  How lucky am I?!

I've gotten 6 love letters from Connor and I've been told to expect one more tonight, the final installment.  Each has been more adorable and thoughtful than the last.  He told me that the letters came about as a way to make up for the surprise being ruined.  I must admit: now that this is the way things played out, I couldn't be happier.  I will cherish these letters forever, and to think, they almost never were.  I'm also really excited that I get to truly appreciate the events that will transpire this weekend.  Yes, I know that a proposal is coming, Con won't get that shocked look that he was expecting with the previous plan.  But I'll be present in the moment.  (Hopefully) I'll be able to remember each moment and hold it close to my heart.  I've never much liked not knowing what is going on, but with this situation, I know just enough to trust Connor and my roommates and to go with the flow and have fun!

I keep wondering what my reaction will be.  Just thinking about the idea of it makes me get a little teary.  I don't want to try to figure out how its all going to happen, I trust that its in great hands.  Its pretty possible that I'll cry.  I'll definitely laugh, thats for sure.  Will I say a simple "yes" or just nod?  Or play it cool with a "eh, sure"? Or maybe go big and let loose a "HELL YEAH".  Right now, Inner Megan is letting out intermittent squeals of excitement so maybe it will just be an "EEEEEeeeeeeek!"  Whatever comes out of my mouth, in my heart it will be "yes my love, forever".

And the ring...I'm SO curious to see what he picked out.  He knows very well that I have pretty strong feelings towards a modern meets vintage style.  Our personal styles are quite different.  I'm a vintage/eclectic fan and he's all about the clean and modern.  I think there is a place for them to meet and I'm sure he'll find it.  We first looked at rings online in the Fall of 2011.  We looked in stores Spring 2012.  I found only one that I liked but after about 6 months I got a bit cold on it deciding that it just wasn't quite right.  Per his request, I made a secret Pinterest account so I could pin some ring images I really liked to share with him.  There was definitely a theme of leaf motifs and (what I call) a football shape and an oval diamond.  A unique vintage feel but clean and modern, hopefully timeless.  In mid-December I showed him a photo of a beautiful ring with an oval diamond with a leaf motif on the sides.  I told him that its exactly what I wanted.  That specific ring was even custom made in San Diego!  I have no idea where he was in the planning stage of all of this and now I only hope I didn't give him a heart attack a month and a half ago.

I guess this time tomorrow I'll know all of these mysterious questions.  The one thing I do know right now: I'm desperately in love with the man of my dreams and I cannot wait to be his forever.

When life gives you lemons, go shopping

Part 1: An OOPS of Epic Proportions

Wednesday January 30th was the great spilling of the beans.

By Thursday I decided that I needed to work the system and use this new knowledge to my advantage.  Life had given me some big sour lemons and I was determined to make cocktail with 'em. I just *happened* to be going to the mall with my roommate/bride to be Erin to pick out my bridesmaids dress for her wedding so we decided to take a look around and see what else we might find since we both have events coming up that would benefit from some cute outfits.  And lets face it, after a icy and cold winter, we were looking forward to something that reminded us that the trees would bloom again and we would be seeing flowers soon.

Our target was Francesca's.  If you've never been to one of these stores, I HIGLY recommend it!  I compared it to a poor girl's Anthropologie with a little less hippie/boho vibe. I've been a fan for a while, picking up some of my most interesting wardrobe pieces there.  They also have fabulous jewelry, purses, and great girlie gifties.  Erin found a darling sleeveless white lace dress that is gathered at the waist with a black ribbon.  We have had fun coming up with ideas to style it different for tons of different events and I think she'll get a lot of wear out of it!  I tried on several dresses but the one I chose was the first one that I picked up and loved from the beginning.  A cream or white dress felt appropriate for the occasion (and something that I'll be able to wear again in the coming months) and I love the embellished collar.  Since it will be cold, I plan on styling it like this:

Meanz from A Koi Story models the Chrysler Brocade Dress from Francescas

I'll probably wear a black blazer with the dress instead of the cardigan to add a little more contrast and edge.  I've got solid black tights as well as some fun lace/fish nets that I'm deciding between.  Also, the dress is a bit shorter on me so it is cute but appropriate for a 28 year old.  During our shopping extravaganza, I also picked up some new black pumps replacing my 7 year old previous pair. It was time and this was my excuse.  I'm so thrilled with my finds and I think the outfit is going to end up looking really beautiful, classic, and timeless.

I have to say that overall, I'm still feeling quite calm about the situation.  Since there would have been a whole avalanche of surprises, I'm quite sure I would have been very overwhelmed.  Surprise visit and an engagement is a whole heap of excitement.  Because of the turn of events, I now have the opportunity to savor the anticipation, to reflect on our relationship, and to mentally prepare myself for the beginning of a crazy new chapter in our lives.  I have a very unique opportunity to take everything in and remember every moment...at least long enough to get it written down.  

My dear boyfriend is not normally a mushy kind of guy.  For sure, he lets me know how much he cares about me, but its never in grand gestures.  I must begin to give him more credit though.  For the past two nights, he's written me the most wonderful love letters.  Each begins with the number of sleeps until I get to see him ('sleeps' being our counting system until we are reunited).  As far as I can tell, there is a theme for each one and even some of his favorite photos included.  Two nights in (7 sleeps and 6 sleeps) and he's gotten me crying each time.  I can already tell these are letters that I will cherish and I am crossing my fingers and toes that I'll be lucky enough to get one each of the remaining nights until Thursday.

I officially have next friday off from work so we'll have the opportunity to spend the day together which is absolutely thrilling.  Its been just over a month since I've seen him and while going two months without a visit is our usual schedule, I've been having quite a hard time being away from him since our week together at Christmas.  What can I say, i'm smitten with this man and I hate being so far away.  I'll get to see him again in California in early March which will make our inevitable goodbye a tiny bit easier.