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Friday, October 30, 2009

It's Official!!

I'm getting married in 50 days!! I guess I should actually get on the ball with planning...

Monday, October 19, 2009

Harvest of Friends Blog Party



Lynnette, over at Dancing Barfoot on Weathered Ground had this great idea for a blog party so that we could get to know other bloggers, and if you know me, you should know that I'm all about parties of any kind (yes, even virtual ones!)

I'll use the list of questions that she posted, but feel free to look around my blog or even email me if you want to get to know me even more. Enjoy! (And please, let me know where you're blogging at so that I can visit you too!)

20 Weird Questions That Will Give a Little Insight Into Who You Are (Pick whichever ones you want to use , use all of them - or make up your own)

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?
I generally type blog posts on my Blackberry while I'm on the go, so I rarely get to relax and eat while I write (I'm sure my fellow Subway riders appreciate it!)

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?
My blackberry and the internet. I've become so attached that it's crazy. My phone is rarely far from me and when people discuss things that I'm interested in learning more about, I either Google it immediately, or make a note in my task list to look it up.

3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?
Warm, sunny beachhouse for me! In my mind, mountains = cold and farm almost made me break out in hives because of the very IDEA of work!

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?
Ummm, did you read my last answer? I REALLY don't like chores... If I HAD to chose one as my least favorite though, it would be sweeping/mopping. I never feel that I can get those jobs right.

5. Who do people say you remind them of?
I'm always hearing how 'cute' I am (like the ways puppies and teddy bears are cute, NOT like HOT GUYS looking across the room and saying, "Who's that? She's cute," but nobody ever compares my look to anyone except to say, "Wow, you look exactly like Al," (my dad)

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam?
Both! I love going out to dance at clubs and lounges, but I also like Board Games at home

7. What's your all time favorite movie?
There are a few: Finding Nemo (made me wanna be a fish!), Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale (both made me want to marry Italian Mafia guys), and the documentary "Yo Soy Boricua: Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas!" (made me start doing research on my Puerto Rican background.)

8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?
I don't wear make-up everyday, but if I go clubbing I will and usually I get home so tired that I just crash with it still on. **I want to get out of this habit sooner than later since I'll be married soon and I'm pretty sure That Dude DOESN'T want to make up next to the crazy raccoon/spiderweb eyed woman!

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?
I've always wanted to learn to play the violin. Maybe someday I will.

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?
Balancing on a moving subway. Years in the MTA have taught me well!

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?
My (almost) husband *That Dude* "seduced" me with his love of the Lord and his sense of humor.

12. What is something you love to smell?
Citrus fruits

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.
I'm ALWAYS late!

14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it?
Buy whatever I've been putting off on the longest

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?
I can be a bit of both, depending on the situation. I usually laugh hardest at jokes that hit home with some truth. Kids unknowingly saying things that are a bit socially awkward are HILARIOUS to me!

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?
The WORLD… WIDE… WEB… (In the big booming God voice)

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?
Blog, read, hug That Dude, play with My Nene

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?
Usually pretty frugal

19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real)
Karen Hill from Goodfellas or Baby from Dirty Dancing

20. Would you want to be famous?
Yes, but not for singing or dancing, for doing something great, like starting my school for inner city kids someday.



Thursday, October 15, 2009

Pomp and Circumstance

How important is the traditional wedding reception? How much does it matter to the guests?

That Dude and I are playing with some ideas. We are thinking about making our wedding 'reception' a combination of the following ideas:

-Go out to a restaurant and everyone cover their own meal
-Asking to use the space at my church to host something small like appetizers only (similar to the way that our Pastor and his wife did, but probably even less extravagant)
-Asking someone with a nice house if we can just have a nice simple house party
-Ipod as our DJ
-Possibility of cutting favors from the budget
-Doing it on a weeknight (probably a Thursday)
-Hiring a student photographer
-Cutting the guestlist
-Me getting a less expensive dress (the two that I fell in love with are $600 and $800)


These are just some of our ideas and we can use some or none of them. I just need some advice.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Wedding Inspiration

Ok, I didn't take pics (cuz I'm silly that way) but I really did have a blast at the wedding of my two good friends Tiffany and Ramon on Friday. They were simply one of the happiest couples I've seen in awhile and it even got That Dude into a lovey dovey mood!



The ceremony took place at a local outdoor community garden (these things are pretty common in the Lower East Side) and was followed by a brunch reception was at a local restaurant.



Luckily (I think) for the couple, her fam is concentrated in sunny Georgia and his family is "across the pond" in South Africa! They still had the "mushrooming guestlist" issue come up at some point (she's on staff at the church we attend and he's in the church band, so how do you decide who to invite?) but it never reached the numbers that my list has, therefore I'm unsympathetic! *Just kidding guys!*



All in all, I walked away with some great ideas, lots of reminders that I can have something beautiful WITHOUT going bankrupt, and a promise from That Dude to consider *Chris of Threshold Visions* as our wedding photographer (it's one of the few times I've been ridiculously excited about a vendor and I think he wants to keep me grounded in case we can't afford him.)



I'm glad to have shared this special day with them and I look forward to getting lots of newlywed advice from them! Mr. and Mrs. De Bruyn, I love you guys and wish you many years of marital bliss!




Meeting More Family

This weekend I had the opportunity to meet That Dude's paternal aunt and a few of his cousins. As usual, I worried myself way too much for absolutely no reason at all!

It was also a great opportunity for me to see him interacting with more kids and a great reminder that he really does love children and will be a great father someday!