Jr. Bridesmaid Dresses

Dress Blues

I took my dress to the seamstress and there isn't enough seam allowance to have it altered so now I have to wait until November 21st to get a new dress. I am so bummed right now that I don't really feel like posting, but I figured I should give a quick update at least.

Etsy Shop

I am toying with the idea of opening my etsy shop. I have enough necklaces made to last me a few weeks and generate enough revenue to make more necklaces with but I am hesitant. The grand opening of the shop is the one time I can hound my friends, family and random acquaintances that I haven't seen in years to check it out. I want to have enough jewelry on there that they want to come back without being reminded. Logically it would be best to wait until after the gem show on November 12th so I have a large stock to make necklaces out of. My friend that taught me the basics keeps over 100 at all times. I have about 10-15 depending if I want to even list the first ones that I made (which I don't because they have some imperfections due to inexperience).

The main reason to open now is the holidays. If I wait to long after the gem show people will already have done their Christmas shopping.

Some Inspiration Boards

Light Apps.
Veggie Tray
Cheese Tray
Fruit Tray
Pin Wheel Sandwiches

Heavy Apps.
Stuffed Shells
Buffalo Chicken bites
Stuffed Mushrooms
BBQ Meat Skewers
Pair walnut and Gorgonzola mini pizza

Soups
Crusty Bread with Heart Shaped Butter
Potato Soup
Italian Wedding Soup

Salads
Walnut, Feta Cheese, and Cranberry Salad
Traditional Italian Salad

Desserts
Wedding Cake
Cheese Cake
Edit: **Banana Pudding**

MY SHOES!!!!

Before and After.

I have been in a funk. The dress is needing let out, Roger has yet to ask his brother to be best man, the invites are still unsent. I just need a break from the whole wedding thing. So I dyed my hair. It was supposed to be a temporary dye that I will cover for the wedding but now I think I will keep it. I have given in on so many things that I can't control about the wedding I should be able to have my hair how I damn well please. So without farther ado- My  hair.

BEFORE-

Right after getting it cut/colored.

Why you don't take pictures after staying up all night.

Showing off the roots here.

AFTER-

I got my invites in!!!

I am so excited! They look great! I have to address them and send them all out Monday because I am such a procrastinator but its worth it. The pics aren't the best but here you go.

 

And now on a completely unrelated note I am considering dying my hair again. I guess I like it blond (everyone says I look good blond) but I hate the upkeep. I think for autumn a darker shade would look better. I had it a dark red when I met Roger and I think that would be a good choice to go back too. 

I was so cute back then. I was skinny (well skinnier) and had a cute-punk style back then. I also promised to leave my eyebrow ring out until the wedding and that is really getting old too.

I keep hearing "you don't want to look back on my wedding photos 20 years from now and say 'damn I looked like a dork' in retrospect" I would rather look back then and laugh at myself than regret that I looked nothing like who I am. 

VistaPrint Deals!

I went to this site and ended up getting a lot of great stuff for my sister's moh gift, and my invites. Vistaprint has a lot of great deals and some things you can get free. I got my first invites already and I loved them. I got a great deal on my new (corrected) invites. I loved them. They don't have as many options as some stores, but I highly reccomend Vistaprint  to anyone that wants great looking invites for a decent cost. With all the codes I got my invites and 3 gifts for my sister for less than $30.00 after shipping. Walmart do it yourself invites aren't that cheap even! I can't wait until I get my new ones so I can upload them.

Somedays I Wish We Didn't Have That Second Bedroom.

Roger has been home for one hour. What has he done in this time? He came inside, complained about the dishes not being done (I refuse to run less than half a load), took off his work clothes, and for 59 minutes of that hour he has been playing guitar. I shouldn't be surprised. Playing guitar is how he unwinds. Also he has to practice every Friday so that he sounds good for practice on Saturday.

I guess I am just annoyed because we haven't had any us time recently. Our "date night" last night was ruined by him never setting his computer down the whole time. I would be fine with it if he was doing work stuff (which he says he has to skip church to go in and work on tomorrow) but he was just looking at guitar pickups the whole time. I just want one night for him to come home, watch tv, eat dinner, and talk to me about his day before he runs off to his room all night. It really shouldn't be too much to ask for.

I know some of you are wondering why I don't just go in the second bedroom and watch him practice. Well apparently my presence messes him up, so he shoos me out of there. Yet he is fine with the guys and I at practice on Saturdays.

Date night

Roger has been busy with work all week so I decided to make him a nice dinner and watch Sweeny Todd. Roger borrowed Sweeny Todd from one of his friends yesterday and didn't have time to watch it last night. I spent 4 hours trying to make pasta sauce. It was really good. We had fettuccine with tomato sauce and cheesy bread. It was really good. I don't think Roger get Sweeny Todd though. It would help if he was paying attention though. He is spending out date night on the computer. Oh well boys will be boys. I love the movie though. I promised I wouldn't sing along if we watched it but I might have to break the promise though. A Little Priest is coming up and I don't know if I can resist it is one of my favorite songs. Hopefully Roger stops monkeying on his computer soon so I can finish the date well ;)

*Facepalm* Well there goes $50!

I got a call from my grandma that she didn't actually check the date before telling me that the 18th is open. Well surprise! its not. So I am moving the date to the 19th (Sunday) and having to reprint my invites with the correct date on it. I am trying not to upset but I really wanted it on a Saturday night. Oh well I will live. Its only $50 but still I can deal with it.

My Invites!

I have to get going on the invitations since I pushed the wedding up so much. Here is what I came up with on VistaPrint.com They fit well with the theme and are cheap, which where my two main criteria.

Whooping Cough and Santa Clause

I know you are all (yes, all 4 followers) wondering what I am smoking right now. How on earth does on get from whooping cough to St. Nick? Well apart from being ADHD there is a reason.

You all know about my sister coming to my elopement right? Well she has whooping cough and cannot come. Sis offered to pay for mom or dad to come out instead but honestly they aren't even close to healthy enough to travel. I was crying today because I wanted someone there. I mean its a wedding for Pete's sake!

So I was talking to my mom and sister and I decided that I wanted to just fly out to Missouri to have the wedding. It will be just the immediate family but it will be nice. I get to have all the people I love there as I declare my devotion to the man that God has given me as my husband. It may not be fancy (no chair covers even) but it has all the things that really matter.

I obviously couldn't pull off a wedding in 3 weeks (plus giving your guests less than a month's notice is considered rude) so I asked Roger when would be good for him. (After he agreed to all of this of course) and he said December would be best since he has to get time off work. I then called my sister/ Maid of Honor and asked when her winter break starts. It is the 18 so that is when the wedding will be.

As for the Santa Clause part? Well if you are bad at math the 18th is one week before Christmas. To my family Christmas is a holiday celebrated from the week after Thanksgiving to New Years Eve. As soon as my sister learned the date she started making plans to have a Christmas tree there and the whole nine yards. Roger said she can do that if she dresses up as Santa. She seriously considered it. Only one of my family members would seriously consider wearing a fake beard and Santa suit to a wedding. I just hope that my sister doesn't talk to my mom before I get ahold of her tomorrow. If my mom and sister get together on this Christmas theme I will have a gingerbread house as a wedding cake and our first dance will be Frosty the Snowman.

I am sure those from Wedding Wire reading this are screaming "Its your wedding just tell them no!" at your computer screens right now. You don't know my mom. Our tree has more decorations than the one in Madison Square Gardens. She has not one Christmas village but 2.

Christmas is the time that no matter how bad things in life is Mom just puts on Its a Wonderful Life and signs carols until she is blue in the face. I admire that about her. There where years when we where broke. There where years that my father was near death. It didn't matter. Christmas was always a time to celebrate whatever we did have. Hmm, I guess that is kinda what I am doing with my wedding too. There will still be no Santa.

My Venue

I went to look at my venue this weekend. It is the Littleton Memorial Rose Garden. It is beautiful. There is a little Gazebo and rows and rows of roses. I love it. I cannot wait until Roger gets paid and I can give my officiant the down payment. I cannot believe I have less than a month less until I am Tara Kline!

 

Wedding Update

I am going back to my idea for claret, black and white for my wedding colors. I think it looks classic. I liked the fall theme but there where just too many colors. I think the claret, white and black is romantic. I have a year to figure it all out though.

As for the officiant for the elopement, I haven't heard anything. Its really annoying. I even talked to some more. I might just book the one in Loveland. That's the one that is $225 and is over an hour away. I just want to get married.

The Last One

I told you about my search for officiants and if the officiant that I emailed today doesn't respond, I officially give up on finding an officiant. I refuse to spend over $300 and drive 2 hours to have someone spend 12 minutes officiating our wedding. I am not being sarcastic that is what the going rate/time for elopements in Colorado. I found a few officiants closer (one in Littleton even) but they don't have chapels. I am not paying $100 and then still not having a location to get married at. Its asinine. There is one officiant that is right down the street and has a location for $149. I am putting all my eggs in this basket as of now.

I almost want to just get the marriage license and solemnize it myself. Yes I can do that. Since 1993 Colorado has allowed couples to sign the marriage license themselves instead of having a ceremony. It can be done immediately after getting the license and turn it in right then and there and be married in less than a minute.
It is horribly unromantic and I would never want to get married like this but I am having my wedding in a year. I need to be on Roger's insurance and it doesn't really matter if its romantic or not does it? I will have my big white wedding and get to wear my pretty dress and all of those things I have dreamed of since I was 5. I do wish I could have that now but I want to married  more than I want those unimportant niceties.

I give them until Tuesday. Two business days should be plenty of time to read my email and respond if they have any dates open. Though by the lack of responses from some officiants two weeks isn't enough time.

My Last Will and Testament .

I bequeath all of my plushies to my sister.
I bequeath my nail polish collection to be divided equally between Courtney and Jenna.
My bun-bun I bequeath to my Aunt Bink who made him originally.
To Roger, I love you and bequeath whatever else that I have of any worth.

I made this will in case I die in the forest fire in Boulder. I shouldn't joke about such things. 8 people are reported missing (though that's what you get when you ignore a mandatory evacuation order) and 92 buildings have been destroyed. Its officially a national disaster today. Its not the fire that I find funny. Its that my grandma called me in a panic after watching the news today. She heard that there was a fire in Colorado so she assumed that I was one of those 8 people missing. I love my Gma to death but if worrying where an Olympic sport she would put  Michael Phelps to shame. I live over an hour away from Boulder. There is more of a possibility of a meteor to crash down and kill me than the fire to spread from Boulder to here.

The Vag-ductor.

For those that didn't read the Rabbit Food and Spandex post I am attempting to lose 19 years worth of excess fat in a month (or at least as much as I can). In efforts to do so I have started going to the dreaded gym again. I don't know why I hate going so much. I like working out once I get there, and the hot tub is awesome- so I really can't pinpoint my distaste for it.

Anyways, Roger and I went yesterday and I will head back as soon as I am finished with this post (got to give the ipod a chance to recharge).

So the gym has this machine called the hip-abductor. I am sure that people that go to gyms regularly would know what it is but since none of my family falls into that category here you go. It looks like a harmless enough piece of workout equipment doesn't it? Its all a ploy though.  Maybe I a doing it wrong, but the "hip abductor" didn't work my hips at all. I was discussing this with Roger and decided that a more honest name for it would be the Vag-Ductor. I swear I felt like I just went through labor after a few sets on that thing. I think they should rename the thing but Roger said that no guy would use a machine named the Vag-Ductor and every guy in the gym would just be standing around it waiting for a woman to work out on it.

So on a side note, 24 hour fitness has a really big pool. Normally I just skip over the pool but Roger suggested that we do a few laps. I am embarrassed to admit it but he schooled me. I mean like twice in a row by over 5 feet.

I know I am out of shape but dang the guy is almost 50. After about 5 minutes of laughing at me he explains (teases) that I have bad form and he used to be an awesome swimmer. I think his exact words where that I do the "monkey stroke" and that he has never seen someone swim like I do. Its a damn good thing I love him because he is kinda an ass at times.

So my new fitness goal is to be able to out swim Roger. I know that I am petty, I really don't care.

The Search is On.

Roger and I have been looking at officants. Well, I have been looking at officiants while Roger "uh-huhs" in the background. I grew up going to church so I never thought that I would have to pay an officiant (besides the donation to the church of course) but now that we are not official members of the church out here they won't marry us. The good thing is that Colorado, what with its picturesque landscapes and what not, is a popular wedding spot. I am going through over 100 different websites trying to find an officiant that I like. Maybe I am too finicky. It doesn't matter if the officiant does a perfect job the only ones there are going to be Roger, Danielle, and myself.

Musings of a Lazy Day.

I know 2 posts in one day is a little much, but I'm in this uncreative mood - itching to write, yet I don't necessarily have anything to write about. I apologize in advance if this is confusing and unorganized.

Today is Saturday which means eggs for breakfast followed by Public Access food shows (because there is nothing like Scandinavian cooking), Roger napping on the couch, and finally Band Practice from 4:00pm to 1:00 AM. I didn't think that couples got this predictable until they where empty-nesters. My G-gangstadawg-ma (that's grandma's nickname from my youngest cousin) is actually making fun of us for being boring. The really scary part is that I love our silly routine.

I would like to have some big philosophical reasoning about it. The truth is that I just love being around Roger. When we took a break (he sent me home worried about my health) it wasn't the big romantic gestures that I missed. It was the little idiosyncrasies that kept me up at night wishing I could call him. It was those little things that I never paid attention to, or even was irked by. Roger spits toothpaste on the spout while brushing his teeth, I mean who does that? He also snores in his sleep, loudly (he is doing that while I type this actually). Its no wonder I have sleep problems with a chainsaw right next to my ear. Yet when we where apart I sat there disturbed how silent it was. Every thing reminded me of him. I missed his silly routines and his auditor stories.

Now that I am back I have been harboring a secret fear that I will have another bad bipolar episode and he will send me back or that he will just decide that he misses being single. I know that its asinine but its the truth. He has told me that he can't wait to marry me and that he was crazy without me but I still worry. I can't do anything to stop that worry, maybe once we are married it will subside.

I do intend not to make the same mistakes I did before though. I lived with Roger for months and took all of his wonderful traits for granted. The one good thing about the whole mess is that I have become immeasurably more perceptive. I notice his scent, how his body is always a few degrees warmer than mine, the twinkle in his eyes when he is picking at me.

Well Roger just woke up, which means its about time to go to band practice so I guess that's all for now.

A Whole Post About BBQ Sauce

The number one thing I like about band practice (besides spending time with my wonderful fiance of course)? The food. I have gained 12 lbs since Roger joined the band. I know that this totally goes against the diet I committed too but since we are spending the afternoon at someone's house I am claiming that I can't do anything else. ^_^ Today is ribs. Roger was put in charge of providing the BBQ Sauce. To me this means a trip to Walmart to get some Sweet Baby Rays. To Roger this meant a trip to Walmart to get $10 worth of ingredients to make his own BBQ sauce. At first I was skeptical. I mean who makes their own BBQ sauce? Of course Roger would. If you don't know he is an amazing cook. I tried it on the spatula and was won over. I don't care about the ribs anymore I want a spoon and I will be happy to sit and eat it until I am sick. I don't think that the rest of the band would be very happy about that though so I guess I will have to wait.

One of 3 jars of Roger's BBQ Sauce.

Sweet Dreams? Yeah Right!

Being the sweet heart that he is, Roger decided to get me some Melatonin supplements in order to cure my insomnia a few weeks ago. Well they warn that vivid dreams is a side effect. I didn't mind I mean I have hallucinated before so how bad can one little dream be?

Well at 1:00AM I found out how bad a little dream could be. I don't remember anything of the actual dream. It started with me half awake and looking at Roger (who had a demon/monster face thing) while screaming bloody murder. He said I only screamed twice but it felt like it went on for a few minutes but since I was the one dreaming I will believe his version of events. I have never in my life woken up screaming let alone without remembering the actual dream. 

Roger was very sweet about it, hugging me and saying it was just a dream and that I am alright. I still took over an hour to get back to sleep. Thankfully I had a nicer dream then. Roger and I where on a plane somewhere and we wanted to go to PF Chang's but they where closed so Snoop Dog (seriously I have never listened to him in my life) took us back to his place, incidentally he lives behind a tiny little picture frame in a long hallway (think Willy Wonka), and gave us fried chicken. 

I swear if Roger makes fun of my fear of the dark ever again I will just stay awake from now on.

I won the Say it Sweet Contest.

I entered Wedding Wire's Say it Sweet Contest and won. It basically was 250 words on why Wedding Wire is so awesome. My prize is 1000 chocolates from Lake Champlain Chocolates and organza bags to use as favors. I am getting married in 2 months but the wedding wont be for a year so its a good thing that chocolate stores well. I just worry that I will end up eating them all and having to rolled down the aisle.

Spandex and Rabit Food.

The sudden realization that I have less than 2 months until my wedding has just sunk in. For some reason this has caused both incredible excitement as well as horror. Despite the fact that Roger has seen me naked many times I am vain enough to feel the necessity to get to my "ideal weight" before our wedding. Apart from amputation this is a physically impossible feat. I am only 5 foot tall so, according to my BMI, I should weigh 125lbs or less. I don't think I have weighed that since I started kindergarten.

I spent this morning in a crazed blur researching crash diets and killer exercise programs just to support my vanity. The scary part is that I actually found plans that promise to make me lose the weight with time to spare. They called for exacting measurements of food and Olympic training routines. It all reminded me of hanging out with my friend Randi when she was trying to make weight. There was a time she was so hungry I offered her part of my orange and she went and weighed it too see how much it would up her total weight while it was in her stomach.

After a few hours my common sense kicked in and I closed out all of the browsers. It took me 19 years to gain this weight and I am not going to lose it all in a month. I sat and typed up my goals for working out and made a plan to do to lose the weight.

1. Go for a run every other day. Every run lasts roughly 30 minutes.
2. On alternating days do 100 sit ups, and push ups.
3. Drink at least 3 cups of water a day.
4. Before eating drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes to see if I am hungry still.
5. Cook all the meals instead of eating out.
6. Only one soda a week.

This should be enough to get started. Focus on the inside, and the outside will follow. 

My Trip to the Fabric Store

I have decided to start a hobby to keep myself occupied. I could clean the kitchen or do laundry, or the bathroom, make the bed, (you get the picture right?) but I figured sewing would be more enjoyable. So I decided to walk to the fabric store in town. I think I was channeling Kermit the Frog for some reason. 

I am not really sure what I will make out of the fabric. I mean its not really the most neutral of colors. Maybe someone would like a stuffed animal version of Larry the Cucumber? Yes, I am referencing the Veggie Tales movies. Admit it, you loved the movies too. I could even add a little voice thing where it sang the theme song.

"If you like to talk to tomatoes..." Don't worry I won't type it all out.

Seriously though, I bet they would sell for $30 a pop on Etsy. Dang copyright infringement laws...

Girl Meets Blog

I thought it would be kinda cool to set something up a blog where all of my family and friends, that I never get to hang out with anymore, can go to check up on whats been happening in my life. I'm not really sure if my life is any more exciting than the average person, but I am just narcissistic enough to believe there are people who would want to read about me anyway. Besides I need something to do now that I have a semester long hiatus from college. 

For all the people that just stumbled upon this blog: my name is Tara (though online I go by Hislilsassafras) and I will tell you a little about myself.

This has been an tumultuous year, full of the kind of life changes that rock your world to its core. I got engaged, started my first job, quit, moved across country, started college, and had to drop from issues with financial aid all within the last 12 months. When the dust began to settle and my head stopped spinning, I became more sure of who I have become.

I think many of us who in high school couldn't wait to get out and kick some ass in the real world start to feel a little lost when that comes to an end. Its like a door closing behind us as we grow up and start our families. Especially for those of us (me) who never planned on wanting to be married or have children anytime soon. I was sure upon graduation that world conquest would be much more likely than wedding plans. I don't mean that a wife or mother can't kick ass and take names or stop striving to take on the world. I just mean that as we start to put others first for once it becomes easy to lose ourselves. Thankfully I have a wonderful fiance who has done his growing up (he ought to he is 49) and can help lead me to becoming the amazing wife and mom that I want to be.

I admit that I have been uprooted and derailed and lost. Being a grown up wife-to-be is awesome and it sucks at the same time.The trick is to not get stuck. I've done that and trust me, it ain't pretty. Dig yourself out so that at least your eyeballs are clear enough to see that the upheaval is, indeed, marvelous. Because derailment forces us to pick our path again; it creates the perfect void in which to rebuild and recreate. Discovery is back. And if we can discover what we love, then there's no limit to the kind of kickass, amazing things which are to follow.