Merry Christmas!

On the twenty fifth day was Christmas and my true love gave to me......

Cookie dough bites, lotion, cookies, a Zooey Deschanel Christmas CD, and a brush that dries my hair perfectly and very fast.  He handed me this large HEAVY box and when I opened it I found logs from our backyard, so I just laughed at him and thanked him for the wonderful logs that keep our home warm.  He said there's something underneath, so I dug (asking him if he had checked the logs for spiders, he said whoops) and underneath was my hairbrush drier.  So funny, so sweet, and IT IS AMAZING!

These past 25 days have been magical, I've always know why I love him but writing it out reminds me I'm not dreaming and this true love IS real.

James hasn't read any of these blogs yet, he's been waiting for them to be done to read them all the way through (He's the fastest reader I've ever known!).

I Appreciate him so much and everything he has ever given to me, he is a wonderful man, and he's the one I'm going to spend the rest of my life with!  I know that we will grow old together! We saw an old man in his Motor Chair in the grocery store, his wife was about 6ft behind him and he somehow managed to back his chair up right into her and ran her foot over.  She apologized, stepped back, and her husband began shouting "Dang women! Never watches where she's going!", the wife looked at us and snickered.  James and I had to run around the corner because we were laughing so hard, pointing and telling each other that was going to be us one day!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, we definitely did!  I got this amazing winter parka from James parents that I could not take off tonight.  I am so happy to have spent another holiday with James and I look forward to  all of our future together!  Next is our anniversary, can't believe it's only been 2 years, we've done so much together and our love is still as strong as ever!

Twas the Night Before Christmas!

On the twenty fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two stocking stuffers!  James let me pick out to things from my stocking AND I LOVE IT! I got actual Santa Socks and little Cookie Dough bites.  YUM!

Tonight is all about relaxing and tomorrow we will be spending time with his family.  I spent today with my family, fathers in the morning and mothers in the evening.  I got wonderful gifts from all of them, THANK YOU!

Movie time! Tomorrow is Christmas day and remember to give with your heart!

Happy Christmas Eve to all!

P.S. What are your Christmas Eve and Christmas day traditions?

Knight In Shining Armor

On the twenty third day of Christmas, my true love came and saved me.  Today, of all days, my car started to give me trouble!  Unfortunately, those troubles I could not handle on my own, for I might be able to change oil but anything else know anything more of.

I called James, in a little panic because I had to pull over to the side of the road and he told me to get out of my car, stand on the sidewalk away from the car and he was on his way to save the day.

It's been a long day and thank goodness it hasn't been cold enough to snow!  I had 3 different cars stop to check if I was okay (Very nice people and thank you to each one of you who stopped, it made waiting better) and one gal who jogged past me, a few minutes later just jogged past me again asked if I had help on the way.  People are very sweet and it definitely makes me rethink my actions when I see someone in need, how much better I can make them feel just by stopping as asking if they're okay or if I can get them help.

It's wonderful knowing that when I'm in trouble, I can always turn to James and know he'll be there to help.  Everything is okay now, having and trusting that James will always be watching out and taking care of me.  What an amazing feeling!

To Keep Me Sane.

On the twenty second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me reassurance.  As we all know I am a stresser, always have been and as much as it has helped me accomplish what I've done so far, it has also brought me a whole lot of white hairs and loss of sleep.  James, being as brilliant as he is, has managed to help me control my mind, which is something I'm still working on but he's really helped.

Today there were a series of events that lead up to why I'm writing this blog (He says if I generally write things down it helps me find the reason I'm stressed).  When James is reassuring me of something, he speaks in a very soft, slow tone of voice and lays out the plan immediately, telling me this is what you want to accomplish and here is how you're going to do it (He usually offers to help or assumes I will ask him if I need assistance or even just tells me what he's going to do for me).

I can't tell you enough how much patience he has for me.  Usually, when I become stressed, I am on edge ready to snap or pulling my hair out, huffing and puffing.  Also being able to talk about everything in my head to him helps me recollect my thoughts and him being able to hear my thoughts, he is then able to tell me if what I am stressing about is something to stress over.  He explains things very well and is a phenomenal speaker, we always joke around about how he should have been a Lawyer.

He's a great man for putting up with me ;D

He's Got the Looks and the Brain!

On the twenty-first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me help.  I am not fully computer savvy, and I'm not a direction reader either, so when it comes to fun programs that I do my designing on, half the time I am wondering around and clicking buttons until something happens.  If it doesn't happen I just move on.  Well, I am working on a very serious project for a client so everything has to be flawless.  I needed to select something that was layered at the very bottom, which lead me to believe I was going to have to start the design all over again.  James had seen I was confused and furious (I'm very noticeable when I'm angry and if I'm on my computer I punch the keys harder than usual), so he offered his assistance.  I was trying to explain that selecting the object was not doable, not to mention he's never played with the program or read any of the directions either, but to my surprise and a few clicks later he selected the object.... -_-

Moments later I was having difficulties changing the color of an object, which normally I can do, but of course for kicks it didn't want to change colors.  Quickly feeling the burn and anger fill inside me, he heard my vicious typing and in a sweet baby tone of voice he said "Want some more help" with a perky cheeked smile.  He pried the computer from my fingers and again, two or three clicks and he handed my computer back over to me with the color theme bar up so I could select a color for the object.

I don't know how he does it, but he can pick up anything and within a matter of moments he's some kind of pro!  I don't think I have ever asked a question he could not answer.

It's sort of a competition between us! Who's right and who's wrong (I'm never right).  Actually, just last night I made a comment about the Grinch and his dog.  James said "The Grinch doesn't have a dog" and I knew this was my opportunity to be right, excitedly we both pulled out our phones and started looking it up.  Of course, I was right and I began to celebrate as much as I could.  Joking, he gave a frownie face and said I was mean.  I simply replied "You know what! This is the FIRST time I was right with no doubts.  You're always right, now let me have my turn!".  We rolled around laughing as I did my funny dances.

He is my all knowing boyfriend and I look up to him!

Honor, Love, and Devotion.

On the twentieth day of Christmas my true love gave to me a chance to use my nurturing skills.  I was taught to honor the ones we love and give them everything you can from your heart.  There are many ways to honor someone, but in this case I honor James by standing by his side waiting for him to ask something of me, especially when he's not feeling well.  When James got home yesterday from his hunting trip, exhausted and not feeling too well.  He had sent me a text that he wasn't feeling good and I immediately took action.  He always tells me that he can take care of himself but I know what I can do will make him feel better.

I hate not feeling good and I hate to see him not feeling well, so I have sought out home remedies of my own to help him.  I feed him his ox tailed soup, made by his wonderful mother, with rice to get something in his stomach because if he is left without food for too long it makes him more uncomfortable.

I can tell when he's not feeling good, so I am always prepared, however I am always a worry wart and I actually carry a bag with things like epi-pens, band aids, ibeprophen, tums, sleep aid, cough drops, vitamins, digestion aid, and much much more (It's a full grocery bag because a normal first aid bag isn't big enough).

James enjoys taking bathes when he isn't feeling good and I have a bath salt he soaks in that relieves his insides.  I have everything lined up next to his bedside, any medications he needs to take, glass of cold ice water, glass of ginger ale and apple juice mixed together (that always helps), his ox tail soup, and all of the remotes in case he wants to watch tv.  His bed is usually made for him and his pillows fluffed, I want him to feel as comfortable as he can, and I have a fan next to the bed to control his temperature.

When I can, I gently drag my fingers along his back, arms and head to help him fall asleep.  He said to me once when I wasn't feeling good that when you're not feeling good, it's best to give your body as much rest as possible.  It may be hard to fall asleep but when you do fall asleep you wont hurt anymore and your body will wake itself up if it really has to.  I have actually lived by this since he mentioned it and this technique has saved me a lot of late nights in the living room.  You would not believe how much the back tickles (that is what we call them) have helped, although I must admit that when other people have tried to give me back tickles or arm tickles they don't really do it the correct way.  When giving your partner back tickles, drag your fingers as light and as slow as possible, don't tickle in the same spot for more than 10 seconds (this will start to make the spot raw and may make this uncomfortable for him), and tickle the tender areas like the neck, tops of the shoulders, shoulder blade areas and sides of the ribs.  Avoid waist, lower back and face because those are the most ticklish places and if your partner is not feeling good it will make them too uncomfortable.

Lavender.  Lavender is a very comforting scent and can calm the body quickly.  I have found that potpourri right next to his bed is good, I also have this little bean bag filled with Lavender and beans that I warm up for 30 seconds in the microwave and stick under his pillow or under the covers.

To mediate his temperature, have the fan blowing directly on him and cover him with warm blankets.  As much as I love sleeping with a sweatshirt on at night ;D, doing this really works and helps him stay asleep!

He still wasn't feeling all too well this morning so I made him toast with hash browns for breakfast, something very simple but something I can make a lot of to fill up his belly.  The rest of today he relaxed in bed, tried to take a nap, watched movies and don't worry I made sure he hydrated himself all day.

I love taking care of James, I will do it until the end of time and I love doing things for him, just to know what I do makes him feel much better.  It's nice to see what we would do for each other, even if we're at our worst, and to know how far you would go for that person to make them feel better or thought of.  It's the thought of being thought of that helps heal in many ways.

Finally!

On the nineteenth day of Christmas, my true love came home to me! It has been a long two and a half days, but he is finally home.  My blog this evening will be short but I want you all to know that I am most happy he's home. Alright, quiet time!

Better Living

On the eighteenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a healthy life.  The first couple of years on my own, there was never enough time in the day.  I had such a high sense of independence but I lost control of taking care of myself and as hard as I tried to cook, I would usually just push it to the side.  I moved into an apartment, completed my full last year of high school, and maintained a full time job immediately after I moved out.  My regular meal was Top Ramen, Microwavable Pizza's, Bagels, or anything that took under 5 minutes to cook.

You can't just take meat out of your diet without substituting it with even healthier food, one mistake I made and I had become anemic after 2 years of poorly eating.  I usually left my apartment at 7:00am and didn't get home until 9:00pm each day, so I never had time to cook a decent meal.  Ever since I started cooking for James, I started to have a better understanding of the nutrients food had and how to have patience to cook food for more than 5 minutes.  I began to see a change in my weight, the way I felt everyday, both emotionally, mentally, and physically thanks to James, who taught me how to cook. He taught me how to use specific spices, how to marinate, and the perfect temperatures things had to cook at.  I am encouraged to cook home meals instead of going out because James is very fond of my cooking.

Eating healthier has definitely made a difference in my day to day life, but having control of my life and being organized was something James showed me how to do.  I would come to him telling him the problem and he would explain to me the best possible ways to fix them.  As you all might know, I'm a stresser and I always have been, but with James helping me take control, my stress meter has settled.

My life feels so perfect, so complete now with James by my side!  This is why I know I couldn't do it without him, he has been my rock and there's always new things to learn in the kitchen.

I just want to say this about James: As a young curious little girl, I wanted to know everything about life and I always asked questions.  I looked at my parents as being most wise and have grown to be a very intelligent person, but I still have questions.  One of the reasons why I love James so much is because he is all knowing, and when I ask him questions I feel like that young naive girl again.  If I could know everything he knows, I bet you we would win those trivia nights at the bar, no problem!

I miss you so much James!

One Long Night!

On the seventeenth day of Christmas, my true love went away.  James has gone a-huntin'. I say this every time but when he's gone either to work or on hunting trips, I gripe and moan about how much I miss him and I will always for the rest of our lives.

I have the hardest time staying else where when I know he's home, my anxiety kicks in and I always hurry home.

I remember staying the night somewhere else one evening with him not there and my heart was yearning for him.  I couldn't sleep at all, just tossed and turned, so I opened up my computer and pulled up a picture of him and put pillows under the blankets on the side of the bed he normally slept on.  I cuddled up with the pretend James and fell right asleep.

I know we have the rest of our lives ahead of us but I want to ache for him forever and I will.

Sometimes, he's left for work very early and when I wake up, it startles me that he's not laying next to me.  I just roll over to find a little note he's left me telling me he loves me so much and how he misses me already.

Yes distance grows the heart fonder, but when you love someone so much you truly can never get enough of that person.  If you never lose that want and know you will always want him, spending the rest of your life with him will be rewarding and all moments will be cherished!

Date Night!

On the sixteenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a lovely date night!  James surprised me and took me on a little date tonight, he mentioned we don't go on dates often enough.  It's always fun to have date nights,  just to take a break from cooking is nice but it always brings me back to when we first met, so giddy and new to the relationship it feels because of the way he looks at me.  He still gives me butterflies!

When we went out to dinner on our second date, same place we went tonight and our favorite place to eat in general, I remember I was SO nervous that I could barely eat my food.  I was trying my very best to eat like a lady, I was eating noodles which are hard to eat politely, and he wouldn't stop staring at me.

Just like our second date, James stared at me tonight while I ate as we shared great conversation and our food (James like to take the first bite, he says "Just making sure your food tastes good for you").  We are so happy together, even when we have dinner in bed while we watch a movie or our favorite TV shows (We do consider this a date), I don't care what we do because if we're doing something together I know it will be fun and I will be happy no matter what (I mean this honestly).

The date night isn't over!  Once our tummy's settle, I'll make some popcorn and pull out the giant jar of candy and turn on some Dexter, which is our favorite TV series.  I just got done showing James a video I recorded of him last night, he doesn't believe me that he snores and clearly the video definitely proves it! We've also been discussing a prank war to spice things up.  Our relationship is fun, never stressful, and we are not only partners, we're best friends, we don't ever feel like we're nagging on each other and yes we do ask each others permission to start prank wars so no ones feelings get hurt. To this day he will tell you that I spit in his ear when I thought I gave him a wet willy.  There's no proof on either side, so guess that debate will never be settled.

I'm off to go make Peanut Butter Balls for James (One of his favorite desserts)!

Good Night!

Cuddle Bear!

On the fifteenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me straight genuine snuggling.  Tonight James came onto my side of the bed, wrapped his arms around me, and intertwined his fingers in my while we watched TV.  We're always so busy with so much in our lives, we never forget about each other but we don't always get time to just hold each other.


Cuddle (Which is the proper word) 
verb (used with object)

1.

to hold close in an affectionate manner; hug tenderly. 


You know you love someone when all you can think about is his heart beating, how tight he's holding your hand, and always wondering what he's thinking.

P.S. I got it straight from man himself: when you're wondering what he's thinking, most of the time he's really not thinking about anything.  

Surprise!!!!

On the fourteenth day of Christmas, James' true love gave to him a neat-o surprise.  Who has two thumbs and got her hair cut off to her shoulders? This girl!

If you brush your hair and five minutes after, your hair has a big rats nest in it or if your man (James)has been sitting there for 30 minutes trying to piece by piece untangle your hair, you know it's time for a cut.  


For some of you who don't know, my hair was approximately 18 inches long (almost to my belly button), and today I cut it to my collar bone.  


I haven't seen him all day and for hours I tried styling it, just to make sure it looked nice for James when he got home.  When he got home, I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and as soon as he saw my hair his face lit up, he also gave me the 100% smile with the eyebrow lift.  He really likes it!  


I will be posting pictures at www.facebook.com/UAweddings


I have a feeling this will be a nice change for the fun of our relationship.  You always get excited when your partner makes a significant change, feelings become refreshed and you are getting use to something new or really learning something new about them (She looks really good with that type of style I've never seen on her before).  On top of all that, he says I look a more mature with a cut like this, which is kind of what I'm aiming for!


Now, let's see long I can handle this length before I start getting frustrated with something falling in my face or not being able to stay in a pony tail...

Growing this heart fonder!

On the thirteenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me peace and quiet.  James and I didn't see each other too much today.  He's been working all day, as have I, but once he got home he ran into the kitchen and greeted me ever so sweetly!  We see each other everyday, sometimes it's nice to have some time apart, say for example alone time for me to do my crazy work outs!  James' mother showed me these amazing work out videos on demand, I was so excited to try them that I did three different work outs today.  Technically, I did 4 but I quickly gave up on the weird looking belly dance exercise, dancing is definitely not my thing, however I don't think kick boxing is but at least I can physically do it.  


I got some things done around the house today, usually on James' days off I want to spend time with him so I only do the most important things.  I also had a chance to make some cute Christmas Bell cookies for him from a family recipe, he loved them and as soon as he saw them he knew they were the cookies him and his family use to make when he was younger.  



As much as I see James, I am always so excited for him to get home, even if he just wants to go lay down for the night.  I'm almost always in the kitchen preparing dinner or if I'm lucky, I'll go sit on the stairs and wait for him to meet me at the top.  Tonight, like most nights I was in the kitchen racing to get the salmon and potatoes done.  The one thing I love the most about him (Really, what's there not to love?) is his smile, and when he greets me he always smiles, it shows me that he's truly happy even when days are rough (You can usually tell me the size of the smile).  He greeted me this evening with a full smile and even gave me the raising of eyebrows, which actually puts his happy level at 100%.

These are the Christmas Bell cookies I made, and they actually taste fantastic!  It was a hit or miss at one point because I thought I hadn't read the recipe correctly.  James' humorously pointed out that I forget the little bells at the bottom and yes I did! Let's just point out again that I should probably sit down and read the directions 2 times all the way through before I actually start cooking....

It's the Little Things

On the twelfth day of Christmas, love gave to me a day off!  I had a hard time waking up this morning, but when James burst through the door with a huge cup of Hot Cocoa, I immediately woke up and knew it was going to be a good day!


I had so much to do today and knew I had a long day of head of me, filled with meetings and my daily things to do around the house.  When I got home this afternoon, I found that James had cleaned the kitchen.  I had been dreading this chore, for I knew I would need to scrub everything down due to the fear of raw chicken remnants hiding somewhere waiting for me to touch it (Yes, I am really that paranoid of raw chicken).  I also found that he warmed up the house with our amazing wood stove, so cozy.  


I am so appreciative that he did that for me today, when he really didn't have to do so. 


Unconsciously, we tend to do things in a competitive behavior, in a good competitive way.  For example, when he does something nice for me, I do something nice right back.  Since he cleaned the kitchen for me today, I matched and folded all of his socks.  It's a reflex of ours that happens on a daily basis, and it's one way to keep the relationship rewarding.  I know we think about what we're doing but don't usually think about why until after it's happened.  Remember, when doing something like this, don't think "Wow, I just did something great for him, I wonder what he will do for me?".  Instead think about how much he will like it and that's it, never make it about you because your actions will not be genuine.  


Alright,.... Back to work!    

Long Day of Play!

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a full day of quality time.  My apologies that my blog was a little late, James and I have literally been spending all day today together doing various fun activities.  We started our day off early, 9am, and watched a ridiculous movie, so ridiculous I can't remember.  I made brunch right afterwards and we sat down for another movie.  Now, I know this doesn't sound fun but it really is, it would never be fun for you because James and I talk throughout everything, discussing scenarios or people or places and repeating the funniest lines.  I know that we watched Beerfest, Super Troopers, a few episodes of Scrubs, Salt, and Year One.


We both took a quick power nap and proceeded to team up for Oblivian. Funny thing, and I'm sure James' best friend would agree with me, it is so much fun to just watch him play his games.  Yes, that's right I watched him play today while he played.  It's like watching a movie, he's so good at gaming and he rarely makes mistakes, crazy action movie!


When it got closer to dinner, I went to clean up the kitchen and make way for today's amazing creation.  I had a whole chicken I needed to use so I whip it out (I am very germaphobic, so it took me a while to open up the packaging) and James zooms into the kitchen to help me cook dinner!  He helped me cut off all of the meat... Okay, so HE cut off the meet and I cut off the fat.  I made up this AMAZING batter, washed my hands, coated the chicken with the batter, washed my hands, wrapped it all up and stuck it in the fridge, washed my hands, washed a spot on my face because I had a tickle and unconsciously itched it, and prepped the rest of my ingredients.  I made home made Buffalo Chicken Wings.  Best of the best!


We topped our evening off with some comedy shows and more relaxing.  We do talk to each other a lot, which I do enjoy and we talk about everything!  I take off at least one day with him, making sure I get everything that needs to be done either the week or day before so he can just relax.
Tip: The day before your man has the day off, do all of the laundry so everything in the house smells so good and comforting.  The night before his day off, stick all his comfy clothes in the dryer, warm them up and give them to him when he gets home from work.  Who doesn't love right-out-of-the-dryer-warm clothes?! 


I love spending time with him and I had such a wonderful day!

Hungry Hungry Hippo's

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me his try anything hungry belly!  I love cooking for James!  I'm very cautious about what I cook him but with what he is limited to eating, it's my chance to get really creative. 


Yesterday I was watching Man vs. Food and it got my creative mind thinking, so this morning, I made James a different kind of breakfast. 

This is my Garlic Texas Toast Special!  This amazing sandwich (which had meat's I do not eat) is constructed very percisely, Garlic Texas Toast, Egg (you can do Sunny-Side Up or Scrabbled just make sure it crumble off the bread), Sage Sausage, Sharp Cheese, Hickory Smoked Bacon, and top it off with another piece of Garlic Texas Toast.  To make Special and to keep it together, I stuck a overly large tooth pick with an "I Love You James" flag at the top.  

What did you think about my Special Sandwich: "It was good but too much Texas Toast" - James

This photo doesn't do it justice,... the sandwich was VERY tall, probably my obsession with Man vs. Food.

I really do enjoy cooking for him and he tells me all the time how much he appreciates it.  He is an AMAZING cook himself, however I do not let him in the kitchen very often.  I have specially organized the kitchen because I use it the most and he gives me a hard time about how he can never find anything. 

Starts with F and ends with Amily

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love shared with me his wonderful family!  We visited with James' parents today, it's always so much fun just to see them and spend time with them.  When I first met his mother, James and his best friend gave me the "Heads up", telling me to be careful, one mistake and she may never invite me over again.  At this point, I was terrified, and I spend countless hours trying to pick out the perfect outfit and figuring out how I should do my hair and makeup.  Once we arrived at their wonderful home, I was shaking as we walked up and the door opened.  She came to greet me with her arms wide open for a hug.... Great joke guys, we all had a great laugh and when his parents found out why I was nervous, they joined in on the laughter.  


I have learned so much from his family, I truly cherish them and look forward to all the amazing family camping trips, hunting trips, amazing dinners, Thanksgiving dinners, and much more! 


I see James' father in him, his values and how he was raised.  James is a true gentleman, just as much as his father is, always opening doors for me, watching where I am to protect me, really treating me like a Lady.  


One thing that James has taught me is that family is important no matter what, as much as I have heard that so many times before, what he has shown me with him and his family is much more eye opening.  I love my family and I love his as my own as well.  What a wonderful gift!

What else is there to say?

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me great conversation.  I've seen the good, bad, and the ugly with relationships.  One key things in a relationship is communication, however it can be quite easier said than done.  I'm still working on that, usually James just tells me to spit it out and so I do so.  Communication doesn't always have to be about how you're feeling, James and I have nights where we talk forever, just like we did when we first met.  What's so perfect is that everything really does flow, whether we sit quietly or we are literally interrupting each other because we have so much to talk about, it always stays interesting.  

Someone made a comment to me once, she showed me a text her husband had sent to her (It said I love you) and said you know the love is still there when he sends you things like this daily.  It really got me thinking about how I think.  I always take everything James says so seriously and I am an over-analyzer.  When he tells me he loves me, it feels so sincere, so real, and then I say it back knowing from the deepness of my heart I truly mean it.  If only hearts could fly out of my mouth when I tell him I love him, that's actually something I picture sometimes because I mean it so much.  


We converse so well, we always have things to take about, and it's great to talk to the person who cares about you the most.  Now, sometimes he needs a break from my jibber jabbers, that's usually when he's playing his video games. Tip: It's great to talk with your man, just make sure you give him a scheduled amount of time for his ears to rest.


Some things James told me tonight:
- James gave me a smooch goodnight and told him he still loves kissing me (too mushy gooshy?)
- I told him that I loved him the same way I did when we first met, then he said "Well I love you more than when we first met".... Way to go on one uping me on that one (We're both pretty competitive so what do you expect)

P.S. He actually asked for seconds of dinner tonight! There's no name for it, but I made amazing refried beans mixed with sharp cheese and mozzarella, taco sauce, zesty chicken sausages inside of Tortilla's.  I'm not sure if he asked more because I didn't feed him enough or that it was so good he had to have more! Oh well, he liked it!

No Questions Asked!

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a lending hand.  Touching back on support, it's always important to have someone back you up 100%, it feels good right?  In order to do great, and this I have learned, you need motivation.  You see so many great business owners make speeches based around thanking people for helping get them there.  That's James.  Since the very first time we talked, he wants to know what I want and what I need and help me get there.


He never judges my opinion, nor my actions, instead he stands right behind to catch me if I fall and help me back up or to pat me on the back when my ideas become reality.  I'm a dreamer, always have been, and I've been told so many times that is was unrealistic, it wouldn't happen, but how wonderful to have James intrigued by my dreams!  One thing I love that he does, is he challenges me, asking all sorts of questions and what if'.  If I can support and answer every question, that's when we both know it will work and I can move forward with the idea.  He touches most unthought of questions, it makes me broaden my thoughts to think realistically and understand the outlook of it all.  


I would like to thank James for lending his help hand out to me when I needed it the most, through any circumstances, he never judged.  He has truly helped build Un Amore Weddings and is still contributing to what is to come. So thank you!

Patience IS a virtue!

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me lots and lots of patience.  I have always been a klutz and instead of turning everything I touch into gold, I break it.  This evening I was trying to make soup, sandwich, and chilly fries for dinner, sounds easy, but I hadn't cut the can properly to the chilly and it was still attached.  I thought I could just push hard on it (I probably wasn't because I was too paranoid that I would cut myself) but all of my chilly was squishing out the sides. I knew it was too late now and I was sure I lost half the can to the sink so I pushed a little hard, next thing I knew, I had chilly in my eyes, it was all over the sink, on my nice cream sweaters, and ALL over the windows.  Thankfully, James has the most patience I have ever seen someone have and just laughed it off!  I now sit here, lightly smelling like chilly with half a bowl left of chilly fries... They're great but it is going to a hassle cleaning that mess!  


Moments like this bring back more good memories, like the time I broke the new big screen tv (Shattered, there's no coming back from that and I thought I could hide it but James found out and again laughed it off), burnt the life out of several pots and pans, many sweaters I've shrunken, (he's currently naming the items off that I've broken) and James says that I lost the truck keys and cellphone, both which were on my car and are long gone now.  The list goes on and will forever grow, moments like create such a fun twist to the relationship and when we always talk about that one time, we laugh soooo hard!  


I remember, right after getting brand spanking new carpet, I spilled bright red fingernail polish all over and my mother lost it (I ran straight for the bathroom, I was so scared of what she would do).  


Big question is: James, what is it like living with a klutz and how do you do it?
-"Dangerous and I assume that nothing lasts forever, if it's broken that's okay"


Him and his father give me a hard time about it but they know how to make the situation brighter.  If I have burnt the pot, James bends it and says well now we HAVE to throw it away.

Sleep talking and snuggling

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, lots of mumble jumbles and some cuddling.  Today felt short and abrupt! One moment, I was awaken by my alarm, the next, James was home.  I love it when he comes home early from work, however, from waking up so early and working an energy consuming job, he is always most tired.  


I decided to watch a movie when James crawled over, covered himself with the blankets, and laid his head down on my stomach.  A few moments later, he began twitching which then triggered the snoring and sleep talking.  He  usually never says full sentences, it's sometimes a laugh or two, or some sort of gibberish.  


I love it when he falls asleep on me.  I feel like the protector, the angel who watches over the little lamb as he sleeps. Every time he falls asleep on me, my thoughts always go back to the beginning of our relationship when he first told me he loved me.


We were relaxing, similar to today, he had fallen asleep with his head on my lap as I watched a movie.  He had passed out and I let him sleep for a good hour until I could no longer feel my legs.  I leaned over, whispering to him that I had lost all feeling in legs and he mumbled "I love you too" in his sleep.  I kind of laughed because I knew I loved him back but he was sleep talking, it would be weird if I blurted out randomly that I loved him back and him not knowing what I was talking about.  He finally lifted his head and I immediately told him what had happened.  He laughed a little, laid his head back down, and softly said "Well, I do love you".  I remember everything about that day, how the room was set up, about what time is was, and the exact tone he said loved me in.  That was the very first time we exchanged the I Love You's.


Cheers to the good memories we've made and to the ones still to come!

Super Support!

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me his support!  Today was fantastic, as I was invited to participate in a photo shoot with Ashley Genevieve and Katie Lomax, both amazing photographers.  I was honored when James asked if he could come along to see me model!  He has seen pictures of previous modeling I've done but never seen me in action, it was actually very wonderful to have him come.  I became very nervous that he would be there watching me twist around in funny poses, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.


When I woke up this morning, he was still snoring, dead asleep and I knew he had a very late night, so it was likely he was going to enjoy this long day. I got everything together and snuck back into the room to find him still passed out, so I quietly leaned over the bed and said goodbye.  He jumped up and said "I'm getting ready right now!" with a happy smiley face.  I was very surprised, he quickly got ready and helped me to remember what I wanted to bring to the shoot.  He drove us to get coffee and we chatted happily all the way to the location.  We sat in the car waiting to be let into the BEAUTIFUL house where the photo shoot was to happen and I watched him play a silly game on his phone (I expected him to want to sit and play on his phone the whole 5 hours).  Once we were waived to come in, he helped me out of the car and helped bring in all of my stuff, which would have taken me two trips, into the house.  We got a great tour of the house and there he was following right behind us, still with the biggest smile on his face.  


I started getting ready for the shoot and he sat in the kitchen waiting for hair and makeup to be completed.  I started the shoot off working with Katie Lomax, comfortable as ever, I did see him peek around the corner trying to stay out of my sight so he would not make me nervous.  Hours passed and it was time to eat but our food hadn't been dropped off yet, so James stepped up and offered to go pick up food for everyone!  


The day continued and James continued to watch as much as he could.  He was SO supportive the whole time and continued to smile, ear to ear!  I had so much fun and felt so much more confident with James there, I never felt alone (I didn't know anyone there very well) and I felt special to have the most important person there watching me.  Great day!

Security is somethin'!

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me security.  Your home is were you feel most safe, a place of serenity and coziness. We had a great discussion this evening, wont get into details, but he shared with me how important my safety was to him.  I'm best thought of as a bunny, so docile yet I can be very paranoid at times.  James has never crossed his boundaries, he continues to look out for me and still treat me like a lady.  For example, while walking through the parking lot tonight (I do this enough now he doesn't have to grab me and move me) I walk on his left side and a car drives up on the right.  I have never had anyone do something like, so as you can imagine, our first date to the Tacoma Dome was hilarious!


He always reassures me he will always do his best to protect me, and he has actually been teaching me new things on how to protect myself if he's too far away.  As paranoid as I started out, he has helped me come to peace with myself and any possible situations (I worry about everything, this isn't an exaggeration) that may occur.  As I have my suspicions with on how December of 2012 may play out, I know he's right there always.  

What an amazing feeling!

I hear my cellphone ring-a-ling!

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 2 calls on his lunch break. I remember all the way back to when we first started dating, we talked all the time!  We would stay up late talking on the phone, next morning we would text each other all the way up to lunch and he would always call me around noon (I tried to schedule my breaks at that time). Now, we see each other daily but he still always checks in around noon to see how my morning has been.  I know that when I always have a rough morning, I start to consistently check my phone to see what time it is and if he's called, he always says the right thing to put me on the right path.  


I usually lay down on the couch and play with my hair when we talk, like a giddy school girl.  I always ask him how waking up was (sometimes I will say funny things to him while I'm still asleep when he says goodbye), how the drive to work was, and how work is going so far (if work has been awful, means I make a super big dinner to cheer him up when he gets home).  


I love it when he calls anytime of the day, sometimes more than once, because it means he's thinking of me.

What my true love gave to me!

This is my intro to the 25 days until Christmas and each day follow the count UP! 


On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me my laughter!  I am always so excited to see him at the end of the day, even if I'm stressed or don't have dinner ready.  

When he walked through the door he came into the kitchen as I was cooking dinner to talk to me about how he could help me feel better about life, encouraged me to make changes for myself (In a good way people, he wasn't asking me to change my personality or nothing!), and he helped me recognize how hard I was working along with motivating me to keep up the good work.  


His excitement rubs off on me and always puts me in such a better mood, it's like he's a handsome walking happy pill! The one thing I always look forward to is him talking about his day, me talking about mine, and making jokes we both laugh at!  


He's funny!  As I sit finishing my evenings work, he puts his hand on my knee and tells me he loves me.  I quickly glanced at him and look back at my computer and told him I loved him back.  Right then, he pinched me... haha this is usually what happens if I don't give him my full attention!  


What a great guy!

Super Sly: How to tell you man what you want!

Know he's going to pop the big question soon, but don't know how to tell him what you like or want for your finger? 


Women find it difficult sometimes to be blunt about what sort of ring and rock style they want to their partner, it can feel like we're pressuring or that we might be ruining the surprise.  But how will you man know what you want if you don't tell him? 


Being open in your relationship and discussing the future is something that needs to be done.  Find out what he's comfortable talking about and don't be afraid to test the waters.  Start the conversation in a calm setting and make sure you don't come off as demanding.  You simply want to know what he thinks of the idea.  A great way to start the conversation is to ask him what he wants in the future, men prefer that you either graduate into the conversation or you are blunt about it.  To be subtle, go out for dinner or plan a nice evening at home to set the mood right and ask him detailed questions about himself and gradually get to the question "Tell me about what you want in the future" or "What are short term and long term goals?".  If you prefer to ask him bluntly, blurt out "Have you thought about marriage?", assuming you know him well info he wont hit the ground running.  A lot of the time men don't feel awkward talking about marriage, as long as you don't over-do it. TIP: Make sure that if you guys directly talk about marriage, get his timeline in a gentle way like "When do you see yourself getting married" again, assuming that you both love each other very much and that's why this topic is being brought up.


Whenever asking him for the first time about his thought on marriage, it's best to know where both your boundaries stand on talking about it.  You can always ask something like, "Do you like talking about it?" or usually you can see it in there eyes and facial expression, or how they talk about it.

Once you have had the conversation about marriage and know where you both stand, months maybe years have passed by, you will start to see signs.  I cannot tell you what those signs are because men are all different in their own ways.  When you start to see signs, the topic may be brought up again and that's your perfect chance to add in what you want and like.


TIP: When you start seeing little signs it's best you hope onto the computer and start looking at what you like.


I was asked if I liked something in particular that we had seen on TV (Giant rock), I was speechless, not because I got my first hint but because I had no clue what I liked.  I know, seems impossible for a Wedding Planner who looks at everything Bridal all day long.  I came to the conclusion that I didn't care what he got me, because it was something he had picked up from what he knows about me.  After that conversation, I started to think "Oh my goodness, the moment is so close, I can't wait! When? How?....." Then I stopped my self with another question "...How much?!"  I was stumped!  I'm the type of person who gets stuck in isle 5 looking at which pickles would be most cost savvy but which ones will taste better, BUT which ones are bigger.... 


My man is more quiet about the topic and I know where his heart lies, however I over talk about things and that was one topic I had over talked about.  How would I let him know that I wanted him to spend X amount or less?  SO! Here are some ideas that I pondered:


1. Find a jewelry catalog and circle all of the price perfect rings I saw and leave it on the floor.
2. Talk about how expensive certain things are.
Now I didn't forget that I'm a Wedding Planner and I sometimes use that excuse to ask him questions, so I have revised this next one for you...
3. Talk about you FRIENDS engagement ring and say " Hers was X amount, I would never buy jewelry that was more than X" 

I found that the best way, Wedding Planner or not, is to simply want to know more about something.  I asked questions like "What is traditional? How do they normally choose that? What is normally spent on this?"  I asked him in a way that he did not feel like I was bothering HIM about the topic.  They were questions I just wanted answers to for my knowledge.  

The new Audrey Hepburn

I recently cut my hair and have had so many comments on my look being the new Audrey Hepburn, who is my IDOL!  So, I got this idea of making the Hepburn look popular and what better to show off my new look at the Swapping Spree this Wednesday, btw I SHOULD SEE YOU THERE!!! Get your ticket at www.swappingspree.eventbrite.com!  

I will be wearing my sexy black dress, designed by Cache.  It is knee high instead of floor length, with gold and silver staps & chest line, satin material and ruched up the front and back.  I really like the dress because it reflects elegance, sexiness, and I still look professional, for that is my favorite look these days. I was hoping I would still fit this dress, for I mearly found it in the back of my closet and have been saving it for 4 years for a special occasion.  It's weird how I am afraid to wear anything that is not presumed to be updated fashion, however I don't think this dress could ever be categorized as "What Not To Wear" unless it's the new thing to wear..... Wait I just got a new idea for a clothing line!  Anyways, simple and elegant is what I'm going for.

I am so in love with my Charlotte Russe pumps, I wear them all the time with pride!  Thank goodness they really match this dress and I regularly walk in the so there will be no tripping the night of the party.  The nude pumps are my favorite color shoes because you could wear them with any color of clothing and it does make me look a little more tan than usual.  They're a 4 inch heal with the truffle look on the toe and are a light colored nude.  Again, designed by Charlotte Russe which by the way don't have half sizes but I fit into a 8 when I'm really a 7.5.

I'm really going to a golden goddess look here so I will also be accessorizing my look with a beautiful ring designed by Twisted Silver which will also match my nails done by Sweet Feet located in Redmond WA.  

These next two accessories were a great find at the Goodwill in Tukwilla Wa and Kols in Covington all found by the lovely Bride On A Bike. Check her out if you every want help finding the best antique pieces whether its for home or wear! 

I am really looking forward to showing off my outfit! Definitely come out and check me out!

You can wear...?

Many of us don't think too much about it, well nevermind it's just me.  I will be a guest of yet again another Wedding, and it is my favorite kind, formal, and shamefully I misplaced the thought of "What should I wear" and as a Wedding Extremist I should be prepared with these things.  I'm sure the question of what to wear to her wedding will all cross our minds, so let me help excite your minds with outfits you will not wear once. 


Winter.  Depending on where your geographically located, it can be cold or warm or like Seattle, it will probably be rainy.  Thoughts going through your head: You want to look nice but stay warm, and what colors are in? 

Purples, Dark Brown, and Yellow(Maybe a yellow rain jacket over your beautiful Purple or Brown Sweater dress?) are good colors.  Don't be afraid to be fun and flirt with other colors than just black.  If you are accustom to wearing black and white(two colors you can't wear to a wedding) then do your favorite dark colors for this winter wedding, hopefully there is snow to bring out the rich color of your dress.  And, don't forget to add accessories and the BEST color for shoes are cream!

April showers bring spring flowers some would say, but I think it brings one heck of a color scheme that is most fun to experiment with.  I would love to be married on a fresh spring afternoon.  Any colors that you choose, make them soft and rock the legs! Again, depending on the weather, you either wear a pretty sweater or moisturize your legs and arms with baby oil to not only make them shine but will soften your legs while collecting a little bit of sun.  An idea of what I will be wearing to the wedding looks a little bit like this:

Look, look! Cream colored shoes! Told you.  The color is really simple along with the design, yet very elegant in so many ways.  Wear a side bun and string some pieces of Babies Breath through it, unless you wear a black belt around your waist then I would recommend a pair of onyx(My favorite stone that ever existed) earrings and your simple bun.  Get creative and fun!

I'm very excited to attend any summer weddings because hats are back in my opinion, hats give off that assumption of sophistication, look at Audrey Hepburn for example!  If the Bride has decided to have her wedding outdoors a hat will be nice to have for multiple reasons, like protection from the blazing hot sun (Us Washingtonians don't have to worry much about that one). 

For your summer attire, wear something that will be comfortable for you because most summer weddings are intended to be outside.  Now, location is a key factor to what you will wear but I say be fun and shine a little, wear a long flowing dress so you can keep cool.  You can still have fun and accessories, Sunglasses may be neccessary, unless you have your nice hat to shield your eyes. 

Mix it up a bit and do your own thing, make your outfit your own but don't get too stressed over it.  Start with a dress, get a color you feel accents your skin and does not go against the Bridal ettiquette.  Once you have your dress get your shoes and go to a decent thrift store(the best hand-me-down, vintage jewely) and don't forget about the belt, do a belt whether it's big or small.  I'm all for hair pretties, flowers are even nice to entwined through your bun or braids. 
 

Your Royal Wedding

As you all should know, William and Kate were married yesterday!  An event I had truely been looking forward to and look forward to encorporating the Royal looks into my new designs.  One very important piece that really caught my eye was the unique bouquet that Kate Middleton carried down the isle.  Kate really played with the idea of Spring, however, she really proves to us that we can have something so simple yet so elegant.  Being creative may strike the idea of possibly growing your own flowers and using them for a homemade unique bouqet easily saves you around $50, depending on how elegant you want it to look.  However, this idea can be somewhat unreliable and could stress you out even more.  Stay simple, like Kate, and put together a small bouquet "No bigger than your head" says Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear.  By using uncommon flowers, it can bring a wide variety of ideas to the look of things but also save you some.  Kate used Lily of the Valley in her bouquet, which really brought the look of Spring into her wedding.  A small variation of flowers like Lillies, Daisies, Acadia, Baby's Breath, or Carnations can be a great choice to twist into your bouquet.  Finding them is easy, on the other hand, choosing the colors and style is the hard part. 


Beyond the bouquet, the dress also caught my eye. The world wondered what Kate would wear, would it be fun and sexy, or modest and poofy like Queen Elizabeth's Dress.  I absolutely love the dress she chose because it was actually right inbetween, it felt like she really met the look approved by many.  The dress was designed by Sarah Burton, with a train approximately 12 ft. long and the lace hand sewn.  I really felt Kate's feelings about the choice of dress in the beginning because not only did she want her wedding to be her own but she was going to be the married into the Royal family and amongst many very important guests.  We think it's a mind scrambling experience to bring our opinionated mothers and bridesmaids along to pick out the dress, well, she had to choose her dress off of the opinionated world.  She chose a sweetheart neckline, A frame gown and incased her shoulders with the unique beauty of the lace.  Sexy and sophisticated for our modern day brides, and let the record be known I was in love with lace before I had even seen her gown.  I have already chosen my gown, designed by Monique Lhuillier.  Due to the new obsession of lace, you can usually find it popular on the handed down gowns.  If no lace is present or a handed down dress is out of the question, you can always find well priced gowns with the design you seek.  A good designer to keep your eyes open for is Casablanca, offering a wide variety of styles.  If you're like me, you will be having your dress designed specially and you will be able to incorperate your own heart into it.


I could go on and on about my likes and ideas of the wedding that occurred today but I must rest my mind for a long day of designing.  P.s.  If you watched the wedding, I'm sure you must have noticed Kate's Brother, James Middleton, did not notice his tie had been ruffled up, I wanted to fly to Britian and fix it for him. 


Goodnight!

True Love.

Hello to all! As late as it is, I can never really stop thinking about Weddings.  It has always been a life dream of mine to stand in front of the man I love saying our vows, but I think the most excitement is all in the planning.  Many struggle with the stresses of it all, but all I want to do plan!  I think I get the joys most out of seeing it all come together and how amazing it is to see someones dream actually come true.  It all seemed so stereotypical at one point in time when I thought love was not to ever be found for myself.  I never really truely understood why two people were so attached, why they couldn't unlock hands to enjoy a meal, or how the words 'I love you' could possibly be used that many times and the sentence could still make sense.  If you are relating to this now, just hold tight, I know that time will come when you find that love.  But for those of you who are trying to explain what it feels like (Note the word "Trying"), I understand now.  It's nice to be in love.  Oh what was that? How did we meet? Oil Change, ladies ;D!  My business is founded off love and will only be generated by love.  Who needs electricity anymore anyways, it's all about bringing the candles back!  Now I would like to commit to blogging realistically maybe once every two weeks, buuut no promises.  Right now, business is at the crisp clean beginning,  just a couple of designing projects at the moment but I want more! I long for more!  My quote for the day is "Challenges weaken our hope at times, but without challenges we would have no strength, and with no strength we have no hope.  So carry on with strength and hope, and you will overcome your challenges."